Policy Changes Research Articles

Technology-enhanced Learning in Information Systems Education

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted higher education but also accelerated the adoption of technology-enhanced learning and innovative teaching practices to promote student-centred learning in higher education. Nevertheless, traditional, didactic, teacher-centred approaches in university teaching are still prevalent. Specifically, Information Systems (IS) and other technology-related disciplines are expected to adopt technological innovations more readily. Moving beyond the pandemic, there is a need to reassess the current state of Information Systems education and explore technologies that have been effectively deployed to identify best practices. This study involves reviewing thirteen subjects as part of a Master of Information Systems course offered by one of Australia’s leading universities. It aims to identify innovative technology-enhanced practices that promote student-centred learning, assess their adoption levels and impact, and reflect on any difficulties hindering their adoption. We identified three innovative technology applications that effectively facilitate student-centred learning: web-based interactive content, online collaborative workspaces, and simulation games. However, we found that these technologies are primarily adopted for tutorials. Nevertheless, the use of technology has led to a notable shift from the traditional teaching approach to a flipped classroom model. The findings highlight the need for university-wide support, policy changes, and investments in time, resources, and staff training to enhance student-centred learning through the use of technology.

Category-Based Administrative Access Control Policies

As systems evolve, security administrators need to review and update access control policies. Such updates must be carefully controlled due to the risks associated with erroneous or malicious policy changes. We propose a category-based access control (CBAC) model, called Admin-CBAC , to control administrative actions. Since most of the access control models in use nowadays (including the popular RBAC and ABAC models) are instances of CBAC, from Admin-CBAC , we derive administrative models for RBAC and ABAC, too. We present a graph-based representation of Admin-CBAC policies and a formal operational semantics for administrative actions via graph rewriting. We also discuss implementations of Admin-CBAC exploiting the graph-based representation. Using the formal semantics, we show how properties (such as safety, liveness, and effectiveness of policies) and constraints (such as separation of duties) can be checked, and discuss the impact of policy changes. Although the most interesting properties of policies are generally undecidable in dynamic access control models, we identify particular cases where reachability properties are decidable and can be checked using our operational semantics, generalising previous results for RBAC and ABAC α .

Fifty years of teacher education in South Africa: towards systematic learning and social transformation

ABSTRACT The article tracks key moments in teacher education policy and curriculum in South Africa from the 1970s to the present day. Political and social features of education in each decade are outlined, from a racialised and fragmented system of teacher education, to the imagining of alternatives, and the imperative for educational transformation. The article pays special attention to the role of teacher education in a national agenda of social reconstruction within the goals of the 1996 Constitution of South Africa, to establish a post-apartheid society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. Drawing on a conception of teaching as organising systematic learning, we track ways in which changes in teacher education policy have enabled or restricted opportunities for systematic learning for students in different social contexts, and towards advancing equity. We argue that insights from strong theoretical frameworks create conditions of possibility for student teachers to analyse and interrogate their observations and experiences within the existing schooling system. In so doing, they potentially become agents of transformation, as they imagine practical possibilities for improving teaching in and beyond their immediate school and contextual realities. At the same time, we note the limitation of too narrow a focus on systematised knowledge, without sufficient attention to the life histories and aspirations of student teachers themselves. We suggest that a crucial way forward is to consider how personal development, teacher knowledges and classroom experiences and interactions work symbiotically to support student teachers’ pedagogic learning, even against the enduring challenges of severe inequalities in South Africa. This requires attention to how knowledge informs teaching, how curricula can support the process of learning to teach, and how systematic learning can be nurtured in the pursuit of social transformation.

Perinatal Loneliness and Isolation Early in the COVID‐19 Pandemic in New York City: A Qualitative Study

IntroductionDuring the COVID‐19 pandemic, birthing parents were identified as a high‐risk group with greater vulnerability to the harms associated with SARS‐CoV‐2. This led to necessary changes in perinatal health policies but also to experiences of maternal isolation and loneliness, both in hospital settings, due to infection mitigation procedures, and once home, due to social distancing.MethodsIn this study, we qualitatively explored birthing and postpartum experiences in New York City during the early days of the pandemic when lockdowns were in effect and policies and practices were rapidly changing. Using thematic analysis, our focus was on experiences of isolation, navigating these experiences, and the potential impacts of isolation and loneliness on maternal health for 55 birthing people.ResultsParticipants described numerous stressors related to isolation during the birthing process, including reconciling their hopes for their birth with the realities of the unknown and separation from partners, family, and friends in the hospital. During the postpartum period, loneliness manifested as having limited or no contact with family and friends, which led to feelings of a need for strengthened social support systems. The impact of these negative experiences shaped mental health. Overall, we found that solitary experiences during birthing and postpartum isolation were major sources of stress for participants in this study.DiscussionTo support impacted families and prepare for future crisis events, clinicians and researchers must prioritize the development of strong clinical and social support structures for perinatal people to ensure both maternal and child health.

