Interactions among components of a university system

In general, terms like competitivity and performance are found together when we want to evaluate the competitivity of a university in the academic system or when we want to rank the performance of the faculty members in the academic world or their competitivity inside their institution. As such, we are interested both in the performance of the institution, as well as in the performance of its human components, the students or the faculty members, with the well defined goal of improving, when it is necessary, the low performances in order to increase se competitivity at the general level.performance, competitivity, management.

Collaborative behavior, performance and engagement with visual analytics tasks using mobile devices

Interactive visualizations are external tools that can support users’ exploratory activities. Collaboration can bring benefits to the exploration of visual representations or visu‐ alizations. This research investigates the use of co‐located collaborative visualizations in mobile devices, how users working with two different modes of interaction and view (Shared or Non‐Shared) and how being placed at various position arrangements (Corner‐to‐Corner, Face‐to‐Face, and Side‐by‐Side) affect their knowledge acquisition, engagement level, and learning efficiency. A user study is conducted with 60 partici‐ pants divided into 6 groups (2 modes×3 positions) using a tool that we developed to support the exploration of 3D visual structures in a collaborative manner. Our results show that the shared control and view version in the Side‐by‐Side position is the most favorable and can improve task efficiency. In this paper, we present the results and a set of recommendations that are derived from them

Detailed empirical studies of student information storing in the context of distributed design team-based project work

This paper presents the findings of six empirical case studies investigating the information stored by engineering design students in distributed team-based Global Design Projects. The aim is to understand better how students store distributed design information in order to prepare them for work in today‟s international and global context. This paper outlines the descriptive element of the work, the qualitative and quantitative research methods used and the results. It discusses the issues around the emergent themes of information storing; information storing systems; information storing patterns; and information strategy, making recommendations; establishing that there is a need for more prescriptive measures to supporting distributed design information management. This work will be of great value to industry also

How do interactive tabletop systems influence collaboration?

This paper examines some aspects of the usefulness of interactive tabletop systems, if and how these impact collaboration. We chose creative problem solving such as brainstorming as an application framework to test several collaborative media: the use of pen-and-paper tools, the ‘‘around-the-table’’ form factor, the digital tabletop interface, the attractiveness of interaction styles. Eighty subjects in total (20 groups of four members) participated in the experiments. The evaluation criteria were task performance, collaboration patterns (especially equity of contributions), and users’ subjective experience. The ‘‘aroundthe-table’’ form factor, which is hypothesized to promote social comparison, increased performance and improved collaboration through an increase of equity. Moreover, the attractiveness of the tabletop device improved subjective experience and increased motivation to engage in the task. However, designing attractiveness seems a highly challenging issue, since overly attractive interfaces may distract users from the task

Role of the Physical Environment on Team-Based Primary Care in the Military Health System

Primary care in the United States has shifted from a physician-centered care approach to a multidisciplinary, team-based care approach. This shift has resulted in many day-to-day changes in the care delivery process including how clinical staff collaborate; interact with patients; and use space, equipment, and various technologies. Team-based approaches, such as the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model, are demonstrating improvements in patient health outcomes. The U.S. Military Health System, one of the largest healthcare organizations in the world, has adopted the PCMH model for primary care clinics. To support this new care model, a team-based clinical module is emerging as a spatial concept that colocates the resources staff need for delivering care. Several different design configurations of team-based clinical modules exist in MHS clinics despite the organization’s emphasis on clinic standardization. The purpose of this dissertation is to understand staff perceptions concerning the environmental factors that best support team-based care in the MHS. Using a qualitative approach and a case study research strategy along with ethnographic data collection techniques, this study investigates how six team-based clinical module configurations in three different clinics influence the delivery of team-based care. Data collection included 58 semi-structured interviews with primary care providers, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and specialty care providers. Additionally, 11 hours of observations in team rooms provided insight on how the staff use space. Findings were translated into a set of design recommendations for planning team-based clinical modules aimed at improving staff workflow, functionality, and workspaces to facilitate both team collaboration and focused work. This study provides initial evidence that can directly support the MHS in updating design guidance criteria to support team-based primary care

Understanding collaborative workspaces:spatial affordances & time constraints

Abstract. This thesis presents a generic solution for indoor positioning and movement monitoring, positioning data collection and analysis with the aim of improving the interior design of collaborative workspaces. Since the nature of the work and the work attitude of employees varies in different workspaces, no general workspace layout can be applied to all situations. Tailoring workspaces according to the exact needs and requirements of the employees can improve collaboration and productivity. Here, an indoor positioning system based on Bluetooth Low Energy technology was designed and implemented in a pilot area (an IT company), and the position of the employees was monitored during a two months period. The pilot area consisted of an open workplace with workstations for nine employees and two sets of coffee tables, four meeting rooms, two coffee rooms and a soundproof phone booth. Thirteen remixes (BLE signal receivers) provided full coverage over the pilot area, while light durable BLE beacons, which were carried by employees acted as BLE signal broadcasters. The RSSIs of the broadcasted signals from the beacons were recorded by each remix within the range of the signal and the gathered data was stored in a database. The gathered RSSI data was normalized to decrease the effect of workspace obstacles on the signal strength. To predict the position of beacons based on the recorded RSSIs, a few approaches were tested, and the most accurate one was chosen, which provided an above 95% accuracy in predicting the position of each beacon every 3 minutes. This approach was a combination of fingerprinting with a Machine Learning-based Random Forest Classifier. The obtained position results were then used to extract various information about the usage pattern of different workspace areas to accurately access the current layout and the needs of the employees

Evaluating the effect of new working practices on office space usage in Hong Kong

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Journal of Corporate Real Estate on 11/11/2019, available online: https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRE-06-2019-0030 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.© 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: Many organizations in Hong Kong have witnessed a reduction in average space usage due to high occupancy costs. New working practices (NWPs) are viewed as a reform tool to manage expensive real estate around the world. However, it is unclear whether NWPs influence office space usage in business organizations in Hong Kong. This study, therefore, aims to evaluate if the average space reduction in office firms is caused by the NWPs in the finance, insurance, real estate and business (FIREB) firms. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 20 NWPs were initially derived from the extant literature. A questionnaire survey was conducted with listed FIREB firms in Hong Kong to assess the impact of the identified NWPs on space usage. The data collected from the questionnaire survey were analysed using descriptive, explorative factor analysis (EFA) and partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the effects of NWPs on average space usage. Findings: Results revealed that four major NWP factors influence average space usage. Three of these factors, namely, “flexible arrangement”, “multitasking knowledge workers” and “teamwork and communication”, influence space usage positively. Even though the effect of the fourth factor “training and networking” was significant, it does not reflect a positive influence on space usage. Business organizations can focus more on the implementation of NWPs to cushion the effects of the high cost of occupancy. Originality/value: The research provides new knowledge to the limited literature on the effect of NWPs in FIREB firms and enriches the growing body of international literature on how today’s competitive global business organizations should revisit their workplace strategies to accommodate the rising agile workforce and NWPs. The findings offer new insights into the ongoing debate on the impact of information and communication technology-enabled NWPs on space usage. From the real estate perspective, the findings should inform policymaking towards the better planning ahead of office properties to accommodate NWPs, helping Hong Kong to remain competitive as a key financial centre.Published versio