Use Of Tool Research Articles

Kommunale e-Partizipationssysteme. Anforderungen aus der Perspektive der Anbieter sowie Nutzerinnen und Nutzer

Over the past two decades, e‑participation has become increasingly relevant as a result of digitization and the evolution of information and communication technologies. Yet the perspectives of providers and users with regard to the requirements on an e‑participation system are not sufficiently considered jointly. This paper investigates the requirements and challenges of users and providers. The study is based on a mixed methods approach with an online survey of those responsible for e‑participation processes in various administrative and planning areas as well as semi-structured expert interviews. In addition, we conducted proband tests to investigate the usability of digital citizen participation tools. The results show that accessibility, retrievability, effectiveness, interaction in the digital arena, security, technical specifications, resources, media literacy and the use of participation as a basis for profound decision-making are key requirements for e‑participation systems. These demands requirements are interrelated and influence the quality and effectiveness of participation processes. To meet these requirements, we propose an e‑participation ecosystem that integrates the different dimensions of digital participation and takes into account the interaction between actors, demands and contextual conditions.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR TEACHING SITUATED ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A CASE STUDY IN A HIGHER EDUCATION

Purpose: To present, through a case study, two technological tools for the playful-business teaching of entrepreneurship, one called the digital channel "cvivo.digital," and another of a curricular type called "Didactic Contents for Entrepreneurship." Theoretical Framework: The Communication Revolution poses a challenge to one of the oldest and most persistent problems in the world, and technological tools represent determining factors in entrepreneurship processes (González et al., 2020). Design/Methodology/Approach: As a methodological strategy, the phases of conceiving, designing, implementing, and operating (CDIO) were implemented. Although originally a teaching strategy in engineering, it is also applicable to research processes in other fields of knowledge. The stated stages were accompanied by documentary reviews, exercises of participant observation, and pilot testing, leading to the materialization of the technological tools. Findings: The results highlighted the joint management and circulation of knowledge (students-teachers), functionality, usability, and portability of technological tools according to the real context of students and the current and growing challenges of entrepreneurship in Colombia. Research, Practical & Social Implications: The article shows a path to promote and strengthen entrepreneurship in higher education by offering the pillars that can contribute to this important task for society. Originality/Value: The results reflect an innovative way of addressing formative needs and promoting innovation, inviting reflection and experimentation with these forms of university work in various contexts.

Product-Service System business model for plastics industry

Traditional business models increasingly less accurately accommodate changes taking place in the market. Growing competition, sharing economy, digital transformation, corporate environmental responsibility, and increasing customer requirements exert pressure on enterprises to change their business mentality. One can easily observe the need for integrated, environment-friendly solutions that generate new value added to customers. To achieve that, we need new business models that would allow to discover new potential in new markets.In the face of dynamic market changes, traditional business models are increasingly less capable of addressing the growing competition, sharing economy, digital transformation, corporate environmental responsibility, and the rising demands of customers. There is a clear need for integrated, environmentally friendly solutions that generate new added value for customers. Achieving this goal requires the development of new business models that enable the discovery of potential in new markets.Therefore, searching for and creating new business models that would stand up to requirements is vital. These problems could be solved by a PSS considered a personalized business model operating in an extended time horizon. PSS is an opportunity to sell product functions and availability, as well as a perspective for multiple uses of products.This paper presents a pioneering attempt to develop a Product-Service System (PSS) business model specifically tailored for the plastics industry. An innovative approach consists in the integration of a machinery and a tool into a production unit and adding an array of services to it. This groundbreaking research, unprecedented in its scale, involved a comprehensive questionnaire-based study conducted across 60 plastics processing plants employing prevalent production techniques. The study is unique in its extensive scope and depth, as such an analysis of PSS business models within the plastics industry has not been previously explored in the open literature. The research methodology applied is thorough, covering a wide range of practical aspects crucial for the effective implementation of PSS in the plastics sector. This paper stands out for its detailed examination of 60 enterprises in the plastics industry, focusing on their interest in 95 services essential for the optimal operation of plastics processing plants and their engagement with representatives from the plastics industry. This extensive study offers valuable insights into the usage of machines and tools in plastics processing, as well as the specific needs, requirements, and challenges faced by businesses in this sector.Results of analyses demonstrate that interest in services differs depending on the size of an enterprise, processing technique, having a toolroom or not, product range, and the duration of breakdowns. A new PSS business model for plastics processing was built based on the analysis of PSS design methods and sectors to which they are addressed, PSS used in practice, plastics processing sector, questionnaire-based studies conducted among plastics processing plants, statistical analyses, advice and consultancy sessions with experts from the investigated industry, finances and trade patterns for machines. Until to date the question of precise design of such a business model for the plastics processing sector has neither been examined nor discussed or evidenced. The paper aims to bridge this gap. The approach to the issue was innovative, based on a questionnaire survey and consultations with experts which allowed to faithfully reproduce the current condition of the investigated sector. In addition, each service added on to the production unit underwent a detailed statistical analysis. The hereto presented business model is extremely comprehensive as it can be used in plastics processing plants of different sizes.

