AN ADVISORY SYSTEM TO SUPPORT INDUSTRY 4.0 READINESS IMPROVEMENT

Industry 4.0 requires companies to go through a complex transformation. Numerous maturity models offer to measure the readiness of an enterprise for the transition to a new operation mode. However, there is a lack of research efforts in developing an advisory tool for digital readiness improvement recommendations. This study aims to create a systematic approach for building an advisory decision support system based on Industry 4.0 Maturity Models. The development of the proposed system has gone through three stages, including analysis of the existing maturity models, reviewing the development methods of decision-support systems, and industrial interactions with manufacturing companies via the project online recommendation tool. The developed advisory system provides I4.0 readiness recommendations based on industry best practices, integration of recommendation databases with a maturity model, information filtration algorithm, and weight-based prioritisation of suggestions. Moreover, an interactive and user-friendly interface was developed to enable the user to utilise the system easily and efficiently

Exploring the Use of Digital Technologies in Early Childhood Teacher Education: A case of a Core Primary Teachers’ College in Uganda.

This qualitative case study interrogated the use of digital technologies in Tera CPTC (pseudonym) in Northwestern Uganda under three research questions, namely: (1) What are the digital technologies teacher educators use to improve ECTE at Tera (pseudonym) CPTC? (2) How do teacher educators use digital technologies to improve Early Childhood Teacher Education? (3) What challenges do the ECE teacher educators face with the use of digital technologies to improve teaching and learning at Tera CPTC? Data was collected using classroom observation, focus group discussion, and semi-structured interviews. Three tutors and twenty-four teacher trainees participated in the study. Study findings revealed that teacher educators used digital technologies such as google classroom, smartphones, Mentimeter, YouTube and WhatsApp to; enhance students’ online collaboration, extend learning boundaries, record students’ portfolios, and conduct reflections and continuous assessments. It was further revealed that the use of digital technologies in the CPTC was being undermined by challenges like insufficient digital literacy skills, poor internet infrastructure, unreliable devices, and software, including non-technology compatible curriculum, tutors’ resistance to change, and lack of special needs assistive technology devices. The study concludes that tutors at Tera CPTC use a range of digital technologies in multiple ways including continuous assessment, sharing learning materials and self-directed learning to extend learning beyond the institution’s boundaries, nonetheless, their efforts to use digital technology to support teaching are being constrained by many factors like access and irrelevant online materials to the Ugandan context which must be addressed if the transformative potential of digital technology is to be realized at Tera CPTC

Tööportaalide kasutajate harjumused CV-Online'i turunduskommunikatsiooni strateegia lähtealustena

