Improving student engagement and behavioural outcomes via persistence among distance learners

Student engagement assists distance learners gain specific skills and to realise the worth of their rewarding educational experience. However, if persistence is not adequately present, the distance learners might quit an online course. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between online student engagement towards student satisfaction and learning outcomes and to examine the moderating effect of persistence between online student engagement towards student satisfaction and learning outcomes. The research model was tested upon engagement theory as an underlying theory to support the research framework. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data via online survey questionnaires for three weeks. The research hypotheses are examined through correlation and path analysis of 321 distance learners from one of the public universities in Malaysia using Partial Least Square (PLS) 3.0. Results of analysis demonstrated that persistence was found to moderate the relationship between online student engagement towards student satisfaction and learning outcomes. This finding implies that distance learners who commit themselves to a goal will highly likely persist, and the more courses a student finishes, the closer he or she will be to graduating. Based on the results, this research suggests the management of Malaysian distance education institutions to create rapport between online programme staff and distance learners at an early stage. Additionally, online programmes must promote and establish support networks for distance learners to resolve personal or professional difficulties in improving retention and preventing them from dropping out of online programmes

The Impact of Technology on the Strategic Management of a Knowledge-Intensive Project Organization: Action Design Research of a Competence Management System

The combination of digitalization and globalization will have a dramatic impact on organizations and the way people work. Demographic upheavals and societal changes, as well as the inevitable focus on environmental issues, will amplify the effect of these trends. As a result, business executives around the world will face new challenges with business models on one hand and organizational practices on the other hand. There is now a great opportunity for information systems and human resources scientists and practitioners to work together in order to improve understanding of how technology can be utilized to make organizations more effective and inspiring. The “future of work” is already affecting strategic management, HR organizations, and technology in practice. As a result, this has created many exciting research opportunities, identified by scholars looking at human resource information systems, human resource management, enterprise systems, competence management systems, knowledge management, information management, agile software development, or design science. In this action design research I build on top of existing design science research on competence management systems and aim at 1) gaining more understanding about the organizational and technological aspects of enterprise systems design, especially regarding competence development, and 2) increasing understanding of the design of competence management as a strategic capability. In this action design research project we participated in the design, development, and evaluation of a particular organizational instantiation and a management system instantiation that both address important, previously unsolved problems. This study contributes to the existing body of scientific knowledge on information systems. The theoretical contribution is the improved design principles for competence management systems. The practical contribution of the study builds upon the guidance provided to system designers and managers through several frameworks, IT artifacts, and management practices for information systems design processes. In conclusion, this research provides new evidence of how action design research can lead to significant business benefits by integrating theory and practice in a real business context

Competence manager: uma ferramenta online e open source de gestão de competências orientada à colaboração e que utiliza curvas de esquecimento

Sistemas de Gestão de Competências (SGC) possuem o objetivo de facilitar o gerenciamento de competências de pessoas em determinados contextos como empresas ou universidades. Este trabalho possui o foco de desenvolver um SGC orientado à formação de grupos colaborativos e com funcionalidades que o permitam ser aplicado em diferentes contextos, como no meio acadêmico ou empresarial. Para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho, realizamos um levantamento de SGCs existentes na academia e no mercado. A partir do entendimento do estado-de-arte desta área, idealizamos e elaboramos um SGC orientado à formação de grupos colaborativos. O sistema traz funcionalidades básicas e presentes da maioria dos SGCs existentes, como o cadastro e gerenciamento básico de competências, pessoas e tarefas e geração de relatórios. Além disso, o Competence Manager, como denominamos o sistema, também traz funcionalidades úteis e menos frequentes nos SGCs, como utilização de competências para recomendação de pessoas para tarefas, recomendação de funcionários aptos a realizar treinamentos e realocação interna de funcionários em uma empresa. A modelagem de competências baseada em curvas de esquecimento, a categorização e endosso de competências, a diferenciação de competências técnicas e colaborativas dentro do sistema também são funcionalidades bastante úteis, além da ferramenta ser online e Open Source. Uma vez elaborado, nosso sistema passou por uma etapa de avaliação com estudantes e profissionais, a fim de extrair informações úteis a respeito da utilização do sistema em um ambiente real e definir trabalhos futuros. A avaliação feita do sistema nos levou a concluir que o nosso objetivo foi alcançado, já que os avaliadores o consideraram útil para auxiliar gestores na formação de grupos colaborativos

The effects of disruptive innovation on MTN telecommunication strategy in Africa

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effects of disruptive innovation on MTN telecommunication strategy in Africa. The goal of this research study was to investigate the effects of disruptive innovation on MTN telecommunication strategy in Africa. Five independent variables were identified and tested as to identify the effects/ impact they have on the MTN telecommunication strategy. The research report began with an in-depth literature review on the concept of disruptive innovation and the variables and Internet of things, Cloud Technology, Blockchain, Mobile Money Cashless Society and Big Data. The literature review also provides an overview of the status of the telecommunication industry in Africa, the pace of change and the challenges network operators are facing due to the innovations. This is followed by qualitative explanatory case study research design through in-depth interviews. The research provides valuable insights on recommendations to MTN management on the effects on disruptive innovation on their strategy. This research study provides a useful insight on the effects of disruptive innovation with a telecommunication context in Africa. It also highlights the key disruptive technologies that are at the forefront the current innovation wave. The study is limited to MTN and does not incorporate other multinational network operators who have established networks on the African continent. The research effort looks at the positive and negative effects of disruptive innovation on MTN strategy and make recommendations on how MTN can overcome, minimise or reduce the identified effects on the strategy

Information management model for competencies and learning outcomes in an educational context

The Bologna Process opened the door to the globalization of higher education, by creating a unified architecture that enhances the potential of higher education and encourages increasing and continuous interconnection among different higher education strategies in the world, and particularly in Europe. This paper introduces and describes an innovative model for a thorough, organized and systematic analysis of the educational context MICRA (model for identifying and classifying Competencies and Learning Outcomes), based on the official documents of the Course Units (syllabus and assessment components). The MICRA model was validated by means of a case study. Competencies and Learning Outcomes were identified in the Computer Science Course Units of the Accounting and Business Administration degree at the Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto (ISCAP/IPP). We are aware that the adoption of this model by different institutions will contribute to the interoperability of learning outcomes, thus enhancing the mobility of teachers and students in the EHEA (European Higher Education Area) and third countries.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bridging the Gap between Higher Education and the Logistic Sector Needs in Oman: Designing a Needs-based Curriculum

The purpose of the study is to evaluate and measure the curriculum as an academic plan that provides expected knowledge, skills and attitudes for the learner through understanding curriculum theories to build “a more practice-based curriculum” to achieve the stated learning outcomes to enhance job performance and predict job success of the logistics sector in Oman and identify the best processes and tools for designing the curriculum to fit the needs of the sector and bridge the bridge any gaps found in the curriculum gap using mixed-method through three samples (Curriculum Designers within HEIs, Middle-Managers and employees within logistics companies)