Drivers of generative AI adoption in higher education through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study investigates the relationship between the perceived benefits, strengths, weaknesses, and risks of generative AI (GenAI) tools and the fundamental factors of the TPB model (i.e., attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control). The study also investigates the structural association between the TPB variables and intention to use GenAI tools, and how the latter might affect the actual usage of GenAI tools in higher education. The paper adopts a quantitative approach, relying on an anonymous self-administered online questionnaire to gather primary data from 130 lecturers and 168 students in higher education institutions (HEIs) in several countries, and PLS-SEM for data analysis. The results indicate that although lecturers' and students' perceptions of the risks and weaknesses of GenAI tools differ, the perceived strengths and advantages of GenAI technologies have a significant and positive impact on their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. The TPB core variables positively and significantly impact lecturers' and students’ intentions to use GenAI tools, which in turn significantly and positively impact their adoption of such tools. This paper advances theory by outlining the factors shaping the adoption of GenAI technologies in HEIs. It provides stakeholders with a variety of managerial and policy implications for how to formulate suitable rules and regulations to utilise the advantages of these tools while mitigating the impacts of their disadvantages. Limitations and future research opportunities are also outlined.

A Samsung production system-based approach to improve manufacturing process management in Vietnamese firms

Today, more and more Vietnamese firms consider continuous improvement as the best way to increase their manufacturing capability. This paper aims to illustrate the effectiveness of manufacturing processes management from the Samsung production system (SPS) approach when it was implemented to improve capability of existing production process in Vietnamese firms. The paper is a combination of descriptive and field research to demonstrate how SPS principles are appropriate for five real industry cases in particular and all Vietnamese manufacturing companies in general. In five cases, the usage of SPS-based tools has turned out to be fruitful. They solved problems of continuous improvement management in Vietnamese firms and created significant achievements in quality improvement and productivity increase. The paper investigates the core value of Samsung’s continuous process improvement. The way that Samsung has used to improve quality and profitability simultanously can be adapted by manufacturing companies.

“Will I be replaced?” Assessing ChatGPT's effect on software development and programmer perceptions of AI tools

ChatGPT is a language model with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that has found utility across various sectors. Given its impact, we conducted two empirical studies to assess the potential and limitations of ChatGPT and other AI tools in software development. In the first study, we evaluated ChatGPT 3.5′s effectiveness in generating code for 180 coding problems from LeetCode, an online coding interview preparation platform. Our findings suggest that ChatGPT 3.5 is more effective in solving easy and medium coding problems but less reliable for harder problems. Further, ChatGPT 3.5 is somewhat more effective at coding problems with higher popularity scores. In the second study, we administered a questionnaire (N = 99) to programmers to gain insights into their views on ChatGPT and other AI tools. Our findings indicate that programmers use AI tools for various tasks, such as generating boilerplate code, explaining complex code, and conducting research. AI tools also help programmers to become more productive by creating better-performing, shorter, and more readable code, among other benefits. However, AI tools can sometimes misunderstand requirements and generate erroneous code. While most programmers are not currently concerned about AI tools replacing them, they are apprehensive about what the future may hold. Our research has also revealed associations between AI tool usage, trust, perceived productivity, and job security threats caused by the tools.

