Technology-based Tools Research Articles

A New Technology-Based Tool for Building Profitable Biodiversity-Conserving Offerings

Biodiversity conservation is an essential but too-frequently overlooked dimension of environmental sustainability. Most endangered species live in developing countries. In these countries, sustainable development projects need to leverage efforts to protect biodiversity rather than being at cross-purposes with them. To these ends, this article describes a business plan that has a firm market a biodiversity offering that is profitable and supports a biodiversity project. This project, in-turn, enhances biodiversity. Customers are kept abreast of the project’s biodiversity impacts by viewing an online biodiversity dashboard. This dashboard graphically portrays data on the project and the abundance of the targeted species. Remote sensing and other Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are used to pipe this data to the dashboard. For purposes of illustration, this plan is hypothetically applied to preserving the South African rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). A set of agent submodels dynamically portrays firms in a business network that employs would-be rhino poachers. A general purpose tool for constructing these interacting submodels is detailed. Keywords: biodiversity, sustainable business ventures, political-ecological systems, agent models, rhinoceros poaching, dashboards

Caught ‘in-between’: insights into international students’ doctoral thesis writing practices in China

ABSTRACT An increasing number of international students pursue doctoral studies in China, a non-traditional learning destination compared with English-dominated Western countries. Despite considerable research on the challenges doctoral students face when writing theses in English in Western countries, relatively few studies have explored comparable issues in China. Drawing upon Bourdieu’s thinking tools of field, habitus, and capital and the notion of in-between space, this qualitative exploratory study analysed 23 international doctoral students’ thesis-writing experiences in a Chinese university. Findings suggest challenges in English and Chinese-based writing co-exist in students’ thesis-writing practices, especially regarding grammar and vocabulary issues. The lack of understanding of Chinese sociocultural contexts and support from universities and supervisors negatively impacted thesis writing in both languages. Many students relied on translations, technology-based tools, and external helpers to resolve such issues, progressively forming a technology-mediated in-between writing habitus. These practices cultivate a hybridised higher education ‘sub-field’ with blurred linguistic boundaries. The study highlights the need for greater support for international doctoral students’ writing practices in emerging learning destinations like China.

Navigating the Linguistic Labyrinth: Challenges of Using Phrasal Verbs for L2 Learners

The acquisition and usage of phrasal verbs present significant challenges for second language (L2) learners due to their complex and idiomatic nature. This paper explores these difficulties through a multifaceted analysis of the linguistic and cognitive obstacles that phrasal verbs pose to learners. The study examines the study's participants, which can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. The paper delves into the learners’ competence levels and other issues affecting their ability to grasp phrasal verbs, which often affects their competence and performance in this area of English grammar. The paper also discusses the pedagogical approaches that have helped to facilitate the learners’ learning of phrasal verbs, such as contextual learning, teachers’ ability, corpora, and technology-based tools. The research findings underscore the importance of innovative teaching strategies and continuous practice for L2 learners to effectively navigate the linguistic labyrinth of phrasal verbs. By identifying key challenges and potential solutions, this paper contributes valuable insights into the complexities of language acquisition and offers practical recommendations for educators and learners alike. Ultimately, it aims to enhance our understanding of the intricate relationship between language, culture, and cognition in the context of L2 learning.

Technology Use for Home-Based Stroke Rehabilitation in Switzerland From the Perspectives of Persons Living With Stroke, Informal Caregivers, and Therapists: Qualitative Interview and Focus Group Study.

Stroke is a leading cause for long-term disability, requiring both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and self-training in the home environment. Technology-based tools are gradually gaining acceptance as additional and suitable options for extending the rehabilitation process. While the experiences of persons living with stroke, therapists, and informal caregivers with respect to technology use have already been investigated in other countries, this topic is underexplored in the Swiss context. We aimed to explore the experiences and needs of persons living with stroke, informal caregivers, and therapists in using technology-based tools in a home environment for stroke rehabilitation in Switzerland. This study followed a qualitative descriptive methodology, including semistructured interviews and focus group discussions. We applied a deductive template analysis alongside the accessibility, adaptability, accountability, and engagement framework to analyze the qualitative data sets for technology-assisted solutions for poststroke rehabilitation. We collected the experiences and needs of persons living with stroke (7/23, 30%), informal caregivers (4/23, 17%), and therapists (occupational and physical therapists; 12/23, 52%). The 4 categories we used to organize the analysis and results were accessibility to quality rehabilitation, adaptability to patient differences, accountability or compliance with rehabilitation, and engagement with rehabilitation. Persons living with stroke stated that they use various tools within their rehabilitation process depending on their specific needs. They felt that there is a plethora of tools available but sometimes felt overwhelmed with the selection process. Informal caregivers indicated that they generally felt underserved and insufficiently informed throughout the rehabilitation process. They reported that they use technology-based tools to support their relatives affected by stroke in becoming more independent. Therapists appreciate the numerous possible applications of technology-based tools in rehabilitation. At the same time, however, they express dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity in Switzerland regarding cost coverage, recommendations, and training opportunities. Persons living with stroke, informal caregivers, and therapists in Switzerland reported varied and unique experiences and needs with the use of technology-based tools in outpatient stroke rehabilitation. Written recommendations, the assumption of financial costs, and the provision of information and education could foster increased confidence in the use of technology-based tools for patients and therapists.

