Technology Policy Research Articles

A Justice-Oriented Conceptual and Analytical Framework for Decolonising and Desecularising the Field of Educational Technology

Education systems globally are increasingly being shaped by the logics, assumptions and pedagogical underpinnings of educational technology (EdTech) products, services, programmes, policies, and systems. These often promote rationalistic, secular, universal, objectivist, (post)modernist, written, behaviourist, and individualistic ways of being, marginalising religious, spiritual, oral, subjective, critical, and communitarian ways of being. Given that technological ways of being have been propagated globally, these logics are no longer predominantly promoted by those in the Global North, but by techno-solutionists globally, although the core-to-periphery flows of ideology and funding are still prominent. This article develops a conceptual and analytical framework for decolonising and desecularising the field of EdTech. Concepts are drawn from various discourses: the desecularisation of knowledge to set the ontological framing; embodied cognition to set the epistemological framing; and social justice and decolonial discourses to set the axiological framing. From this, the article develops the Dimensions of Human Injustice Analytical Framework—covering material, ontological and epistemic, and (geo)political injustices—to assist policymakers, educators, EdTech developers, and international development practitioners in identifying and confronting coloniality in their EdTech. Acknowledging the complexity and contentions within decolonial thought, this article does not claim a unified stance on achieving justice but aims to offer a tool for deconstructing and questioning injustices.

An Exploratory Study on Arts & Technology Policy for its Future Direction and Strategies

An Exploratory Study on Arts & Technology Policy for its Future Direction and Strategies

기업가지향성이 비즈니스 프로세스 혁신을 통해 혁신성과에 미치는 영향

The manufacturing sector in Korea had a more severe fall in labor productivity during the global financial crisis than most OECD countries. As a result, the manufacturing sector in Korea is in danger of becoming less competitive. Additionally, due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the advancement of intelligent technology, several forms of corporate innovation are becoming more significant. The assessment is that, in light of the alterations in the external milieu and the circumstances confronting the Korean manufacturing sector, domestic manufacturing enterprises must fortify their entrepreneurial orientation and enhance their capacity for innovation to augment the efficacy of their innovation endeavors. As a result, this study looked at the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and product innovation and considered business process innovation as a multifaceted innovation skill. This study's empirical testing used the Science and Technology Policy Institute's 2020 Korean Innovation Survey data on manufacturing industries. It was discovered that, as a result of business process innovation, entrepreneurial attitude positively impacted product innovation. Furthermore, incremental product innovation was positively impacted by entrepreneurial attitude, whereas radical product innovation was negatively impacted.

A Bibliometric Study of Publications and Citations in the Field of Digital Economy

The evolution of the digital economy has been characterized by an increasing trend in academic publications from 1996 to 2024, reflecting its growing importance and widespread implications across various sectors. This study analyzes the publication trends using bibliometric data, revealing significant growth in research outputs, particularly in the past decade. The implications of this growth are profound for both the business sector and policymakers, as they adapt to technological advancements and shifting market dynamics. The analysis not only highlights the sectors' responses to these changes but also underscores the need for updated policies to support digital infrastructure, ensure data privacy, and promote digital inclusivity. The study further discusses how this burgeoning research can guide strategic decisions in technology adoption and policy formulation.

What do empirical studies on technology leadership in education tell us?: content analysis, bibliometric analysis, and text mining

The purpose of the study was to investigate 15 years of empirical research on technology leadership in education to examine the trends of the studies, synthesize their relevant features, and reveal the clusters and characteristics of their abstracts. The review included 85 empirical studies indexed in the Web of Science or Scopus databases between 2007 and 2021. Content analysis, bibliometric analysis, and text mining were employed, with results that revealed growing scholarly interest over the last few years in studying technology leadership in education, and that quantitative studies were the predominant research approach. It was also seen that more than a quarter of the studies were published in seven journals and that studies locally cited (by other studies included in the analysis) mostly referred to journals with a focus on policy, theory, and practice for technology in educational organizations. Moreover, the abstracts of the studies were clustered within four categories, which were supported with the results related to the patterns of keywords and cited papers. Possible explanations for these findings and limitations were discussed, and implications and recommendations for future studies were suggested.