Confronting the idealised ‘Nordic model’ in education with contemporary realities of special education in Sweden

ABSTRACT For decades, the Nordic countries have been admired for their inclusive education systems within egalitarian societies, bolstered by PISA studies and global calls to ensure inclusive education as a human right. This paper contrasts idealised perspectives on Nordic education with internal experiences, exploring recent challenges to the relationship between special and inclusive education. Using Sweden as a case study, it highlights internal diversity within the Nordic region, showing differing paths and gaps between research, policy and school realities. The risks of idealising past educational models are discussed, noting that Sweden, once known for its egalitarian education and low special education needs classification rates, now faces higher classification rates and more separate provision due to policy changes. Recent trends have shown a shift towards increased diagnosis and classification, influenced by marketisation and decentralisation policies. The paper focuses on neurodivergence, analysing shifts in government priorities, teacher education, school practices and research agendas. Analysis of recent policies, reports and educational data reveals winners and losers in school participation, providing insights into the implications for educational discourse, the future of the ‘Nordic model’, and Swedish education in a global context.

Managing Eating Disorders Within Medicaid‐Funded Health Care Systems in California

ABSTRACTObjectiveThis study describes the current management of patients with eating disorders (EDs) served by publicly–funded Medicaid behavioral health systems.MethodBehavioral health leaders across nine counties in California met on a quarterly basis to share experiences, challenges, and lessons in the management of EDs within publicly–funded service systems. Detailed notes were taken, and a qualitative content analysis was undertaken to identify key themes.ResultsCounty leadership noted insufficient outpatient capacity and difficulty building capacity for ED treatment, in addition to extraordinary challenges when facilitating admission to out‐of‐network higher level of care programs, at significant expense. Several challenges were identified in building an internal ED workforce, including the fact that many providers weren't eager to treat EDs due to training burden, patient complexity, and high levels of clinician burnout. When a higher level of care was required due to lack of outpatient resources or patient symptom severity or complexity, leaders dedicated significant resources to identify and contract with an appropriate program and secure the necessary funds.DiscussionOur study supports the need for specialized ED treatment and case management, as well as standardized processes and centralized resources, in Medicaid‐managed care. Findings also indicate the importance of protecting against clinician burnout, possibly through reduced caseload expectations, financial incentives, or increased support. Future policy change could reduce administrative burden and clinician burnout by facilitating admission to and reimbursement for higher levels of care.

Exploring distance learning in rural private schools in the Philippines: Challenges, coping mechanisms, and model development

The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant changes to the educational landscape, impacting not only public schools but also private learning institutions. This study explores the experiences of private schools at the administrative and faculty levels, focusing on the challenges encountered and the coping mechanisms employed in implementing distance learning. A descriptive phenomenology research design was used, emphasizing the subjective experiences of private school administrators and teachers. The researchers applied phenomenology to understand the core structure of their experiences in remote teaching and learning, with the goal of informing best practices and guiding potential changes in policies, theories, or responses to distance learning.Private schools faced a range of challenges due to this sudden shift, including insufficient professional preparation for teachers and inadequate technological infrastructure, both of which significantly affected the quality of distance learning. Despite these constraints, school leaders and teachers collaborated to propose strategies for mitigating the impact of these challenges. Key recommendations include prioritizing internet connectivity as a basic project for IT infrastructure with the support of school personnel and community leaders. Additional strategies involve offering diverse teaching modalities, conducting learner assessments, establishing effective communication and feedback systems, practicing efficient time management, fostering positive relationships, demonstrating professional integrity, advocating for ongoing training and simplified instruction, and recognizing the unique value of each learner within their academic environment.