The diagnostic procedure for subjects with suspected pulmonary embolism. A recent comparison among the recommendations available from the international guidelines

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and potentially life-threatening disease characterized by the occlusion of arterial lung vasculature, typically due to thrombi traveling from a thrombotic vein in the lower limb. Several guidelines have been proposed worldwide to assist clinicians in its diagnosis, however, they are not consistent on the usage of diagnostic tools. This commentary reviews the literature and discusses the concordance/discordance between these international guidelines on PE diagnosis.

Virtual Reality–Based Neurorehabilitation Support Tool for People With Cognitive Impairments Resulting From an Acquired Brain Injury: Usability and Feasibility Study

Background Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a prominent cause of disability globally, with virtual reality (VR) emerging as a promising aid in neurorehabilitation. Nonetheless, the diversity among VR interventions can result in inconsistent outcomes and pose challenges in determining efficacy. Recent reviews offer best practice recommendations for designing and implementing therapeutic VR interventions to evaluate the acceptance of fully immersive VR interventions. Objective This study aims to evaluate the usability and feasibility of a co-designed VR-based neurorehabilitation support tool by conducting multiple proof-of-concept trials in a sample of patients with ABI within a hospital setting. Methods A single session deploying custom immersive serious games to train cognitive functions using a new-generation head-mounted display was conducted among a sample of inpatients with ABI. Structured questionnaires were administered at the end of the session to evaluate the usability of the system and the intervention, participants’ familiarity with the technology, and any adverse effects related to cybersickness. Additionally, the training duration while wearing the headset and the demographic characteristics of the participants were considered. Results A total of 20 patients with ABI participated in a 1-hour proof-of-concept trial. The mean usability score was 37 (SD 2.6) out of 40, the technology familiarity level was 9.2 (SD 2.9) out of 12, and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire total score was 1.3 (SD 2). On average, participants wore the headset for approximately 25.6 (SD 4.7) minutes during the intervention. There were no substantial differences in usability and technology familiarity levels based on patients’ etiology or age, with no notable symptoms of cybersickness reported. Significantly strong correlations were noted between cybersickness symptoms and various usability categories, including exposure, motivation, interactivity, task specificity, and immersion aspects. Further, there was a significant association between the intervention time and the number of tasks performed (P<.001). Furthermore, patients who derived enjoyment from VR sessions expressed a heightened interest in incorporating VR into their daily neurorehabilitation practice (P<.001). Moreover, oculomotor issues were found to be highly sensitive to the onset of disorientation sickness symptoms (P<.001). Conclusions Through a collaborative approach, this study showcases the usability and feasibility of a VR-based support tool for cognitive rehabilitation among inpatients with ABI. Key components of such interventions encompass a multidisciplinary array of immersive experiences integrating neurorehabilitation principles and serious games techniques.

Online education and learning management system usage in a South African Economic and management faculty during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the rapid move of Higher Education from face-to-face to online formats worldwide; initially referred to as emergency remote teaching. As Higher Education transitions into a “new normal” of online and blended education, how educators had transitioned to online spaces at an historically Black and disadvantaged university in South Africa was explored; more specifically, how educators were using the Sakai learning management system (LMS)/virtual learning environment (VLE). This study investigated the instructional design and educational-soundness of online pedagogical practices. To this end, forty-eight (48) online undergraduate course sites from an Ecnomic and Management Sciences faculty were reviewed from nine departments and programmes, according to socio-constructivist and Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles. It was found that Sakai LMS/VLE tool usage was skewed towards administrative, evaluative and management functions over pedagogical functions: communication (83%), evaluation (83%), content (71%), monitoring (67%), and collaboration (52%). While most courses included varied types of learning activities, they were dominated by traditional and passive approaches, and less inter/active approaches: acquisition (89%), practice (71%), production (64%), discussion (35%), collaboration (31%), and investigation (8%). The results from this study will guide future staff development initiatives to improve LMS/VLE instructional design and online educational practice. Future research includes qualitative exploration of both staff and student experiences. Implications for equity, social justice and transformation in South African Higher Education, and related contexts, are emphasised.

