Crowdsourcing Just in Time Knowledge at Workplace

The use of technology across a number of domains and facets is widespread. It is predicted by Forrester that almost half (42%) of the entire world’s population, by the end of 2015, will own a smart phone. Furthermore, during the last ten years, there has been much development in the communication arena as a direct result of smart mobile technologies, including within the work setting, thus facilitating a greater degree of communication and information-sharing capacity in work communities. Nonetheless, it remains that not all the features and tools offered by this technology are utilised, which predominantly is owing to the lack of insight and understanding of users. Accordingly, we argue that people sharing knowledge in the workplace are sharing all the knowledge they are aware of in the most effective way, because it is shared in the situation where they naturally experience problems -at the workplace. Owing to the universal nature inherent in this technology, it is considered pivotal that smart phone technology goes hand-in-hand with intrinsic support. Importantly, however, if not altogether lacking, this is very often inadequate. However, adopting mobile technology within the workplace setting can give rise to challenges that impact user behaviour and performance. Four studies were conducted with the aim of examining how employees address and manage problems on a smart mobile device (SMD) and accordingly aim at overcoming the issue. The first three studies considered provides valuable input for the researcher that was recognised as required in the fourth research. The third study was carried out amongst 90 participants located in two countries, using internet connectivity, as a case study. Confidence and frustration have previously been connected with technology competence, but this was not applied to a workplace scenario during problem-solving, when users are assigned an unfamiliar smart mobile device. This research focuses on identifying the link between workplace users’ levels of confidence and frustration when seeking to independently solve problems whilst completing familiar tasks on new smart mobile devices. A detailed video analysis of users’ attitudes and behaviour during problem- solving was conducted, highlighting a correlation between attitudes and behaviour towards completing a task. When reviewing and considering the findings from the first researches, the criteria for a universal crowdsourcing solution were identified. In the final of the studies, users across different levels of technology experiences and from varying job roles in different departments in a firm were brought together to form a collaborative community referred to as YourSpace designed and implemented for this thesis. To this end, the subjects were grouped across three progressive levels of a knowledge management framework devised for this specific study, namely Pedagogy (engagement), Andragogy (cultivation) and Heutagogy (realisation) levels. The employees of Malta International Airport were permitted to utilise YourSpace for a one- week period, during which time there was an assessment of its adoption within the work setting. Methodology validation in this thesis was carried out through the considered design of a tablet-based research instrument that encompassed a characteristic facilitating knowledge-capture. This was achieved through taking YourSpace and accordingly utilising its peer-to-peer support communities. An innovative method is introduced through improving modern-day global technology in a number of ways: firstly, by further expanding works carried out in the social media domain, specifically by capturing Just in Time knowledge when seeking to overcome obstacles in the work environment; secondly, by providing a crowdsourcing instrument with the capacity to capture Just in Time knowledge in an organic work setting through gaining insight into individuals’ characteristics and their within-community interactions throughout the process; and thirdly, by examining the behaviours and perspectives of users when seeking to overcome common issues experienced when utilising an unfamiliar device. The results highlighted provide a crowdsourced Just in Time support solution, which could prove pivotal in overcoming problems through the provision of a collaborative framework that supports the gathering of knowledge that is not dependent on technology experience

Innovating Pedagogy 2015: Open University Innovation Report 4

This series of reports explores new forms of teaching, learning and assessment for an interactive world, to guide teachers and policy makers in productive innovation. This fourth report proposes ten innovations that are already in currency but have not yet had a profound influence on education. To produce it, a group of academics at the Institute of Educational Technology in The Open University collaborated with researchers from the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International. We proposed a long list of new educational terms, theories, and practices. We then pared these down to ten that have the potential to provoke major shifts in educational practice, particularly in post-school education. Lastly, we drew on published and unpublished writings to compile the ten sketches of new pedagogies that might transform education. These are summarised below in an approximate order of immediacy and timescale to widespread implementation

Examining Thai students' experiences of augmented reality technology in a university language education classroom

Descriptive mixed-methods were employed to investigate the experiences and perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Thai students in higher education in integrating Augmented Reality technology (AR) in their reading classroom. Participants were queried on their habitual use of computers and the Internet, their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of AR, their experiences in using AR, and their reflective reports of self-efficacy in using AR in creating English vocabulary flashcards as supplemental learning resources. A questionnaire on their use of computers and the Internet was employed with 48 EFL, English-major undergraduates. Subsequently, the participants underwent the Classroom Activity Treatment which comprised 1) the Teacher Showcase, 2) the AR Computer Tutorial, and 3) the Student Showcase, respectively. Classroom observation notes were taken during the three phases. Besides, at the end of each of these three phases, a questionnaire on the acceptance and self-efficacy of AR was administered. Subsequently, 24 students participated in semi-structured interviews to elicit further insights into their perceptions of the effectiveness of AR in EFL instruction and learning. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (Vankatesh & Bala, 2008) was employed for theoretical perspective on the data. Findings revealed most participants had no prior knowledge or understanding about AR before the study. Participants reported AR as advantageous for stimulating student engagement and motivation, and for enhancing memory and memorization. AR was reported to promote learning and practicing digital literacy skills. Participants reported relatively high levels of self-efficacy in using AR, which were primarily driven by their self-satisfaction, creativity and enthusiasm, peer and teacher assistance, as well as technological training and infrastructure. Participants also reported that they would continue using AR in the future when necessary resources, time, and access were secured, for the purposes of professional productivity and development. Analysis suggested that English education curricula be improved and re-designed to integrate the implementation of AR technology to tailor the learning experiences to the students’ needs and learning styles. Professional development and training should also be provided for teachers and students to educate them in using AR in language education teaching and learning