Research on Changes in International Energy Trade Pattern under the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The impact of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on world energy markets has received great attention. Some researchers have found that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has caused an energy crisis to a certain extent. However, there is a lack of overview of the changes in the trade pattern and the scope of its impact. Therefore, through a comprehensive analysis of changes in policies and economic data, this study analyzes the different response measures taken by countries in different regions such as Europe and Asia to deal with the reduction in Russia's exports of major energy products and the fluctuations in international energy prices. This study also analyzes how the mutual sanctions between Russia and Western countries have contributed to the shift of Russia's energy export focus to the Asia-Pacific region and the diversification of Western countries' energy supply. Research results show that energy trade is at risk of being affected by geopolitical factors such as regional conflicts and mutual sanctions. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has strengthened the attention of countries on energy security issues. The research also highlights the implications for future policies and actions, providing an understanding of emerging trends in the future. Economically, this study, based on past data, emphasizes the inevitability of the Russia-Ukraine conflict affecting energy fluctuations and affirms that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is conducive to global new energy transformation and sustainable development in the long term.

Morbidity among resettled refugees at arrival in Ontario, Canada (1994–2017): a controlled interrupted time series study examining the effect of the Immigration Refugee Protection Act, 2002

BackgroundImmigration inadmissibility on medical grounds is common among high-income countries. In Canada, the Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) became law in 2002. With humanitarian protection as a priority, IRPA...

Supporting Organizations in Improving Employee Bulk E-mail --- A Tool Design and Evaluation Study

Organizations often send bulk emails to employees to make them aware of policy changes, organization plans, and events. Many of these emails, however, are long digests with many separate messages that waste employees' time and reduce their awareness. This study introduces CommTool--a prototype tool to help organizational communicators better understand their emails' performance and cost. We first interviewed 5 communicators and identified the need to measure the performance of each message within bulk email. Then we iteratively designed and deployed an organizational bulk email evaluation platform (CommTool), which enables communicators to get diverse message-level metrics such as reading time, relevance rate, comments, etc. We evaluated these designs through a 2-month field deployment with 5 communicators and 149 organization employees. We found that 1) the message-level metrics, such as reading time and relevance rate, helped communicators understand their audience and design bulk emails; 2) the cost and reputation metrics did not influence the organization leaders' decisions. We summarize with suggestions on designing organizational bulk email evaluation platforms that provide message-level performance and cost information.

Moving the goalposts in Qatar: Tracing the labour reform process by and through transnational players

This article traces the process which led the state of Qatar to take steps towards reforming its labour laws that had historically severely restricted the rights and freedoms of migrant workers who make up the majority of its workforce. Our premise is that the 2022 World Cup served as a catalyst for Qatar to enact significant labour reforms due to a complex array of events harnessed by the actions of key actors, notably the global labour movement. We use political process theory which we operationalise in a novel manner, that is, through the process tracing methodology which allows us to demonstrate that it was a combination of internal and external factors (events, actors, strategies) which ultimately pushed Qatar to rapidly introduce legal and policy changes as well as taking steps to amend its hostile institutional environment.

Necessary reforms in the Greek academic system

Motivated by our EU funded ERA chair projects, that require proposing reforms to yield the Greek academic system more competitive with a particular emphasis on fostering brain gain and preventing brain drain, we propose policy changes on a wide range of topics, based on our joint academic management experience inside and outside of Greece in conjunction with our diverse backgrounds in the humanities, computer science, and the life sciences. The proposed reforms can contribute to increase the competitiveness of Greece in research and development (R & D). We classify proposals by their associated costs and include a plethora of zero cost proposals that do have the potential to increase efficiency and net research time as well as to improve current working conditions in Greek academia. However, to yield Greece more competitive at the international level, reverse brain drain, and foster brain gain, substantial investments and increases of R&D expenditure are required which depend on political willingness and require a long term strategic development plan for Greece beyond being a tourist destination in the European periphery.

Decreasing the carbon footprint of food through public procurement—A case study from the municipality of Härnösand

Eating habits are among the strongest drivers of negative environmental impact. Public procurement has been suggested as an efficient lever to catalyze changes within the food system. This study examines alternative purchase processes that may decrease the carbon footprint of publicly procured food through a case study of a municipality in the Northern part of Sweden. The GHG emissions associated with the current food service in the case study were 2.2 kg CO2e per kg food and must be reduced by 40.9% by 2030 to comply with the Paris Agreement; 76% of the emissions derive from food of animal origin (44% from unprocessed red meat). Three alternative diet scenarios, “zero red meat,” “−50% red meat,” and “flexitarian free from red meat,” were explored. Only 6% of the total purchased food kilograms were altered, yet the cutback of meat caused GHG emissions reductions turned out to be as high as 44%. The Swedish Law on Public Procurement, deficient infrastructure, unsustainable food culture, and local politicians' reluctance to change were mentioned as the main obstacles to materializing necessary changes in the food procurement system. The respondents also pointed out essential policy changes at the national and municipal levels.