User involvement in the design of complex digital tools for employees in a large organisation

AbstractLarge organisations are designing complex technology-based tools for their staff to use. In busy workplace environments, it can be difficult to get user input about a design. This paper describes the designer and user interactions in one such organisation, gaining insights that could be useful in other similar settings. The findings are based on a set of interviews with designers and researchers within the organisation. The paper identifies the current practices and constraints involved in understanding and capturing users' needs and discusses potential solutions.

The effect of movies on listening comprehension for Saudi EFL students

This study investigated the effectiveness of using movies to improve the listening skills of Saudi EFL students and their attitudes towards movie-based activities. A questionnaire was administered to 147 participants, 113 of whom were female and 34 of whom were male. The participants were divided into four age groups: 18-20 years, 21-25 years, 26-30 years, and above 30 years. Participants were required to have no history of hearing impairment or learning disabilities that may affect listening skills. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The results showed that movies had a positive impact on students' listening skills, and most participants had a positive attitude towards using movies as a learning tool. However, some challenges were also identified, such as finding appropriate movies and lacking guidance on effective movie use. The findings of this study have implications for English language teachers, providing insights into the benefits and challenges of using movies, and suggesting the need for training programs on incorporating movies into language teaching. Overall, this study contributes to understanding how technology-based tools like movies can enhance language learning outcomes.

Uncovering the Common Linguistic Errors in Student Journalists’ Unedited News Articles: A Comprehensive Analysis

English language learners encounter difficulties in mastering grammar and vocabulary, which can significantly influence their writing skills. This study analyzes the most common writing errors and their linguistic classification in student journalists’ unedited articles; it also utilizes a qualitative-descriptive design and Corder’s Error Analysis Model for data analysis. Ten selected unedited news articles written by student journalists were examined. Findings revealed that the student writers have common linguistic errors: mechanical, morpho-syntactic, and lexico-semantic. The findings imply that student journalists are not exempted from committing linguistic errors that may affect information decoding despite being trained and exposed to writing activities. The findings have broader implications as student journalists may serve as representatives of English language learners in their institution or community. Schools may develop remedial programs to provide ample practice opportunities using interactive, technology-based tools for grammar and vocabulary. English teachers may create instructional materials and develop community extension and outreach programs to address grammatical learning gaps.

Predicting climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices using machine learning: A prime exploratory survey

The paper aim and novelty is the development of technology-based tools able of providing realistic insights on farmers’ future adaptation decisions by developing an ML algorithm to predict Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and highlight modeling challenges to account for. And proposing a theoretical approach that grounds the selection of data (i.e. input and response variables) with well stablished theories on adaptation decision making process; with the aim of demonstrating ways of improving data science and ML publication quality in the field of agricultural economics. Data used are farmers’ socio-economic characteristics, farms’ features, agro-ecology’s features, climate indicators (temperature, rain, etc.), etc. In this paper, the optimized Gradient Boosting ML was trained and tested using households’ level data from Rakai district in Central Region of Uganda. The modeling approach was framed in climate adaptation analytical frameworks. Data extracted allows generating CSA clusters giving two response variables (i.e. yCSA_pratices and yCSA_clusters), used separately to train two different algorithms. The developed CSA predictive algorithm demonstrates that adaptation practices can be predicted using households’ level parameters. And both models are revealed to have fair performance metrics, with yCSA_clusters algorithm reaching up to 60% of accuracy. To further improve accuracy scores, deep-learning algorithms are suggested in future research. The developed CSA prediction algorithm could be used at both households and value chain levels, to select appropriate adaptation strategies, to plan adaptation, to estimate adaptation costs and develop investment’ plans.