Usability of ICT Tools for Data Collection on Students Learning Ability Among Primary School Counsellors in Kwara State

The study focuses on the usability of ICT tools for the data collection on students' learning ability among primary school counsellors in Kwara State. The study explores the potential benefits and challenges of using ICT tools for data collection in the field of education. The research design for the study was a descriptive survey research design of ex-post-facto type. Two research questions were raised to guide the study. The population of the study covered all the primary school counsellors in Kwara State using the purposive and convenient method to select one hundred counsellors to fill the researcher's instrument. The data collected from the study was analyzed using percentage and t-test statistical methods at a 0.05 level of significance. The result finding showed that all ICT usability levels are identified as low required by primary school counsellors in Kwara State. From the findings of this study, it was evident that primary school counsellors in Kwara State were not conversant with the use of ICT tools in the data collection of their student's learning ability. The study recommends that the government should make available more technology tools to advance the work of counsellors, faster and easier in terms of accessibility, storing and retrieving to avoid loss of vital information that will be useful for students.

Protocol: Prospective evaluation of feasibility, added value and satisfaction of remote digital self-assessment for mild cognitive impairment in routine care with the neotivCare app

IntroductionTimely diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Alzheimer’s disease is crucial for early interventions, but its implementation is often challenging due to the complexity and time burden of required...

Designing a Human-centered AI Tool for Proactive Incident Detection Using Crowdsourced Data Sources to Support Emergency Response

Time of incident reporting is a critical aspect of emergency response. However, the conventional approaches to receiving incident reports have time delays. Non-traditional sources such as crowdsourced data present an opportunity to detect incidents proactively. However, detecting incidents from such data streams is challenging due to inherent noise and data uncertainty. Naively maximizing detection accuracy can compromise spatial-temporal localization of inferred incidents, hindering response efforts. This article presents a novel human-centered AI tool to address the above challenges. We demonstrate how crowdsourced data can aid incident detection while acknowledging associated challenges. We use an existing CROME framework to facilitate training and selection of best incident detection models, based on parameters suited for deployment. The human-centered AI tool provides a visual interface for exploring various measures to analyze the models for the practitioner’s needs, which could help the practitioners select the best model for their situation. Moreover, in this study, we illustrate the tool usage by comparing different models for incident detection. The experiments demonstrate that the CNN-based incident detection method can detect incidents significantly better than various alternative modeling approaches. In summary, this research demonstrates a promising application of human-centered AI tools for incident detection to support emergency response agencies.

Digital Collaborative Tools, Strategic Communication, and Social Capital: Unveiling the Impact of Digital Transformation on Organizational Dynamics

