Exploring the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies in Business Studies Education

Augmented and Virtual reality technologies could provide solutions to improving current online collaboration in teaching and learning. In education, VR and AR are already in use in education, such as in History education. However, there are very few applications and studies in business studies education. This paper intends to apply Gibson’s (1978) ecological psychology\u27s concept of affordances including Sensemaking and Orlikowski (1992) Technology frames of reference and explore the extent of experience by experts in VR and AR field can be applied in Business Studies education. Mixed research methods involving interviews and surveys can explore how academics perceive and use VR and AR technologies. Findings from case studies indicate that it enhances collaboration potential using these technologies. The implications discussed in this paper could improve collaboration among academics and students in business studies education

Incorporating Scripts with Cooperative Learning to Promote Critical Thinking Skills in Secondary Science

A drastic growth of scientific and technological advancements in the 21st century have allowed for new jobs with innovative processes that require individuals who possess the ability to think deductively, reason through problems, and obtain information that can support the potential solutions to these problems. Many of the technological advancements have reduced the necessity to only memorize rote facts; rather, much of this information can be found through a quick internet search. What is needed, therefore, is education which requires students to think deeper than before – to examine new information through a more critical lens. The purpose of this research study is to investigate how the introduction of collaborative scripts into the cooperative learning of students in a secondary science classroom impacts critical thinking skills. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control-group design was implemented. The sample was drawn from eight sections of ninth grade science at a secondary public school in a northeastern state. Students engaged in project-based learning with cooperation with peers on an inquiry-based science lesson with phenomena. The experimental group was presented with scripts to begin asking thoughtful questions of peers about the phenomena being studied. The control group was instructed to engage in peer discourse as they normally would. The CCT-X was administered to all participants as a pretest and posttest. The data was analyzed via ANCOVA testing. Although a greater improvement in scores can be seen in the group that was exposed to the cooperative scripts, the results were not statistically significant. Future recommendations were identified, such as recruiting a larger sample size, implementing a longer duration for the intervention of collaborative scripts, and considering a new instrument for measuring critical thinking skills

Achieving Sustainability in Global Supply Chains

Most multinational company leaders lack effective strategies to achieve sustainability in their supply chains. Multinational company leaders who struggle to sustain supply chains, experience poor business performance creating risks of business failure. Grounded in systems theory, a qualitative multiple case study was conducted to explore successful strategies that leaders of multinational companies implemented to achieve sustainability throughout their supply chains. The participants comprised 6 business leaders of multinational consumer packaged goods companies in northern Vermont who have successfully implemented strategies for achieving sustainability in their global supply chains. Data were collected through semistructured face-to-face interviews, internal company supply chain documents, and supply chain partner company websites. Thematic analysis of the collected data was performed. Five themes coalesced from the analyzed data: consumer brand-led sustainability initiatives, cross-cultural communication of mutual business objectives, training and education of supply chain partners, technology platform alignment between supply chain partners, and mitigation of political influences. Implementing the findings of this study may contribute to positive social change by increasing employment opportunities resulting from stable businesses and economic development in the communities where the companies operate