Adoption of artificial intelligence tools by retail organisations

Recent advancements in information and computing technologies have created a new category of artificial intelligence (AI) tools which are now being adopted by the retail industry. History reveals that every new technology-based tool faces barriers before becoming widely and successfully adopted, and AI tools are no exception. While numerous studies have already confirmed the benefits of these tools for multinational corporations, many retailers are facing significant barriers in adopting them. A review of the literature showed that the primary barriers are in the areas of human resources, strategic planning, project management and legacy IT systems. To build on these findings and find the AI adoption barriers, an international study of 13 retail and retail technologies experts from eight different countries was conducted. The results suggest that there is a preferred way for retail organisations to be structured and act in order to be successful at adopting AI tools. Based on the literature review and empirical results, a conceptual model for successful AI tools adoption is proposed. This model with broader research results contributes to the literature on AI tools adoption in retail organisations, suggests the steps organisations can take to be more successful, and highlights the importance of company culture and potential return on investment (ROI) of the AI solution for successful adoption.

A Critical Review: Technology as Learning Media in Teaching Reading

Reading is a language skill that makes it possible to understand information clearly, this skill is one of the basic skills that allows students to improve their performance. Technology is something interesting for students at this time, especially for the Generation Z students who were born around the year of 1995-2012. The purpose of this article is to do a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on technology as learning media in teaching reading. This article will provide research on technology as a learning medial for teaching reading from 2015 to 2022 across several countries, primarily focusing on high school students. Various data collection methods were used, including questionnaires, interviews, tests, and observations. 14 studies examined the effectiveness of technology in teaching reading, highlighting its importance in creating engaging educational environments and improving reading skills through personalized learning experiences. These studies emphasized the transformative impact of technology-based tools, particularly apps, in enhancing reading skill development. Early reading media based on technology, incorporating visuals, animations, audio, and interactive quizzes, were found to enhance learning experiences, making reading more enjoyable and effective.

Special Education Teachers’ Preservice Experiences With Mixed-Reality Simulation: A Systematic Review

Mixed-reality simulation is a technology-based tool used to augment preservice teacher education in special education; as such, researchers have conducted several studies to assess mixed-reality simulation for its effectiveness and efficacy. Though these researchers have concluded that mixed-reality simulation can be an effective tool, there is limited information regarding a synthesis of the study characteristics (e.g., participants’ demographic information, amount of time, skills taught using simulation, and participants’ perceptions). Understanding these components is critical to the continued success and growth of using mixed-reality simulation in special education coursework. We identified and synthesized eight mixed-reality simulation studies with a total of 256 participants from 2005 to 2021. Together, the eight studies suggest that mixed-reality simulation is a valuable practice-based experience for preservice special educators. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

UTILISATION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY: UNLOCKING COOPERATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL WORKERS

Today, digital technologies affect every aspect of our lives and transform the way we work, communicate, and collaborate. The field of social work can't avoid this change process. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the use of digital technology tools in the fields of expert-client relationships, social work education, communication, and cooperation between colleagues and institutions is mandatory in the social work profession. In this study, the use of digital technologies in social work is examined through remote collaboration and communication, cloud-based document management, online collaboration platforms, data analysis and visualization, social media, and online communities.
 In the rapidly changing world order, professional integration of digital technology tools should be made a part of the process in a fast but effective way. In this process, social workers have both personal and professional reservations about using digital technology tools that are not in widespread use. Social workers have doubts about the adequacy of personal competencies in the use of digital tools, as well as the problems experienced by clients in accessing technology-based tools, the size of the relationship to be established with the client in the use of these tools, and ethical concerns.

What Do We Know about Medication Adherence Interventions in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis? A Scoping Review of Randomised Controlled Trials.