The rapid advancement of digitalization has significantly impacted how organizations operate, with collaborative tools like Asana, Trello, and Slack becoming integral to fostering internal communication, collaboration, and social capital. Despite their widespread adoption, the comprehensive impact of these tools on organizational culture, employee engagement, and social capital remains underexplored. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the potential of digital collaborative tools to enhance organizational social capital and exploring the role of strategic communication and digital inclusivity in this process. Utilizing a quantitative research approach, data were collected from 557 professionals through a survey distributed via LinkedIn. The questionnaire, designed with Likert scale closed-ended questions, focused on the utilization of collaborative tools and their perceived impact on communication, collaboration, and social capital within organizations. Multiple regression analysis was employed to test four hypotheses related to the effects of digital tool usage on organizational dynamics. The findings reveal that digital tools significantly enhance communication and collaboration within organizations, with the frequency and purpose of tool usage being key factors. Moreover, digital tool usage for networking and the quality of interactions facilitated by these tools were found to positively impact the development of social capital. However, challenges in integrating digital tools were shown to negatively affect this development, though technical support and training could mitigate these effects. Interestingly, the introduction of a 'social score' feature within digital tools was perceived positively, indicating its potential to further engage users and enrich organizational social capital. This study underscores the importance of adopting a strategic approach to implementing digital tools, emphasizing their role beyond operational efficiency to include the enhancement of social interactions and organizational culture. Recommendations include fostering digital tool usage for networking, providing adequate technical support and training, and exploring the integration of 'social score' features to incentivize engagement and collaboration.

EHealth tools use and mental health: a cross-sectional network analysis in a representative sample

eHealth tools usage is vital for health care systems and increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic, which aggravated mental health issues. This cross-sectional study explored whether sociodemographic characteristics and mental health indices (stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression) were linked to the behavioral intention to use eHealth tools and eHealth tools usage in a representative sample from Poland using a network approach. Measurements were conducted in March 2023 among 1000 participants with a mean age of 42.98 (18–87) years, with 51.50% women. The measures included the behavioral intention to use eHealth tools (BI) based on the UTUAT2; eHealth tool use frequency (use behavior) including ePrescription, eSick leave, eReferral, electronic medical documentation (EMD), Internet Patient Account (IKP), telephone consultation, video consultation, mobile health applications, and private and public health care use; and the PSS-4, GAD-2, and PHQ-2. Furthermore, sociodemographic factors (sex, age, children, relationship status, education, and employment) were included in the research model. Network analysis revealed that mental health indices were weakly related to eHealth tools use. Higher stress was positively linked with mobile health application use but negatively linked to video consultation use. Use of various eHealth tools was intercorrelated. Sociodemographic factors were differentially related to the use of the eight specific eHealth tools. Although mental health indices did not have strong associations in the eHealth tools use network, attention should be given to anxiety levels as the factor with the high expected influence.

Usability of technological tools to overcome language barriers in health care: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionIn many healthcare contexts globally, where the languages of care providers and patients do not match, miscommunication or non-communication can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and subpar treatment outcomes. In order...

Usability Testing of Situation Awareness Clinical Decision Support in the Intensive Care Unit.

Our objective was to evaluate the usability of an automated clinical decision support (CDS) tool previously implemented in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) to promote shared situation awareness among the medical team to prevent serious safety events within children's hospitals. We conducted a mixed-methods usability evaluation of a CDS tool in a PICU at a large, urban, quaternary, free-standing children's hospital in the Midwest. Quantitative assessment was done using the system usability scale (SUS), while qualitative assessment involved think-aloud usability testing. The SUS was scored according to survey guidelines. For think-aloud testing, task times were calculated, and means and standard deviations were determined, stratified by role. Qualitative feedback from participants and moderator observations were summarized. Fifty-one PICU staff members, including physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and respiratory therapists, completed the SUS, while ten participants underwent think-aloud usability testing. The overall median usability score was 87.5 (interquartile range: 80-95), with over 96% rating the tool's usability as "good" or "excellent." Task completion times ranged from 2 to 92 seconds, with the quickest completion for reviewing high-risk criteria and the slowest for adding to high-risk criteria. Observations and participant responses from think-aloud testing highlighted positive aspects of learnability and clear display of complex information that is easily accessed, as well as opportunities for improvement in tool integration into clinical workflows. The PICU Warning Tool demonstrates good usability in the critical care setting. This study demonstrates the value of postimplementation usability testing in identifying opportunities for continued improvement of CDS tools.

PAPipe: A Pipeline for Comprehensive Population Genetic Analysis.

