Technology-enabled Environments Research Articles

Evaluation of 6 DOF Robotic Arm Using Leap Motion Sensor

Due to their increased functionality, robotic arms provide a well-organized method for developing assistive devices. By 2035, statistics indicate that half of Germany’s population will be over the age of fifty, and every third person will be over the age of sixty. These aging societies face numerous obstacles when it comes to performing basic activities of daily living, or ""ADLs."" A growing body of research is focusing on Ambient Assisted Living, or ""AAL,"" as a novel approach to addressing the needs of elderly people. A critical objective of AAL is to improve the quality of life for the elderly and disabled and to assist them in maintaining an independent lifestyle. Robotics and technology-enabled environments will be critical in enabling elderly and physically disabled people to maintain a self-determined, independent lifestyle in their familiar surroundings. The purpose of this article is to propose the implementation of a novel intuitive and adaptive manipulation scheme by creating a human-machine communication interface between the Leap Motion controller and the 6-DOF Jaco robotic arm. An algorithm is developed to optimize the mapping between the user’s hand movement and the Jaco arm, as tracked by the Leap Motion controller. By constantly adapting to the user’s hand tremor or shake, the system should enable a more natural human-computer interaction and smooth manipulation of the robotic arm. The implementation would significantly improve people’s quality of life, particularly those with upper limb problems, by assisting them in performing several essential Activities of Daily Living ""ADLs."" The applications of this human-robot interaction will be discussed in relation to Ambient Assisted Living, with the introduction of several use case scenarios.

An NLP Approach for Extracting Practical Knowledge from a CMS-Based Community of Practice in E-Learning

This study aimed to identify the tacit or practical knowledge of an online community of practice (CoP) based on a content management system (CMS) technology. The E-Learning Industry site is one of the most prominent news outlets that provides instructional design and technology (IDT) practitioners with insights into the field. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques were implemented to extract practical knowledge of publicly available and not password-protected text sources in seven news categories. First, the findings suggest emphasizing the production of online articles related to the production of e-learning materials in technology-enabled environments. Second, the results indicate the alternative uses of learning management systems to manage different aspects of the production of e-learning materials. Third, the findings show that the CoP’s main priority was to reference existing materials in the community and external resources. The results of this study have implications and provide recommendations for researchers, community leaders, and practitioners toward improving knowledge discovery mechanisms, increasing transparency and integrity in communities, and increasing practitioners’ ability to self-assess existing practical knowledge against competencies in the field. The present study takes an inventory of the organizational knowledge capital and functions embedded in a CoP using a CMS platform as a delivery mechanism for creating and sharing knowledge.

Strategies to establish rapport during online management coaching

Orientation: Online coaching (via a range of technologies) is becoming a preferred option as more and more coaches and clients embrace technology-enabled environments. One of the fundamental skills of coaching is the ability of the coach to build rapport with the client.Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore ways in which rapport can be established between the coach and the client during online management coaching.Motivation for the study: The authors believe that the creation of rapport online between the coach and the client cannot be left to evolve naturally and that the building of rapport requires the parties to invest intentionally to create connection and chemistry. Hence, this question: What can be done to optimise the rapport between client and coach during e-coaching?Research approach/design and method: To obtain primary data for this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six coaches and six clients who had experienced at least four online management coaching sessions without meeting the client or coach face to face.Main findings: This article provides practical strategies on how to build rapport during online coaching. With explicit articulation and consistent application, these strategies can help to improve interpersonal connection between coach and client.Practical or managerial implications: This study offers strategies to establish rapport between coach and client during online management coaching.Contribution/value-add: The results of this study inform the practice of online coaching as well as the design of coaching programmes for the future.

Electronic and in-person service quality of hybrid services

ABSTRACTThe service industries have experienced dramatic changes in service delivery format because of fast-paced innovation in information technology. Hybrid services involve service deliveries through conventional and technology-enabled environments, each of which is complementary and non-interchangeable. However, limited research has examined consumer behavior in response to a series of relevant service episodes in different channels at different points in time. In other words, how customers perceive service quality at each service encounter and how the cumulative effect of these perceptions influences customers’ overall service value assessment and satisfaction remain unclear. This study addresses this research gap by investigating the sequential influence of e-service quality on in-person service quality in a hybrid service format in which interpersonal and computer-mediated services coexist but at different points in time. Empirical analysis shows that e-service quality directly and positively affects in-person service quality, which fully mediates the effects of e-service quality on perceived value and customer satisfaction. The sequence of service encounters matters because in-person service quality perception has a stronger effect than e-service quality on customer metrics. Cumulative quality perceptions significantly influence perceived value and overall customer satisfaction. Theoretical and managerial implications are presented in the discussion.