Between 53% and 75% of people with inflammatory bowel disease, 30%-80% with rheumatoid arthritis, and up to 50% with multiple sclerosis do not take medications as prescribed to maintain remission. This scoping review aimed to identify effective adherence interventions for inflammatory bowel disease, but with few studies found, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis were included to learn lessons from other conditions. Full and pilot randomised controlled trials testing medication adherence interventions for inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis conducted between 2012 and 2021 were identified in six electronic databases. A total of 3024 participants were included from 24 randomised controlled trials: 10 pilot and 14 full studies. Eight investigated inflammatory bowel disease, 12 rheumatoid arthritis, and four multiple sclerosis. Nine studies (37.5%) reported significantly improved medication adherence, all involving tailored, personalised education, advice or counselling by trained health professionals, with five delivered face-to-face and 1:1. Quality of effective interventions was mixed: five rated high quality, two medium and two low quality. Interventions predominantly using technology were likely to be most effective. Secondary tools, such as diaries, calendars and advice sheets, were also efficient in increasing adherence. Only 10 interventions were based on an adherence theory, of which four significantly improved adherence. Tailored, face-to-face, 1:1 interactions with healthcare professionals were successful at providing personalised adherence support. Accessible, user-friendly technology-based tools supported by calendars and reminders effectively enhanced adherence. Key components of effective interventions should be evaluated and integrated further into clinical practice if viable, whilst being tailored to inflammatory conditions.

Pendampingan dan Pelatihan dalam Meningkatkan Kualitas Produksi Kursi Rotan di Kelurahan Kedungkandang Kota Malang

Currently, many people are pursuing small home industries to improve their welfare and support the resilience of the national economy. One of the home industries that manages wood to make rattan chair crafts is owned by Mr. M. Shodiq in the Kedungkandang sub-district, Kedungkandang sub-district, Malang City. However, several obstacles are still faced by these small industries, including obstacles in increasing the quality and quantity of rattan chair handicraft production due to several factors such as: lack of knowledge about how to process good and varied rattan chair crafts from both the shape and motif aspects, the use of tools which has not been touched by science and technology. The method of community service is socialization about innovation in the development of rattan chair product quality, namely by providing training materials on the use of innovative tools to develop and improve the rattan chair craft industry. The results of this community service include 1) partners have received education and skills in diversifying rattan chair craft products, 2) partners have received appropriate technology-based tools in the form of rattan cutting machines to increase product sales.

Protocol for a randomized controlled trial to evaluate a year-long (NICU-to-home) evidence-based, high dose physical therapy intervention in infants at risk of neuromotor delay.

Developmental disabilities and neuromotor delay adversely affect long-term neuromuscular function and quality of life. Current evidence suggests that early therapeutic intervention reduces the severity of motor delay by harnessing neuroplastic potential during infancy. To date, most early therapeutic intervention trials are of limited duration and do not begin soon after birth and thus do not take full advantage of early neuroplasticity. The Corbett Ryan-Northwestern-Shirley Ryan AbilityLab-Lurie Children's Infant Early Detection, Intervention and Prevention Project (Project Corbett Ryan) is a multi-site longitudinal randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of an evidence-based physical therapy intervention initiated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and continuing to 12 months of age (corrected when applicable). The study integrates five key principles: active learning, environmental enrichment, caregiver engagement, a strengths-based approach, and high dosage (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT05568264). We will recruit 192 infants at risk for neuromotor delay who were admitted to the NICU. Infants will be randomized to either a standard-of-care group or an intervention group; infants in both groups will have access to standard-of-care services. The intervention is initiated in the NICU and continues in the infant's home until 12 months of age. Participants will receive twice-weekly physical therapy sessions and caregiver-guided daily activities, assigned by the therapist, targeting collaboratively identified goals. We will use various standardized clinical assessments (General Movement Assessment; Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 4th Edition (Bayley-4); Test of Infant Motor Performance; Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Family Impact Module; Alberta Infant Motor Scale; Neurological, Sensory, Motor, Developmental Assessment; Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination) as well as novel technology-based tools (wearable sensors, video-based pose estimation) to evaluate neuromotor status and development throughout the course of the study. The primary outcome is the Bayley-4 motor score at 12 months; we will compare scores in infants receiving the intervention vs. standard-of-care therapy.

Promoting Self-Management and Independent Living of Older Individuals with Chronic Diseases through Technology: A Study of Self-Reported Needs, Priorities, and Preferences.