Dr. Casey Fiesler: Making tech ethics go viral

MIT Science Policy Review spoke with Dr. Casey Fiesler about her work to bring technology ethics to the general public through social media. Dr. Fiesler is an Associate Professor of Information Science (and Computer Science by courtesy) at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in the areas of technology ethics, internet law and policy, and online communities. Dr. Fiesler’s work on research ethics for data science, ethics education in computing, and broadening participation in computing has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and she is the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award. As a public scholar, she frequently speaks on topics of technology ethics and policy, and her research has been covered in a wide variety of media outlets, from The New York Times to Teen Vogue (though she’s particularly proud of her TikToks). Dr. Fiesler holds a PhD in Human-Centered Computing and a JD from Vanderbilt Law School. We had a conversation with Dr. Fiesler about her widely followed social media channels, where she addresses technology ethics with the general public. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @professorcasey.

Harnessing science and technology policy to drive innovation in India: A conversation with Dr. Parvinder Maini

MIT Science Policy Review spoke with Dr. Parvinder Maini about the role of science and technology (S&T) policies in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in India. Dr. Maini is the Scientific Secretary at the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India. In her current role, Dr. Maini is responsible for enlarging the R&D ecosystem in the country, formulating policies, and forging three-way industry-academia-government collaborations. A scientist-turned-policymaker, Dr. Maini has been instrumental in the launch of several critical national programs including the National Research Foundation and the National Deep Tech Policy among many others. An expert in meteorology and oceanography, Dr. Maini spent 20 years in the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) where she was instrumental in the development and implementation of statistical dynamical models for providing location-specific forecasts. She also spearheaded the Atmospheric Science and International Cooperation programs at MoES Headquarters. We spoke with Dr. Maini about how the Office of the PSA synergistically works with other governmental policymaking institutions to achieve India’s S&T goals.

Scientific expertise and public engagement in science policy: A conversation with Dr. Alondra Nelson

MIT Science Policy Review spoke with Dr. Alondra Nelson about the role of scientists and the broader public in shaping policy. Dr. Nelson is the Harold F. Linder Professor in the School of Social Science at the Institute of Advanced Study, an independent research center in Princeton, New Jersey, and is the author of multiple works about the intersections of science, technology, medicine, and inequality, including Body and Soul (2011) and The Social Life of DNA (2016). She previously served as Deputy Assistant to President Joe Biden and acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). As a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, she has advised at various levels of government and civil society on science-related issues. Dr. Nelson’s unique perspective as a sociologist sheds light on the importance of public participation in policy development, both as a democratic process, and to ensure that scientific and technological progress benefits society. In our conversation, we discussed some of the challenges of science policymaking, strategies to enhance public involvement in policy, and the fundamental value of providing broad public access to science and scientific education.

Mapping the regulatory landscape for artificial intelligence in health within the European Union

Regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence (AI) are needed to mitigate risks while ensuring the ethical, secure, and effective implementation of AI technology in healthcare and population health. In this article, we present a synthesis of 141 binding policies applicable to AI in healthcare and population health in the EU and 10 European countries. The EU AI Act sets the overall regulatory framework for AI, while other legislations set social, health, and human rights standards, address the safety of technologies and the implementation of innovation, and ensure the protection and safe use of data. Regulation specifically pertaining to AI is still nascent and scarce, though a combination of data, technology, innovation, and health and human rights policy has already formed a baseline regulatory framework for AI in health. Future work should explore specific regulatory challenges, especially with respect to AI medical devices, data protection, and data enablement.

Does Generative Artificial Intelligence Improve the Academic Achievement of College Students? A Meta-Analysis

The use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) to assist college students in their studies has become a trend. However, there is no academic consensus on whether Gen-AI can enhance the academic achievement of college students. Using a meta-analytic approach, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Gen-AI in improving the academic achievement of college students and to explore the effects of different moderating variables. A total of 28 articles (65 independent studies, 1909 participants) met the inclusion criteria for this study. The results showed that Gen-AI significantly improved college students’ academic achievement with a medium effect size (Hedges’s g = 0.533, 95% CI [0.408,0.659], p < .05). There were within-group differences in the three moderator variables, activity categories, sample size, and generated content, when the generated content was text ( g = 0.554, p < .05), and sample size of 21–40 ( g = 0.776, p < .05), the use of independent learning styles ( g = 0.600, p < .05) had the most significant improvement in college student’s academic achievement. The intervention duration, the discipline types, and the assessment tools also had a moderate positive impact on college students’ academic achievement, but there were no significant within-group differences in any of the moderating variables. This study provides a theoretical basis and empirical evidence for the scientific application of Gen-AI and the development of educational technology policy.