Enacting policy change in Jordanian public schools: interrogating the reproductive habitus of Al Faza’a leadership

ABSTRACT An extensive longitudinal study examining the enactment of Jordan’s Education Reform for Knowledge Economy (ERfKE) policy in public schools uncovered the pervasive influence of Al-Faza’a leadership, which is deeply rooted in tribal values of solidarity and kinship. This article analyses Al-Faza’a leadership as a culturally potent force that profoundly challenges policy change for education reform. Through a sociological study guided by Bourdieu’s theory of practice, our findings reveal Al-Faza’a leadership as a distinctive form of illusio that is all the more powerful when intertwined with the doxa of Sheikhocracy. We illustrate how Al-Faza’a leadership embodies a persistent reproductive habitus, obstructing ERfKE’s transformative potential and exemplifying resistance to externally imposed and culturally ill-suited reform agendas in Jordan’s schools. By dissecting nuanced sociocultural dynamics shaping leadership practices, the article focuses on the experiences and perspectives of public school principals charged with policy enactment. It illuminates embedded cultural practices within schools and the Ministry of Education that are steeped in long-held traditions and beliefs which undermine policy objectives. This grounded theory-building study highlights the unsuitability of imported policy ideals that assume universal applicability and emphasizes the necessity of culturally sensitive approaches to education policymaking, policy enactment, and, hence, to education reform.

Changes in legal referrals to specialty substance use disorder treatment from 2015–2019

BackgroundThe policy landscape around substance use has changed dramatically in the past decade, which may have affected the number and characteristics of treatment episodes for substance use disorder (SUD). In this study, we examine changes in the volume of SUD treatment referrals from the legal system and compare changes in the composition of substances used by referral source. We used publicly available discharge data on specialty SUD treatment episodes in the U.S. from 2015–2019 and included episodes involving adults that are discharged from specialty SUD treatment facilities during the study. We calculated descriptive statistics of specialty SUD treatment discharges in each year and aggregated across all years by referral source and substance(s) reported upon admission. To test differences by year and referral source, we conducted z-tests of proportions.ResultsThe proportion of referrals to specialty SUD treatment from the legal system declined between 2015 and 2019 (p < 0.001). However, referrals from probation/parole and diversionary programs grew over time (p < 0.001) in number and proportion over time. Legal referrals were most often associated with alcohol or cannabis use, though referrals for these substances declined from 2015–2019.ConclusionsThis research lays the groundwork for future investigations to evaluate the effect of important policy changes on referral sources to specialty SUD treatment and the quality and outcomes associated with referrals to treatment from the legal system.

No Longer Neutral: The ECB’s Geopoliticization of the International Role of the Euro

While the euro has, since its creation, been the world’s second most important currency, the ECB has long depoliticized the international role of the euro by proclaiming a neutral stance. However, as this article explains, since 2019, the ECB has embraced currency internationalization and framed the issue in geopolitical terms. This policy change reflects a response to a changed international political environment after 2018 and it has led the ECB to seek closer political coordination regarding external economic policy. As the international role of the euro has become a concern for the EU’s broader geoeconomic turn, it may, however, become difficult for the ECB to reconcile its political independence with its more geopolitical view of currency internationalization.

Longitudinal policy surveillance of state obesity legislation in California, 1999–2020

BackgroundObesity rates among children and adults continue to accelerate in the U.S., particularly among marginalized and low-income populations. Obesity prevention and reduction policies can significantly impact population health by improving environmental conditions and increasing access to health-promoting resources. Limited research has been conducted to examine state obesity policy change over time. The primary aim of this study is to examine legislative approaches used to prevent and reduce obesity in the state of California (U.S.).MethodsWe used quantitative policy surveillance methods to develop a state database of obesity-related legislation (bills, resolutions) introduced in California’s legislature between 1999 and 2020. Descriptive statistics were used to examine trends of introduced and enacted policy by legislative and policy characteristics. Chi-square tests were used to determine differences in characteristics between enacted and non-enacted legislation. Legislative session and policy characteristics found to be associated with enactment were used to predict adoption in a logistic regression.ResultsA total of 284 obesity-related bills and resolutions were introduced in California’s legislature between 1999 and 2020 with a peak of 43 in 2005–2006. On average, 25.8 bills and resolutions were introduced each 2-year legislative cycle. Findings indicate that (a) children and schools were the most frequently specified population and setting; (b) the most common policy topics were nutrition (45%) and physical activity (33%); and (c) only 15% of legislation mentioned race/ethnicity. Overall, 24.9% of bills were enacted compared to 82.1% of resolutions adopted. Legislation to raise awareness about obesity had 5.4 times the odds of being passed compared to other topics. Yet this difference was not statistically significant in a sensitivity analysis when we excluded resolutions.ConclusionsThis database can be leveraged to advance our knowledge of effective and equitable policy instruments to prevent and reduce obesity. Results reveal important policy elements that may impact legislative success, including policy topic, and contribute to a nascent evidence base for public health law research, legal epidemiology, and practice. Future work should investigate the role of policy effectiveness research and evidence on legislative policymaking.

