Explorando las Barreras al Aprendizaje en Línea durante la Pandemia de COVID-19. Un Caso de Estudiantes Pakistaníes de IES [Instituciones de Educación Superior]

The main objective of this study is to explore various barriers that are preventing Pakistani HEIs (universities) students from learning online in this COVID-19 pandemic. Applying a qualitative research design, twelve (12) in-depth interviews were conducted with individual business school participants (students), selected at undergraduate and graduate levels to participate. Data were collected from six (06) universities in Islamabad, Pakistan. After collecting the data using a self-developed questionnaire, a thematic analysis method within the qualitative research was applied to uncover several barriers relating to the objective of this study. Eight themes emerged from the interview data: internet technology access, the content of digital slides, student’s perception towards online learning, power outages during COVID-19 pandemic, students’ fear of losing marks and impact on employment, faculty skills in using technology to teach online, student’s stress and health in the COVID-19 pandemic and student skills to use distance learning tools. Based on the findings, students who live in rural areas are more affected by online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic than students in urban areas due to identified barriers and, most importantly, lack of technology infrastructure. Opportunities and future recommendations have been provided to the relevant authorities to conduct and deliver smooth online education in the country during pandemic.El principal objetivo de este estudio es de explorar varias barreras que previenen a los estudiantes de educación superior (universidades) de Paquistán de aprender en línea en esta pandemia de Covid-19. Al aplicar un diseño de investigación cualitativa, doce (12) entrevistas en profundidad se llevaron a cabo con participantes de la escuela de negocios, seleccionados en niveles de pregrado y posgrado. Los datos se recolectaron de seis universidades en Islamabad, Paquistán. Luego de recolectar los datos usando un cuestionario de desarrollo propio, se aplicó un método de análisis temático dentro de la investigación cualitativa para descubrir varias barreras relacionadas con el objetivo de este estudio. Ocho temas emergieron de los datos de las entrevistas, tales como: acceso a internet, el contenido de diapositivas digitales, la percepción de los estudiantes hacia el aprendizaje en línea, cortes de energía durante la pandemia, miedo de los estudiantes a perder notas y su impacto en el empleo, habilidades del profesorado en el uso de la tecnología para enseñar en línea, el estrés de los estudiantes y la salud, y las habilidades para usar herramientas de aprendizaje a distancia. Basado en los hallazgos, los estudiantes que viven en zonas rurales son los más afectados debido a las barreras identificadas y lo más importante a la falta de infraestructura tecnológica. Se han proporcionado oportunidades y recomendación a las autoridades pertinentes para desarrollar y entregar educación en línea fluida en el país durante la pandemia

Effectiveness of flipped language learning classrooms and students’ perspectives

The objectives of this study are to investigate the usefulness of the flipped language learning approach in a reading course, and to understand students’ attitudes and self-efficacy toward it. A quasi-experimental pretest-post-test design was employed. Two treatments were designed, namely, face-to-face and online, using the flipped classroom approach. A total of 43 students participated in the pre-tests and post-tests, administered in both treatments. The data were collected from the results of pre-tests and post-tests. A regression test and t-tests were performed to analyze the data.  A significant difference was observed between the students’ results in the pre-tests and post-tests in both treatments. However, the post-test results in both treatments show no significant difference. This finding indicates that both face-to-face and flipped classroom approaches can be equally effective in enhancing the reading skill of Level 1 students. The survey results also indicate that students have more positive attitudes toward the flipped learning approach than society in general does toward it.  Accordingly, teachers are advised to select a language-teaching approach that is helpful for students. They should also consider the perspectives of students. Improvement in reading skill is not necessarily attributed to only one of the approaches analyzed in this study.</p

Effectiveness of flipped language learning classrooms and students’ perspectives

The objectives of this study are to investigate the usefulness of the flipped language learning approach in a reading course, and to understand students’ attitudes and self-efficacy toward it. A quasi-experimental pretest-post-test design was employed. Two treatments were designed, namely, face-to-face and online, using the flipped classroom approach. A total of 43 students participated in the pre-tests and post-tests, administered in both treatments. The data were collected from the results of pre-tests and post-tests. A regression test and t-tests were performed to analyze the data.  A significant difference was observed between the students’ results in the pre-tests and post-tests in both treatments. However, the post-test results in both treatments show no significant difference. This finding indicates that both face-to-face and flipped classroom approaches can be equally effective in enhancing the reading skill of Level 1 students. The survey results also indicate that students have more positive attitudes toward the flipped learning approach than society in general does toward it.  Accordingly, teachers are advised to select a language-teaching approach that is helpful for students. They should also consider the perspectives of students. Improvement in reading skill is not necessarily attributed to only one of the approaches analyzed in this study.</p

Identifying prosperity characteristics in small and medium-sized enterprises of Pakistan: firm, strategy, and characteristics of entrepreneurs

Purpose: The link between SME performance, growth, and development is well established; however, the characteristics of SMEs that allow firms to be successful in the longer run in an underdeveloped country context i.e., Pakistan are still unclear. This research aims to bridge this gap by identifying the SMEs’ characteristics that set them apart from their rivals and become successful. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses Storey’s development framework to identify the SMEs’ characteristics. Data is gathered using the case study method from SMEs with a metropolitan context in Pakistan. A narrative methodological framework was used during the data gathering and analysing stages. Findings: Findings of this study indicate that the prosperity of SMEs in Pakistan is dependent on a combination of characteristics including entrepreneurial characteristics of owner-managers, knowledge of business operating models, social networks and relationship building, and innovation in business style. Additionally, other factors such as governance structure, strategic planning of market diversification, and export characteristics also influence the prosperity of an SME. These findings may have several important implications for key stakeholders including entrepreneurs, SMEs, and policymakers in the government. Originality/value: This research provides evidence about factors that can help an SME to become successful in uncertainty situations surrounding a business environment. Theoretically, the contribution of this research is that it demonstrates that entrepreneurial characteristics and the effective leadership style of owner-managers can help SMEs achieve prosperity in external unforeseeable situations