Advancements in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have led to a substantial increase in the availability of population genetic variant data, thus prompting the development of various population analysis tools to enhance our understanding of population structure and evolution. The tools that are currently used to analyze population genetic variant data generally require different environments, parameters, and formats of the input data, which can act as a barrier preventing the wide-spread usage of such tools by general researchers who may not be familiar with bioinformatics. To address this problem, we have developed an automated and comprehensive pipeline called PAPipe to perform nine widely used population genetic analyses using population NGS data. PAPipe seamlessly interconnects and serializes multiple steps, such as read trimming and mapping, genetic variant calling, data filtering, and format converting, along with nine population genetic analyses such as principal component analysis, phylogenetic analysis, population tree analysis, population structure analysis, linkage disequilibrium decay analysis, selective sweep analysis, population admixture analysis, sequentially Markovian coalescent analysis, and fixation index analysis. PAPipe also provides an easy-to-use web interface that allows for the parameters to be set and the analysis results to be browsed in intuitive manner. PAPipe can be used to generate extensive results that provide insights that can help enhance user convenience and data usability. PAPipe is freely available at https://github.com/jkimlab/PAPipe.

Dummy kinematics in frontal impact, comparison of simulations in Madymo with sled tests

The paper aims to respond to the current requirements regarding the usage of modern virtual analysis tools in accidentology research, presenting the methods of performing the virtual and experimental studies. The main objective of this paper is to determine the movement of the dummy by comparing the kinematic parameters provided by the simulations performed in Madymo with the experimental tests (sled tests). A prototype test device was used to analyse the movement of the dummy in a vehicle cabin at different impact situations of a frontal collision. The experiment was performed for two different cases: with seatbelt and without seatbelt. For the virtual study in Madymo two different setups were prepared in order to obtain the results for both testcases based on a parameterized model. The analysis of the results is performed by comparison, between experimental results and simulation results. Three different phases are taken into consideration in order to make a study of a frontal collision: pre-collision, collision and post-collision.

THE ROLE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN THE UPPER GALILEE REGION IN ACTIVATING THE USE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

The aim of the study was to identify the role of secondary school principals in the Upper Galilee region in activating the use of educational technology tools and to detect variances owing to gender, job title, and years of experience. The descriptive survey method was utilised to fulfil the study's aims. The researcher created a questionnaire with (24) items. The stratified random sampling approach was used to choose the study sample, which consisted of (285) persons from all administrators and teachers of secondary schools in the Upper Galilee region. The findings revealed that secondary school principals in the Upper Galilee region have an important role in activating the usage of technology tools. Education was moderate, and there were no statistically significant differences at the significance level (α=0.05) due to the job title variable, but there were statistically significant differences at the significance level (α=0.05) due to the years of experience variable. In favour of teachers with less than ten years of experience, and the presence of statistically significant gender inequalities in favour of males.

Gamification of Citizen Participation: A Systematic Mapping

The growth and diversification of public debate made it possible for civil society to become more participatory in decision-making processes. In other words, it enabled citizen participation, which is the interaction between civil society and public authorities to solve problems. Furthermore, with the development of Information and Computer Technologies (ICTs), citizen participation has expanded into the digital realm, giving way to electronic participation or e-participation. However, in this context, citizen engagement still is a challenge. As a result, different researches have been carried out to identify strategies that can increase engagement so that electronic participation is effective. One of these fields aims to improve users' experience and the usability of electronic participation tools by using gamification to enliven participatory activities. The purpose of this paper is to carry out a systematic mapping study of the literature as a way of better understanding the impact caused by gamification on citizen participation. Thus, 75 papers were selected and classified, allowing the identification of research methods, application contexts, forms of participation, and game elements used. This mapping enabled the following discoveries: design and prototyping is the most carried out research method for studying gamification in citizen participation, and civic engagement was the most analyzed context. Furthermore, the development of tools mainly focused on asking the population their opinions on policy issues to create a partnership between government and civil society.