Trends and opportunities in renewable energy investment in Saudi Arabia: Insights for achieving vision 2030 and enhancing environmental sustainability

Renewable energy has emerged as a critical alternative to traditional energy sources due to growing environmental concerns and the need for sustainable energy development. Saudi Arabia, driven by its Vision 2030, has strongly committed to shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydrogen. Despite significant progress, existing investment methods often focus narrowly on financial returns and do not adequately address the risks and uncertainties associated with renewable energy projects, such as policy changes, technological challenges, and fluctuating energy prices. This paper aims to highlight and compare the trends in renewable energy investments and incorporate a risk analysis matrix to address the economic, environmental, and social aspects of Saudi Arabia’s environment. The details used in the study are obtained from Kaggle, while the adopted analysis technique involves multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). It provides a fresh qualitative approach that allows an all-sided assessment of the investment prospects by focusing on appropriate weight for different factors. The analysis results show that using the proposed framework can help effectively prioritize investment opportunities identifying major trends and risks in developing renewable energy sources in Saudi Arabia. Current investment trends have been reviewed systematically; experts have been interviewed; MCDM techniques have been employed, as the methodology effectiveness improves the comprehension of investment tendencies and contributes to strategic management in the renewable energy market stakeholder’s activity. The MCDM analysis results show that the solar energy system has the highest investment index in the Saudi Arabian cities; the first place belongs to Abha with an investment index of 0.93, the second place belongs to Jeddah with an investment index of 0.85, and the third place belongs to Dammam with an investment index of 0.75. From these outcomes, we can easily conclude that Abha is the best place to place a solar energy project, probably because of environmental and legal factors. The analysis underscores geographic factors in deploying renewable energy, directing investors and policymakers to cities with favourable solar power generation about sustainability and economic objectives. The results are expected to enhance investment awareness among local and international stakeholders, support the strategic goals of Vision 2030, and contribute to a more sustainable and diversified energy future for Saudi Arabia. This study provides a strategic framework for optimizing renewable energy investments, promoting sustainable development, and achieving long-term economic growth. Data AvailabilityData sharing is not applicable to this article as no data sets were generated during the current study.

Applying the Risk–Need–Responsivity (RNR) Model to Transgender Women in the Criminal Justice System

Transgender women are at least twice as likely as cisgender people to be incarcerated in their lifetimes, and, in custody, they experience harassment, abuse, and denial of affirming healthcare. Despite several legal and policy changes intended to improve these conditions, there has been little discussion about the need for evidence-based rehabilitation with the population. This article examines the use of the risk–need–responsivity (RNR) model with transgender women in the criminal justice system and discusses how it can be beneficial for tailoring rehabilitation services to address the unique needs of the population, thereby improving opportunities for successful community reintegration.

Teacher perspectives and barriers in implementing inclusive education for Indian children with special needs: A pilot study

AbstractInclusive education is crucial for integrating children with special needs into mainstream educational settings. This pilot study explores the attitudes of teachers in India toward providing inclusive education to children with disabilities, and the challenges they face. As the Indian education system continues to evolve, there are significant gaps in teacher preparedness and the availability of resources, especially given the socio‐cultural and economic diversity of the country. The study aims to assess the perspectives of 30 primary and secondary school teachers regarding their experiences with inclusive education, focusing on their attitudes, challenges, and the resources available for supporting students with special needs. A mixed‐methods approach was employed, utilising surveys and interviews to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The results indicate that while many teachers hold a positive attitude toward inclusive education, they face numerous challenges in its implementation, including a lack of specialised training, insufficient support services and inadequate teaching materials. Teachers expressed particular difficulty in supporting students with severe disabilities due to the lack of behavioural and psychological services in schools. This study emphasises the importance of continued teacher training and infrastructure improvements to foster effective inclusive education. It also highlights the need for policy changes, such as the integration of the Samagra Shiksha scheme and recognition of the 2016 Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, to support teachers in overcoming the barriers they face. The findings from this pilot study will inform a larger, more comprehensive study, and provide the foundation for future reforms of inclusive education in India.