How to design for persistence and retention in MOOCs?

Design of educational interventions is typically carried out following a design cycle involving phases of investigation, conceptualization, prototyping, implementation, execution and evaluation. This cycle can be applied at different levels of granularity e.g. learning activity, module, course or programme. In this paper we consider an aspect of learner behavior that can be critical to the success of many MOOCs i.e. their persistence to study, and the related theme of learner retention. We reflect on the impact that consideration of these can have on design decisions at different stages in the design cycle with the aim of en-hancing MOOC design in relation to learner persistence and retention, with particular attention to the European context

Tracking the Tracing: A Global Investigation of Privacy Issues in the Age of COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic tore through the globe, policymakers grappled with two key questions. First, to what extent could new tools to collect and analyze data on a massive scale help limit the virus’s spread and, second, how would the collection of that data impact the privacy rights of individuals? This paper examines both questions and reveals how nation-specific traditions, values, and leaders shaped the delicate balance between the right to privacy and the protection of the population from COVID-19. An exploration of the surveillance techniques developed in response to the SARS and HIV pandemics reveals the growing consensus around the importance of accurate data collection and analysis. Next, this paper examines the COVID-19 response in 6 areas (China, South Korea, Singapore, Israel, the United States, and the European Union) to demonstrate the diverse array of responses to the pandemic. Different attitudes toward privacy and government control in each country led to dramatically different outcomes. Finally, this paper examines the role of regime type, leadership, experience with pandemics, and privacy norms in a comparison between China and the United Kingdom. This paper concludes by arguing that the balance between privacy and health can be successfully maintained by ensuring government transparency, reasonable scope and duration of implemented measures, and optimized use of technology to reduce excess data collection

E-government and Digital Divide in Hail City: a Quantitative, Older Adults Study

The subject of information and communication technologies adoption, Internet and e-government services in particular, have been widely investigated by researchers. It is an indication of the significant roles that can be brought to individuals and societies by such advanced technologies in which enhancing quality of life is the ultimate goal. Unfortunately, many groups within societies are not gaining the advantages and benefits of the Internet and e-government because they are less receptive to ICTs. This has created a phenomenon known as the digital divide. Amongst these groups are the older adults. The rising attention towards the elderly is due to the increasing life expectancy. Thanks to health technological advancements and life style improvements, which are leading to better qualities of life, countries around the globe have older adults population rate larger than ever before. Saudi Arabia is no exception, as demographic characteristics have been changing in which life span is increasing and fertility is decreasing. However, literature of older adults and technology adoption, particularly adoption of Internet and e-government lacks the context of developing countries and the Arab world. Therefore, using this as a motivation, this study aims to identify, explain and understand the adoption, use and diffusion of e-government services within the older adults population (50+) of a vicinity in Saudi Arabia. The study uses a quantitative research method along with a positivist epistemology. The data collection technique involved distributing survey questionnaires to households’ residents (50+) in Hail city (area and simple random sampling). A small-scale pilot study was initially used (n=257) to validate and enhance the survey questions, followed by a wide-scale final study (n=937). Findings revealed that with regards to Internet adoption, age-based, gender-based, education-based and health-based digital divides do exist within the elderly population. It was also found by model analysis that elderlies’ intentions of whether to use or not use e-government services are considerably impacted by attitudinal, subjective norms, control and trustworthiness factors, excluding the two factors of image and trust in government, which showed insignificance. The study makes positive contributions to related literature, policy makers and industry. Finally, due to the restraints of time, finance and manpower, this study examined only a small portion of the whole population of Hail city; therefore, generalisations of findings cannot be claimed

Medium term employment challenges of the Lisbon strategy

The focus of this study is the EU level and, as stated in the terms of reference, the findings are intended to contribute to the identification of reforms and policy measures which are potentially most significant for Europe to ensure growth and jobs in the medium-term. The adverse consequences of recession will be more easily surmounted in some Member States, while others will experience an enduring impact of the crisis that will call for more extensive adjustment to remain competitive and, in some cases, painful adaptation of priorities. In parallel, all Member States will have to encourage the development of new activities associated with adaptation to climate change, while also expanding services and products for older citizens