Viimastel kümnenditel on aset leidnud suured muutused nii töötajate värbamise olemuses kui selleks kasutatavate kanalite kasutamises. Seejuures on väga olulist rolli mänginud tehnoloogia areng. Viimase osatähtsust värbamisportaalide tekkes ning kasutamisel on raske alahinnata. Käesoleva magistritöö keskmeks ongi tööportaalid. Vaatluse all olid tööpakkumiste arvult ja külastatavuselt Eesti suurimad eraomanduses olevad tööportaalid ehk CV-Online, CV Keskus ja Ekspressjob. Käesoleva magistritöö puhul on tegemist praktilise turunduskommunikatsiooni projektiga, mille peamiseks eesmärgiks oli CV-Online’i turundus-kommunikatsiooni strateegia jaoks lähtealuste loomine. See on suunatud konkurentidest eristumisele ning kasutajate rahulolu tõstmisele. Eesmärgi saavutamiseks vaatlesin, mille alusel langetavad tööportaale kasutavad inimesed otsuse, millist või milliseid tööportaale kasutada, millised on peamised tegevused, mida inimesed tööportaalides teevad, missuguste tegevuste käigus esineb probleeme ja kuidas tööportaalid külastajate silmis üksteisest erinevad? Esmalt andis magistritöö ülevaate tööportaalide kasutajamugavuse, harjumuste kujundamise ning turunduskommunikatsiooni teoreetilistest lähtekohtadest. Kasutajamugavuse alapeatükis vaatlesin veebilehtede ja sealhulgas tööportaalide kasutajamugavust ning selle olulisust. Harjumuste kujundamise alapeatükk keskendus harjumuste kujundamisele ning ka nende võimalikule muutmisele. Turunduskommunikatsiooni alapeatükk keskendus peamiselt konkurentidest eristumise teoreetilistele alustele. Magistritöö keskseks objektis on tööportaal. Teoreetilisest kirjandusest tulenevalt olen koostanud tööportaali definitsiooni, millest antud töös lähtunud olen: Tööportaal on tööpakkumiste vahendamise kanal internetis, mis võimaldab külastajatel erinevate filtrite ja märksõnade abil tööpakkumisi otsida ning töövõtjatel oma CV tööportaali sisestada. Tööportaal võimaldab tööandjatel tööpakkumisi avaldada ning CV-de andmebaasist erinevate parameetrite alusel kandidaate otsida. Magistritöö peamiseks uurimisülesandeks oli välja selgitada, kuidas langetavad tööportaale kasutavad inimesed otsuse, millist või milliseid tööportaale kasutada, millised on peamised tegevused, mida inimesed tööportaalides teevad, missuguste tegevuste käigus esineb probleeme ja kuidas tööportaalid külastajate silmis üksteisest erinevad? Uurimisülesande täitmiseks oli püstitatud kuus uurimisküsimust, mis olid jaotatud kahte suuremasse blokki. Esimese osa küsimused olid seotud kasutaja tegevustega ning teise osa küsimused tööportaalidega. Uurimisküsimused olid järgnevad: Milliseid tegevusi intervjueeritavad tööportaalides teevad?; Kas intervjueeritavatel esines tööportaalide kasutamise käigus tõrkeid või probleeme?; Kuidas intervjueeritavad tööportaalidest tööpakkumisi otsivad?; Millist või milliseid tööportaale intervjueeritavad kõige tihedamini kasutavad?; Milliseid funktsioone ja omadusi intervjueeritavad tööportaalide juures oluliseks peavad?; Kas ja kuidas tööportaalid kasutajate silmis üksteisest erinevad? Püstitatud uurimisküsimustele vastamiseks viisin läbi 18 semistruktureeritud inteervjuud, mille raames sai kasutasin kahte erinevat meetodit: poolstruktureeritud informandiintervjuud ning think-aloud ehk “mõtle valjult” meetodit. Lisaks eelnevale tõin võrdluseks sisse ka CV-Online’i Google Analytcs’i statistika. Intervjuude läbiviimisele järgnes transkribeerimine, mille käigus kogunenud materjal oli sisendiks töö analüüsi osale. Transkribeerimisele järgnes sõnalise ja videomaterjalide kodeerimine, mille käigus jaotati koodid kategooriate alla, mis omakorda haakusid püstitatud uurimisküsimustega. Analüüsi osast selgus, et tööportaalidel puudub hetkel eristumise faktor, probleemiks on info üleküllus ning esinevad teatud kitsaskohad tööportaalide kasutajamugavuse osas. Turundus- ja kommunikatsiooni strateegia lähtealuste osas olen kirja pannud ettepanekud, mis peaksid aitama CV-Online’il konkurentidest eristuda ning looksid konkurentsieelise teiste tööportaalide ees ning tõstaksid kasutajamugavust. Ettepanekute vormis soovitasin positsioneerida tööportaal ümber ning arendada välja tööandjate hindamise süsteem, et tööotsijad saaksid ära tunda parimad ning usaldusväärseimad tööandjad. Teiseks soovitasin vähendada vähendada info hulka, mis enamikele inimestele huvi ei paku või see veebilehe struktuuris esilehelt kaugemale viia. Kolmandaks tegin ettepaneku tööotsija tööportaali külastust peronaliseerida, võimaldades avalehele minnes koheselt näha uusi tööpakkumisi eelmise korra filtreeringu alusel ning neljandaks soovitan läbi viia think-aloud meetodil põhinevaid kindlate ülesannetega testimisi, et välja selgitada nimekiri kõige suurematest ja sagedamini esinevatest probleemidest. Kokkuvõtlikult võib öelda, et tänasel päeval ei eristu Eesti tööportaalide teineteisest olulisel määral, nende funktsionaalsus ja toimimisloogika on sarnased, mida ilmestasid ka magistritöö käigus intervjueeritavate inimeste seisukohad. Pikemas perspektiivis vajavad tööportaalide eristumise faktorit, kui nad ei soovivad tööotsijate silmis konkurentide seast millegi poolest silma paista ning veenda tööotsijaid just konkreetset tööportaali valima. Tulevikus tasuks tööportaalide külastamise temaatikat käsitleda ka kvantitatiivsetele andmetele rõhku pannes ehk kombineerida nii kvalitatiivseid kui kvantitatiivseid meetodeid.http://www.ester.ee/record=b4083370~S1*es

Smokers come forward: avaliação da experiência de utilizador com a versão portuguesa da aplicação Smoke Free