A critical analysis of research potential, challenges and future directives in industrial wireless sensor networks

In recent years, Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks (IWSNs) have emerged as an important research theme with applications spanning a wide range of industries including automation, monitoring, process control, feedback systems and automotive. Wide scope of IWSNs applications ranging from small production units, large oil and gas industries to nuclear fission control, enables a fast-paced research in this field. Though IWSNs offer advantages of low cost, flexibility, scalability, self-healing, easy deployment and reformation, yet they pose certain limitations on available potential and introduce challenges on multiple fronts due to their susceptibility to highly complex and uncertain industrial environments. In this paper a detailed discussion on design objectives, challenges and solutions, for IWSNs, are presented. A careful evaluation of industrial systems, deadlines and possible hazards in industrial atmosphere are discussed. The paper also presents a thorough review of the existing standards and industrial protocols and gives a critical evaluation of potential of these standards and protocols along with a detailed discussion on available hardware platforms, specific industrial energy harvesting techniques and their capabilities. The paper lists main service providers for IWSNs solutions and gives insight of future trends and research gaps in the field of IWSNs

Impact of Stress on Software Engineers Knowledge Sharing and Creativity (A Pakistani Perspective)

Software development involves technology as well as human efforts. Software engineering is supportive to create a quality of product by adopting the process of sharing knowledge. A lot of research was conducted on the technical side but human side of software development disregarded. Knowledge and creativity considered major factors for improving the software quality. Currently professionals working in the field of software engineering are under impressive pressure which cause stress for the Software engineers. It is highly desirable to conduct an empirical study on impact of stress on software engineers knowledge sharing &amp; creativity. The major motivation for this study is to investigate the impact of job stress factors which can affect the software engineering knowledge sharing capabilities and creativity. The research is based on industrial assessment. For conducting this study we developed a questionnaire based on Stress Factors. Statistical analyses are performed through SPSS tool. On the basis of the results from the survey, we proposed some strategies for those factors that have high impact on software engineers and try to mitigate their affect. These results highlight stress factors and their impact on software engineers knowledge sharing and creativity, working in Pakistani software industry

Impact of Stress on Software Engineers Knowledge Sharing and Creativity (A Pakistani Perspective)

Software development involves technology as well as human efforts. Software engineering is supportive to create a quality of product by adopting the process of sharing knowledge. A lot of research was conducted on the technical side but human side of software development disregarded. Knowledge and creativity considered major factors for improving the software quality. Currently professionals working in the field of software engineering are under impressive pressure which cause stress for the Software engineers. It is highly desirable to conduct an empirical study on impact of stress on software engineers knowledge sharing &amp; creativity. The major motivation for this study is to investigate the impact of job stress factors which can affect the software engineering knowledge sharing capabilities and creativity. The research is based on industrial assessment. For conducting this study we developed a questionnaire based on Stress Factors. Statistical analyses are performed through SPSS tool. On the basis of the results from the survey, we proposed some strategies for those factors that have high impact on software engineers and try to mitigate their affect. These results highlight stress factors and their impact on software engineers knowledge sharing and creativity, working in Pakistani software industry

Machine Learning and Internet of Things Enabled Monitoring of Post-Surgery Patients: A Pilot Study

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) offer immense potential to transform conventional healthcare systems. The IoT and AI enabled smart systems can play a key role in driving the future of smart healthcare. Remote monitoring of critical and non-critical patients is one such field which can leverage the benefits of IoT and machine learning techniques. While some work has been done in developing paradigms to establish effective and reliable communications, there is still great potential to utilize optimized IoT network and machine learning technique to improve the overall performance of the communication systems, thus enabling fool-proof systems. This study develops a novel IoT framework to offer ultra-reliable low latency communications to monitor post-surgery patients. The work considers both critical and non-critical patients and is balanced between these to offer optimal performance for the desired outcomes. In addition, machine learning based regression analysis of patients’ sensory data is performed to obtain highly accurate predictions of the patients’ sensory data (patients’ vitals), which enables highly accurate virtual observers to predict the data in case of communication failures. The performance analysis of the proposed IoT based vital signs monitoring system for the post-surgery patients offers reduced delay and packet loss in comparison to IEEE low latency deterministic networks. The gradient boosting regression analysis also gives a highly accurate prediction for slow as well as rapidly varying sensors for vital sign monitoring

Towards Delay-sensitive Routing in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

AbstractIn Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (UASNs), fundamental difference between operational methodologies of routing schemes arises due to the requirement of time-critical applications therefore, there is a need for the design of delay-sensitive techniques. In this paper, Delay-Sensitive Depth-Based Routing (DSDBR), Delay-Sensitive Energy Efficient Depth-Based Routing (DSEEDBR) and Delay-Sensitive Adaptive Mobility of Courier nodes in Threshold-optimized Depth-based routing (DSAMCTD) protocols are proposed to empower the depth-based routing schemes. The proposed approaches formulate delay-efficient Priority Factors (PF) and Delay-Sensitive Holding time (DS HT) to minimize end-to-end delay with a small decrease in network throughput. These schemes also employ an optimal weight function WF for the computation of transmission loss and speed of received signal. Furthermore, solution for delay lies in efficient data forwarding, minimal relative transmissions in low-depth region and better forwarder selection. Simulations are performed to assess the proposed protocols and the results indicate that the three schemes largely minimize end-to-end delay of network