Eldre65: Creating a Website for Senior Adults Based Upon User Experience

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote, “Time and tide wait for no man.” He was correct. Aging is universal. It affects all humans in positive and negative ways. From children becoming teens to adults becoming senior adults, each stage of life brings changes and challenges. In one’s forties, menus can become harder to read, hair can fall out, hearing in loud environments can become difficult. Then, in one’s mid-sixties, more difficult challenges can arrive. Health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, lung disease can become a regular part of one’s life. Cognition slowness, vision and hearing loss can create difficulties not only in interacting in social settings, but also managing one’s life online. Technology develops and expands constantly. Professor Peter-Paul Verbeek, distinguished Professor of Philosophy of Technology at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Twente, examined how technology, in its purest form, should be a form of mediation for its users. Technology should not be the focus, it should be the median by which you relate to the world around you. “The central idea in mediation theory is that technologies do not simply create connections between users and their environment, but that they actively help to constitute them” (Verbeek). Technology influences the way the user sees the world around them. When made usable, technology can present large positives in an individual’s life. Technology can allow a viewer who is quarantined at home the opportunity to explore a new country. Technology can also bring shopping and banking to your fingertips. It can give the immobile user the freedom to be self-reliant. Medicine, food, and cleaning needs can all be purchased using many different technologies. A user can refill medications using a finger on a smart phone, smart watch, tablet, or computer. Or they can simply use their voice on technologies like Alexa, Echo, and Siri. Technology makes these possibilities endless. But for technology to do all these wonderful things, it needs to be designed and developed in a way that does not leave certain users behind. There must be a standard that designers follow to keep technology, specifically websites, usable and accessible to all. User inclusivity is the most important component that technology needs to focus upon, and where it is falling the most behind. If the user cannot see the words on the screen, hear a video on a site, or understand how to navigate through pages, then technology and all the wonderful things it can do are useless

Design Strategy for Integrated Personal Health Records: Improving the User Experience of Digital Healthcare and Wellbeing

This dissertation addresses the timely problem of designing Integrated Personal Health Records (PHR). The goal is to provide citizens with digital user experiences, sustainable and flexible enough, for gaining control over their personal health information in a seamless way. Most importantly, so that people are able to reflect and act upon their selfknowledge, towards the accomplishment of their good health and wellbeing. Towards this end, the Integrated PHR as an emerging model in the field of Health IT, was the framework that set this research forward on exploring how communication and collaboration between patients and providers can be improved, which naturally impacts the field of HCI. Acknowledging that today patients are the ones who own all that is recorded about their health data, this new model was object of a design strategy that shaped the results presented in this dissertation. These have showed how patients can have more control of their health over time, through a patient-centered, organic system, which has the ability of combining multiple sources of data both from patient and provider side. As this new type of PHR fosters the creation of integrated networks, this milestone was achieved in this research by interacting with cross-channel user experiences that took part of nationwide healthcare ecosystems. The work presented herein, has demonstrated through the analysis and development of two use cases in cooperation with organizations connected to the Portuguese Ministry of Health, how an Integrated PHR can be a powerful personal tool, to be used by the citizen with undeniable value to the demands of an aging society. The use cases structured the thesis into two parts. The first part in collaboration with the Portuguese National Patient Portal, combines an Integrated PHR and incorporates the Portuguese Data Sharing Platform (PDS), which can be used by any Portuguese citizen. This use case study led to a proposal of the portal by also creating a foundational model for designing Integrated PHRs. The second part in collaboration with the Portuguese National Senior Telehealth Program (Saúde 24 Sénior), led to another proposal for an Integrated PHR, applying the outcomes from Part 1 and the requirements that derived from the findings explored in this second use case study. The proposed solution, has the potential to be used by the Portuguese senior community in the scope of home assistive care. Both proposals applied a user experience design methodology and included the development of two prototypes. The engagement of the stakeholders during the two case studies was accomplished with participatory design methods and followed a multidisciplinary approach to create solutions that would meet the human, politics and behavior interdependencies that were inherent to the process of working with large healthcare organizations. The provided contributions from this thesis intent to be part of a transition process that is changing the behavior of the healthcare sector, which is increasingly moving towards the improvement of the patient-provider relationship, patient engagement, collaborative care and positive computing, where digital technologies play a key role

Local knowledge matters

"Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. This book explores the critical role that local knowledge plays in public policy processes as well as its role in the co-production of policy relevant knowledge with the scientific and professional communities. The authors consider the mechanisms used by local organisations and the constraints and opportunities they face, exploring what the knowledge-to-policy process means, who is involved and how different communities can engage in the policy process. Ten diverse case studies are used from around Indonesia, addressing issues such as forest management, water resources, maritime resource management and financial services. By making extensive use of quotes from the field, the book allows the reader to ‘hear’ the perspectives and beliefs of community members around local knowledge and its effects on individual and community life.