Comparative Analysis of Reinforcement Learning Approaches for Multi-Objective Optimization in Residential Hybrid Energy Systems

The rapid expansion of renewable energy in buildings has been expedited by technological advancements and government policies. However, including highly permeable intermittent renewables and energy storage presents significant challenges for traditional home energy management systems (HEMSs). Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is regarded as the most efficient approach for tackling these problems because of its robust nonlinear fitting capacity and capability to operate without a predefined model. This paper presents a DRL control method intended to lower energy expenses and elevate renewable energy usage by optimizing the actions of the battery and heat pump in HEMS. We propose four DRL algorithms and thoroughly assess their performance. In pursuit of this objective, we also devise a new reward function for multi-objective optimization and an interactive environment grounded in expert experience. The results demonstrate that the TD3 algorithm excels in cost savings and PV self-consumption. Compared to the baseline model, the TD3 model achieved a 13.79% reduction in operating costs and a 5.07% increase in PV self-consumption. Additionally, we explored the impact of the feed-in tariff (FiT) on TD3’s performance, revealing its resilience even when the FiT decreases. This comparison provides insights into algorithm selection for specific applications, promoting the development of DRL-driven energy management solutions.

State corporations in the implementation of scientific and technological policy of Russia

The article examines the features of modern scientific and technological policy (STP) in the context of external challenges and selected development priorities. The key directions for the implementation of the STP before and after 2022 are analyzed separately, with an emphasis on new directions in the Policy of Technological Sovereignty. The place of state corporations in the implementation of the STP is identified, and a comprehensive analysis of the interim results of the activities of the state corporations Rostec, Rosatom and Roscosmos is carried out in the most important areas of the STP until 2022, as well as an analysis of scientific and production potential and prospects for the inclusion of state corporations in the development of new directions. A conclusion is drawn about the active participation of state corporations in the implementation of the main directions of scientific and technical progress, including the Policy of Technological Sovereignty. The main barriers that reduce the effectiveness of state corporations are identified, and recommendations are developed to optimize their participation.

The effect of intellectual property rights on firm performance in service firms: the role of process and organizational innovation

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the effects of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on firm performance, considering the mediating effect of process innovation and the moderating effect of organizational innovation. Additionally, this study investigates both the direct and indirect effects of IPRs on firm performance.Design/methodology/approachWe employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine proposed hypotheses. Our analysis attempted to analyze 3,750 Korean firms sourced from the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPI).FindingsProcess innovation mediates the relationship between IPRs and firm performance, and organizational innovation moderates the relationship between IPRs and process innovation. As a result, process and organizational innovation positively and indirectly affect firms’ financial performance. Also, IPRs can be regarded as a crucial resource for service firms, contributing to enhancing their performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study imply that IPRs can act as valuable intellectual resources for firms, improving financial performance. The mediating role of process innovation in the relationship between IPRs and firm performance highlights the significance of process innovation as a principal resource applicable to both the service and the manufacturing industries. Additionally, this study reveals that organizational innovation plays a vital role in determining firm performance by moderating the relationship between IPRs and process innovation. For the limitation of this study, it is important to acknowledge that the research primarily focuses on examining firms’ internal resources, while innovation activities can be significantly influenced by external knowledge resources as well. To address this limitation, future research should consider integrating the influence of external knowledge resources to provide a more well-rounded perspective on the relationship between IPRs, innovation, and firm performance.Practical implicationsThis study holds two significant practical implications. First, from a corporate management perspective, service firms can improve their financial performance by developing or improving process innovations. This underscores the importance of investing in and fostering process innovation within an organization to achieve better financial outcomes. Second, from the corporate managers’ perspective, organizational innovation is crucial in improving firm performance, particularly when combined with IPRs and process innovation. This suggests that a holistic approach to innovation, encompassing both organizational and process-oriented initiatives, can lead to more substantial positive effects on firm performance. Finally, managers should proactively manage and regulate IPRs at various organizational levels, especially in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. By safeguarding and strategically leveraging their IPRs, companies can position themselves advantageously and capitalize on the opportunities presented in the digital realm.Originality/valueThis study shows that firm innovations can dynamically shape the relationship between IPRs and firms’ performance. This highlights the significant potential for firms to leverage their intellectual resources strategically to create novel and competitive products or services. Adopting a resource-based view, this study suggests that firms can enhance their competitive advantage and overall performance by effectively utilizing and collaborating with IPRs and innovations.