Does modality make a difference? A comparative study of mobile augmented reality for education and training

Includes bibliographical references.2022 Fall.As augmented reality (AR) technologies progress they have begun to impact the field of education and training. Many prior studies have explored the potential benefits and challenges to integrating emerging technologies into educational practices. Both internal and external factors may impact the overall adoption of the technology, however there are key benefits identified for the schema building process, which is important for knowledge acquisition. This study aims to elaborate and expand upon prior studies to explore the question does mobile augmented reality provide for stronger knowledge retention compared to other training and education modalities? To address this question this study takes a comparative experimental approach by exposing participants to one of three training modalities (AR, paper manual, or online video) and evaluating their knowledge retention and other educational outcomes

Revitalisation of an Australian Aboriginal language : archival utterances as scaffolding for independent adult language learning

Increasingly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are seeking to maintain, revitalise and reawaken their traditional languages. In contexts where there are few fluent speakers of the languages or few learning resources, this can present particular challenges. The goal of this thesis is to investigate how adult community members can be supported towards greater independence as language learners and teachers in their communities. This was explored in the context of Jilkminggan, a remote Aboriginal community in the western area of the Northern Territory, 135 km south-east of Katherine. A design-based methodology was adopted to investigate learning in its natural context, involving community members in resource creation across several iterations and allowing for a more collaborative approach to the research. The research was conducted in three phases. In Phase 1 informal discussions were held with community members, including Elder Sheila Conway and representatives of the Jilkminggan Community Aboriginal Corporation, concerning their aspirations for learning and revitalisation of Mangarrayi. The project which developed in light of these discussions centred on the use of a bank of Mangarrayi utterances or ‘chunks’ – termed Chunkbank – captured from archival audio recordings to support development of everyday communication in Mangarrayi for younger adult learners. In Phase 2, in line with a design-based approach, three studies were conducted to provide baseline information informing the development of tasks and resources in Phase 3. Study 1 established topics and language functions of importance to Jilkminggan community members. Study 2 provided insights into the current uses of digital technology at Jilkminggan and its potential to support language learning. Study 3 provided an opportunity to observe the degree to which community members could understand and capture Mangarrayi archival audio chunks. This research provides evidence of existing capacity amongst younger adult Jilkminggan community members to drive learning and resource creation. The use of digital resources, in addition to face-to face learning from speaker Sheila Conway, the rekindled knowledge of older community members, and external linguistic, metalinguistic and pedagogic expertise, can help develop language knowledge and skills to build on this capacity. This provides a possible model for sustainable revitalisation of other Aboriginal languages in a similar context

MentalSense. A ludic and didactic game for people with dementia

Com o envelhecimento da população, é cada vez mais comum encontrar pessoas com demência. A demência é caracterizada pela perda de habilidades emocionais e cognitivas. Nesta dissertação, propomos um novo sistema para estimulação cognitiva através de jogos, o MentalSense, onde pessoas em estado demencial podem realizar alguns exercícios cognitivos para cuidar de um animal de estimação, trabalhando no mínimo cinco domínios cognitivos: atenção, memória episódica, raciocínio lógico, pensamento abstrato e funções executivas. O jogo está implementado em tablet para poder ser usado em diversos lugares e situações. Foram realizados diversos estudos, desde questionários online e entrevistas a cuidadores formais e informais, e seguiu-se um design participativo com psicólogo e psicomotricista, onde obtivemos informação sobre as necessidades desta população e de quem presta cuidados a estes. Realizámos um estudo piloto, o qual culminou em sugestões para o melhoramento da aplicação final. O protótipo final foi testado através de um estudo de caso com dois participantes acompanhados por um psicólogo, que realizaram várias sessões com o MentalSense, com resultados positivos.As the population ages, it is increasingly common to find people with dementia. Dementia is characterized by the loss of emotional and cognitive abilities. In this dissertation, we propose a new system for cognitive stimulation through games, MentalSense, where people with dementia can perform some cognitive exercises to take care of a pet, working on at least five cognitive domains: attention, episodic memory, logical reasoning, abstract thinking and executive functions. The game is implemented on a tablet so it can be used in different places and situations. Several studies were carried out, from online questionnaires and interviews with formal and informal caregivers, and a participatory design with a psychologist and psychometrician was followed, where we obtained information about the needs of this population and those who provide care to them. We carried out a pilot study, which culminated in suggestions for improving the final application. The final prototype was tested through a case study with two participants accompanied by a psychologist, who carried out several sessions with MentalSense, with positive results