O consumo de tabaco é o fator de risco mais evitável associado a doenças não-transmissíveis, incapacidade e perda de anos de vida saudáveis. As aplicações de telemóvel parecem promissoras como meio de intervenção na cessação tabágica. No entanto, tendo em conta a escassez de aplicações baseadas em evidência científica e a inexistência deste tipo de aplicações disponíveis em português, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a experiência dos utilizadores com uma versão traduzida e adaptada para português da aplicação Smoke Free. A amostra foi constituída por 11 fumadores com intenção de deixar de fumar, entrevistados individualmente após utilizarem esta aplicação durante uma semana. As entrevistas permitiram avaliar a sua satisfação e grau de envolvimento, bem como a utilidade e usabilidade da aplicação. Os resultados sugerem que os participantes acharam a aplicação fácil de utilizar e ficaram satisfeitos. Adicionalmente, destacaram as funcionalidades mais úteis (e.g., painel inicial), os métodos que os ajudaram (e.g., monitorização), as necessidades sentidas ao longo da interação (e.g., maior personalização) e o que os motivou mais (e.g., compromisso com a aplicação). Quanto ao envolvimento, os resultados foram contraditórios, embora a aplicação pareça incluir elementos que propiciam a vontade de a usar continuamente. Apesar das opiniões terem sido sobretudo positivas, é possível concluir que existem alguns aspetos a melhorar na aplicação (e.g., incluir conteúdos de preparação para quem ainda não deixou de fumar) de forma a adaptá-la adequadamente às necessidades de cada utilizador. Isto reforça a importância do desenvolvimento de estudos centrados na experiência dos utilizadores.Tobacco use is the most preventable risk factor associated with noncommunicable illness, disability and loss of healthy life years. Mobile applications appear promising as a means of intervention in smoking cessation. However, given the scarcity of applications based on scientific evidence and the lack of such applications available in Portuguese, the goal of this study was to evaluate users' experience with a translated and adapted version of the Smoke Free application. The sample consisted of 11 smokers with intention to quit smoking, interviewed individually after using this application for one week. The interviews were conducted to evaluate their satisfaction and degree of engagement, as well as the utility and usability of the application. The results suggest that the participants found the application easy to use and were satisfied. In addition, they highlighted the most useful features (e.g., main panel), the methods that helped them (e.g., monitoring), the needs felt throughout the interaction (e.g., greater customization) and what motivated them the most (e.g., commitment to the application). Regarding engagement, the results were contradictory, although the application seems to include elements that foster the will to use it continuously. Although opinions have been mostly positive, it is possible to conclude that there are some improvements to be made in the application (e.g., including preparation contents for those who haven’t stopped smoking) in order to adapt it adequately to the needs of each user. This reinforces the importance of developing studies focused on the user experience

What Makes a Font Persuasive?: An Eye-Tracking Study of Perception in American and Chinese Assessment of Fonts

Professional, technical, and visual communication practitioners and academics have historically overlooked visual rhetoric and how it is employed in business communications as well as how various cultures comprehend and respond to the design elements and visual composition of business documents. More specifically typography, the building blocks of a document, has been little explored in professional and technical communication research. As such, this study utilizes eye-tracking technology in conjunction with other data collection methods to understand if and how fonts contribute to the persuasiveness of business communications and if different cultures vary in typeface assessment and perception. Mackiewicz and Brumberger have both examined typeface anatomy and its effect on perception of font personality. Similar methods are implemented in this study to determine if the anatomical characteristics of fonts contribute to the perception of typeface persuasiveness in business documents. Furthermore, this study also seeks to establish if any correlations exist in typeface persuasiveness between American and Chinese cultures. Through this study, it was discovered that there are in fact anatomical characteristics of typefaces that lend themselves to a font being perceived as persuasive. It was also found that the perception of persuasiveness differs between the two cultures, and the methods by which the two groups assess the typefaces for persuasiveness are quite distinct

Exploring Cognitive Processes of Teachers in the Open-Ended Learning Environment

This study explores professional learning of teachers in a web-based Open-Ended Learning Environment (OELE). Adult learning theorists suggest that adults are self-directed, experience-based, personally- and socially-related, problem-oriented, and application-focused learners. Constructivists suggest that the OELE affords learners opportunities to construct knowledge by engaging in mental and cognitive processing on an individual level and social-dialogical negotiation among learners, thus, the OELE promotes high levels of cognitive functioning. However, current research has not yet provided any direct observation on the learning processes that mediate the cognitive functioning of a teacher's professional learning in the OELE. Therefore, six teachers were selected and think-aloud protocols were employed in this study to explore the nature of their thought processes in the context of independent and group learning. The results indicated individual differences in demonstrating conceptual understanding, applicability, and authentic discernment when solving authentic problems through interacting with learning content, peers, and instructors. Some suggestions were made pertaining to instructional conditions that fostered professional growth of teachers in web-based, OELE training