Green Hydrogen in Focus: A Review of Production Technologies, Policy Impact, and Market Developments

This paper navigates the critical role of hydrogen in catalyzing a sustainable energy transformation. This review delves into hydrogen production methodologies, spotlighting green and blue hydrogen as pivotal for future energy systems because of their potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through a comprehensive literature review and a bibliometric analysis, this study underscores the importance of technological advancements, policy support, and market incentives in promoting hydrogen as a key energy vector. It also explores the necessity of expanding renewable energy sources and international cooperation to secure a sustainable, low-carbon future. The analysis highlights the importance of scalable and cost-effective hydrogen production methods, such as solar-thermochemical and photo-electrochemical processes, and addresses the challenges posed by resource availability and geopolitical factors in establishing a hydrogen economy. This paper serves as a guide for policy and innovation toward achieving global sustainability goals, illustrating the essential role of hydrogen in the energy transition.

Agent-based simulation of citizens’ satisfaction in smart cities

Although the citizens’ satisfaction in smart cities (CSSC) has become a vital criterion for smart cities, which symbolizes the people-centric concept, the previous research on simulating CSSC only considered the technological innovation and policy changes at the macro level, resulting in the neglect of the micro emotional contagion between citizens. To address this gap, a simulation approach is proposed to consider the influence caused by emotional contagion through the agent-based model (ABM). Supported by the expectation confirmation model (ECM) and the emotional contagion theory (ECT), the ABM simulation is implemented through the Anylogic platform, based on survey data from 19 smart cities in China. The results of various scenarios show that citizens’ expectations are the key factor affecting the CSSC, and the influence of emotional contagion cannot be ignored, especially in the acquaintance society. As social networks become more intimate, the impact of emotional contagion will turn the citizen group into an “antithetical society,” which means a situation with severe polarization of CSSC. This study also discusses the possible threshold of this transition process. Based on the analysis of multiple scenarios, it is implied that CSSC should be evaluated by considering the emotional contagion, and smart cities prioritize quality over quantity.

Modeling the contribution of district-level cotton production to aggregate cotton production in Punjab (Pakistan): an empirical evidence using correlated component regression approach

This study aims to determine the relative importance of major cotton-producing districts with reference to their aggregate cotton production in Punjab using the time series data from 1982-2021. The empirical analysis is conducted with a correlated component regression approach, which is comparatively more suitable to multicollinear and high-dimensional data sets like those examined in this study. The standardized regression coefficients' absolute value determines each district's rank and relative importance. The degree of geographic concentration of the district-level impact is examined by the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). The empirical analysis is analyzed for two-time windows. The first-time window includes crop years from 1982 to 2001, and the second window covers crop years from 2002 to 2021. The Findings of the study indicate that all the included districts had a positive and statistically significant impact on Punjab provincial aggregate cotton production in both the study periods, with the exception of districts Sargodha and Mianwali, which had a negative impact on Punjab-aggregate-cotton-production from 1982 to 2001. Furthermore, the estimated results of the correlated component regression show a decline in the degree of geographic concentration during 2002-2021, as indicated by a 36-point decrease in the value of standardized coefficient HHI. This indicates that technological advancements and policy factors have contributed to greater geographic variation in the relative importance of each district during 2002-2021 compared to 1982-2001. The cumulative sum of residuals (CUSUM) and cumulative sum of square residuals (CUSUMSQ) for both time periods show that the estimated parameters of the correlated component models are structurally stable.