Background and Objectives: Older patients' needs are rarely examined beforehand, and thus, although technology-based tools can enhance self-management, acceptability rates are still low. This study aimed to examine and compare self-reported needs, priorities, and preferences of older patients with heart failure (HF), diabetes mellitus type II (DM2), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) toward technology use to enhance self-management. Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of 473 participants over 60 s (60.5% females), diagnosed with HF (n= 156), DM2 (n = 164), or COPD (n = 153) was recruited. They were administered a questionnaire about the usefulness of technology in general and in specific areas of disease management. Results: Most participants (84.7%) admitted that technology is needed for better disease management. This was equally recognized across the three groups both for the overall and specific areas of disease management (in order of priority: "Information", "Communication with Physicians and Caregivers", and "Quality of Life and Wellbeing"). Sociodemographic differences were found. Cell phones and PCs were the devices of preference. The four common features prioritized by all three groups were related to 'information about disease management' (i.e., monitoring symptoms, reminders for medication intake, management and prevention of complications), whereas the fifth one was related to 'communication with physicians and caregivers (i.e., in case of abnormal or critical signs). The top disease-specific feature was also monitoring systems (of respiratory rate or blood sugar or blood pressure, and oxygen), whereas other disease-specific features followed (i.e., maintaining normal weight for HF patients, adjusting insulin dose for DM2 patients, and training on breathing exercises for COPD patients). Conclusions: Older individuals in these three groups seem receptive to technology in disease management. mHealth tools, incorporating both common and disease-specific features and addressing different chronic patients, and also being personalized at the same time, could be cost-saving and useful adjuncts in routine clinical care to improve self-management.

Fraud Detection in Sales of Distribution Companies Using Machine Learning

The sales department of a distribution company is one of the places where fraud often occurs. This fraud occurs in various ways and causes massive losses for the company. These frauds have certain patterns. The patterns that occur in these practices are studied by the company's internal auditor experts. The experience of these experts is processed into a system called the Expert System. The support of a technology-based tool is needed in order to detect sales fraud early. The purpose of this research is to be able to provide benefits for companies with early detection of fraud in the sales department. At the time this research was conducted, researchers had not found similar research with the same object.
 In this research, a comparison of various machine learning algorithm models will be carried out with the aim of knowing whether using machine learning technology can help detect fraud with a high accuracy value. The algorithm method used is supervised learning method. The algorithm models to be compared are Decision Tree, K-Nearest Neighbor, Random Forest, SVM and Logistic Regression. It is expected that by using machine learning technology, fraud can be detected early, so that the level of loss and risk of sales can be minimized.

Tools for Scaffolding the Development of L2 Speaking in English-medium Higher Education: Lessons from Poland and Australia

Participating in oral L2 communication may be challenging for English-medium higher education students. While literature suggests that scaffolding facilitates the development of L2 speaking, research has not addressed the notion of tools for scaffolding its development. The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to investigate how scaffolding can be embodied in tool design to support L2 speaking and (2) to obtain and analyse student perceptions of the tools. We draw on questionnaire data gathered in two iterations of a larger design-based research study conducted in two contexts: English Studies students in Poland (N = 26) and culturally and linguistically diverse L2 learners in Australia (N = 12). This study illustrates how features of scaffolding were applied to map instructor, peer- and technology-based tools in terms of learning activities, resources, technology and feedback. The results suggest that these tools may cater to the multiple levels of student understanding and skill with regard to the development of L2 speaking found in modern L2 classrooms.

Marketing Development Strategy in the Digital Age

Marketing development strategies in the digital age involve online platforms, digital strategies, and technology-based tools. Technological advancements and internet penetration have promoted their products or services. By using various online platforms and social media, businesses can break through geographical boundaries and increase their brand awareness in different parts of the world. This opens the door to greater business growth and increases the chances of success. Moreover, digital marketing strategies enable more effective targeting. By collecting and analysing user data, businesses can know the interests, preferences and behaviours of their potential audience. This allows them to direct their campaigns with more precision, maximise efficiency, and increase conversion rates.Hopefully, the all-digital development can attract auidens to get info related to the products to be marketed.

The Importance of Feedback in Improving Students’ Writing Skills with the Assistance of New Technologies

Feedback is a crucial element of the learning and teaching cycle. Constructive feedback is central to high school students’ learning. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of feedback provided through new technologies are relatively under-researched. Some examples of innovative approaches to delivering feedback to EFL learners include individualized audio-visual feedback using screencasting technology and feedback interviews with internet communication tools, such as messaging apps and social media platforms. This study examines how individual feedback provided via different modalities influences the learners’ writing skills. It also offers insight into whether learners wish to be decide on the type of feedback they receive on formative assignments during their writing training. Students’ writing samples were analyzed and student survey data was used to interpret the students’ perceptions. Overall, the students had a positive attitude toward using different technology-based tools to provide and receive feedback. Our findings suggest that the majority of students benefit from feedback given with the use of certain modalities. The results indicate that technology could be integrated into teaching practices to support students’ writing, engage them in writing tasks, and improve interactions between learners and feedback givers.