Engaging technology-resistant elderly people: Empirical evidence from an ICT-enabled social environment

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a qualitative investigation on user reactions, opinions, and sentiments about a TV-based technological solution developed within the EasyReach Project of the EU Ambient Assisted Living Joint Program to promote social interaction of less educated elderly people, that is, those individuals who, because of poor scholarization, low income, and, possibly, linguistic barriers, still find it difficult to use computers in order to improve their socialization. Experimental data were collected by extensive trials involving 40 real-end users. A methodology called “scenario engagement” was applied to get participants engaged in a live demonstration with the mediation of a facilitator who assisted elderly people to interact with the system. Results point out that the system can be effectively employed to foster social interaction, particularly when it is introduced in a collective use environment (e.g., Senior Center). Although the focus of the investigation was on information and communication technology-enabled social environments, the end users themselves strongly suggested to include in future system releases extra functions considered as essential opportunities for their potential digital lives: that is, medical or health services and bridges toward public administration.

The mobile learning training needs of educators in technology-enabled environments

Mobile learning (mlearning) is an emerging trend in schools, utilizing mobile technologies that offer the greatest amount of flexibility in teaching and learning. Researchers have found that one of the main barriers to effective mlearning in schools is the lack of teacher professional development. Results from a needs-assessment survey and a post-workshop evaluation survey describe the professional development needs of teachers, technology coaches and administrators implementing an mlearning initiative in K–12 schools across 21 US states. Generally, needs shifted from a focus on technology integration and pedagogical coaching to a focus on the needs for ongoing support and time, reflecting a growing confidence in teachers to develop and implement mlearning lessons. Additionally, results from the needs assessment indicated that teachers and staff feel less confident about external areas such as support policies and community involvement – these areas may also offer areas for future growth in mlearning professional development.

Connectivity in Service Systems

Does technology-enablement impact the ability of a service system to co-create value? In this study, we assess and compare the relative importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and human relationships in service systems, by drawing on findings from a multiple case study in the consulting industry and subsequent analysis through a sociotechnical connectivity lens. We present a theoretical model and propositions which indicate that successful technology-enabled value co-creation is contingent upon the quantity and quality of interpersonal relationships, or social connectivity, between humans that interact and exchange resources by means of ICT. Our findings indicate that technology-enablement in service systems does not, in and of itself, influence human behavior, goals, or motivation regarding the value co-creation process, and argue that the ability of these service systems to co-create value is contingent on the levels of social connectivity between its human entities, more so than ICTs that enable the process. The ability to manage social connectivity therefore represents a prerequisite for the successful co-creation of value in technology-enabled environments, and we provide guidelines that help managing social connectivity on requisite levels.

Determinants of student satisfaction in higher education: an empirical study in Dubai

We develop and empirically validate a student satisfaction modelling technology-enabled university environments. We use focus groups at a university in Dubai and an intensive literature review to propose a theoretical model that involves different types of student interactions; perceptions of infrastructure; and university branding as independent variables influencing student satisfaction as outcome variable. Using data collected from a random sample of 99 students, we empirically test the model using linear regression analysis. Two variables, branding and interactions of students with administrative staff are found to significantly influence student satisfaction, accounting for 61% of variance. Implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are given. With its specific context, the study requires replication in other countries to determine whether the findings are generalisable. This study is one of the rare occasions when a structural model of student satisfaction in technology-enabled environments in the Middle East has been subjected to empirical scrutiny.

Collaborative Design

Within the context of a three year applied research project conducted from 2003-2006 in a North American university library, staff were encouraged to reconsider organizational assumptions and design processes. The project involved an organizational leader and an external consultant who introduced and collaboratively applied Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) practice. Project results suggest the efficacy of using ‘soft’ systems thinking to guide interaction (re)design of technology-enabled environments, systems, and tools. In addition, participants attained insights into their new roles and responsibilities within a dynamically changing higher education environment. Project participants also applied SSM to redesign ‘in house’ information systems. The process of employing systems thinking practices to activate and advance organizational (re)learning, and initiating and elaborating user-centered interaction (re)design practices, culminated in a collaborative design (co-design) approach that readied participants for nimble responsiveness to continuous changes in the dynamic external environment.

Redefining the High-Technology Classroom

This article describes the high-technology classroom in terms of both physical and virtual space. Information technology is crucial in expanding the walls of the physical classroom to create a “virtual” space for learning. The article takes a communications-based perspective to suggest that faculty need to understand the nature of new technology-enabled teaching environments, appreciate the opportunities the environment affords, and rethink their teaching assumptions and paradigms accordingly. In addition, the article briefly describes how administrators and faculty can create a culture that supports and encourages the change process needed for full-scale and effective use of the new teaching capabilities that are being created.