Evaluating the impact of technological development policy on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry: Mechanisms and threshold effects

As the world's largest manufacturing country, the rapid growth of China's manufacturing industry has historically relied on factor input. To achieve high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, China must accelerate the transformation from extensive factor input to innovation. The purpose of this study is to further explore the impact mechanisms of technological development policy on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. It selected data from 30 provinces and cities in China spanning from 2011 to 2021 for the study. Initially, it established a benchmark regression model to verify the positive impact of technological development policies on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. Subsequently, a mediation effect model was used to analyze the role of high-tech industry development in mediating this impact, and a moderation effect model was applied to study the moderating effect of the level of infrastructure informatization. Additionally, taking the industrial structure as a threshold variable, a panel threshold effect model was employed to explore the impact of technological development policy on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. It was found that enhancing the level of high-tech industries further facilitates the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry through technological development policy. The level of infrastructure informatization positively moderates the impact of technological development policy on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. Moreover, the industrial structure exhibits a threshold effect in this impact.

TOWARDS HARMONY IN THE CAPITAL OF THE ARCHIPELAGO: VISION OF FUTURE SUSTAINABLE CITY DEVELOPMENT FUTURISTIC-ORIENTED

This research aims to explore and formulate a sustainable and futuristic-oriented development strategy for the capital of the archipelago that can integrate the principles of environmental, economic, and social sustainability in addition to utilizing sustainable advanced technology. This study employs an exploratory qualitative research methodology. and descriptive study design. This approach is carried out by collecting and analyzing data in depth through a document study. This study uses data analysis techniques by making a SWOT analysis to assess the advantages, disadvantages, and opportunities faced during the development of the Indonesian capital. Thus, it can be said that the overall plan for development for the Indonesian capital is sustainable and futuristic using an integrated approach by applying ESG sustainability principles and the use of environmentally friendly technology. Urban development close to the 20th century was accompanied by the growth of urbanization processes without planning so cities experienced gradual inefficiency, which resulted in the erosion of old buildings that were unable to fulfill the requirements of society. Through the above policies, it’s hoped that Indonesian capital will develop into a futuristic-oriented sustainable city by integrating the principles of ESG (environmental, social, and economic) sustainability using advanced, environmentally friendly technology. Recommendation formulation regarding the sustainable and futuristic-oriented development strategy for the Indonesian capital consists of Environmental Policy, Economic Policy, Social Policy, Planning and Supervision Policy, Technology Policy, and Collaboration and Participation for Sustainable City Futuristic.

Smart Practice of Integrating Administrative Management and Human Resources of Chinese Local Governments under the Background of Digital Transformation

Local Chinese governments face a challenge in improving the efficiency and quality of services provided during administrative management in the digital transformation era. The present study identifies three prime drivers for integration—technical, organisational efficiency, and policy support. Finally, it runs the hypotheses through the structural equation model for 133 data points from the questionnaire prepared for the local government administration. Superior integration is primarily contributed to by as discussed, technical support, organisational efficiency, and policy suit will improve effective management and organisational efficiency while reducing the cost and time required for integration; policy support will ensure legal compliance and standardisation. The study also finds that by adopting these factors, local governments can foster efficient and speedy integration of administrative management and human resources. These findings provide practical guidelines for the effective application of digital technology, organisational design, and public policies that promote innovation and sustainable development in public administration. It is necessary to investigate the particular technological approaches and multi-faceted methods for improving organisational performance in various digital contexts.

Digital Literacy in a Global Context: Constructing Models for International Chinese Teachers across Regions and Countries

The research aims to determine the factors that facilitate teaching efficiency for Chinese teachers hired abroad. It is a quantitative study that covers digital skill, cultural and linguistic compatibility, technology policy, integration of technology into the curriculum, training and professional development. However, the current research on these aspects is inadequate in giving a broad understanding of the interaction of the above factors, especially for Chinese educators working in foreign countries. This research seeks to uncover the correlations between these factors and provide recommendations for sound instruction. An e-survey was administered to 350 educational specialists from China, and the data was analyzed through Smart PLS version 3.0 software and structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings indicate that teachers’ digital literacy capability predicts technology use in their instruction. The linguistic and cultural dynamism is therefore useful in developing a preparatory setting for technology that is essential in curriculum implementation. In addition, it was ascertained that continuing education also mediates the incorporation of technology and teachers’ efficiency. The results stress the need to focus on automation, infrastructure, and professional development for effective integrated tech-based learning. Conferences, seminars, availability of learning resources as well as training and mentorship are essential to ensuring efficacy in teaching and preparing for a variety of contexts in education.