Maximizing Smart Charging of EVs: The Impact of Privacy and Money on Data Sharing

Smart charging has the potential to shift peak load to times of lower demand, which better exploits renewable generation and enhances grid resilience. For increased effectiveness, smart charging requires access to data that consumers might be hesitant to share. To explore which data consumers would share and which factors influence this decision, we adopt the Barth and de Jong’s risk-benefit calculation framework to smart charging and conduct an online-survey (n = 479). We find that most respondents who would share charging details with a smart charging application, are ambivalent about location data and would never share calendar details. When presented with concrete monetary rewards, participants lose their initial reservations and would share all data for an amount dependent on the data’s sensitivity. Thus, our study contributes to research on the privacy paradox by highlighting the importance of calculations between perceived risks and benefits for the decision to share data

Love at First Sight? A User Experience Study of Self-Sovereign Identity Wallets

Today’s systems for digital identity management exhibit critical security, efficiency, and privacy issues. A new paradigm, called Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), addresses these shortcomings by equipping users with mobile wallets and empowering them to manage their digital identities. Various companies and governments back this paradigm and promote its development and diffusion. User experience often plays a subordinate role in these efforts, even though it is crucial for user satisfaction and adoption. We thus conduct a comprehensive user experience study of four prominent SSI wallets using a mixed-method approach that involves moderated and remote interviews and the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). We find that the examined wallets already provide a decent level of user experience, yet further improvements need to be done. In particular, the examined wallets do not make their novelty and benefits sufficiently apparent to users. Our analysis contributes to user experience research and offers guidance for SSI practitioners

Content and Language Integrated Scientific Modelling: A Novel Approach to Model Learning

The relevance of English language competencies in authentic, discipline-specific contexts at school is increasingly acknowledged outside of English-speaking countries. Since any understanding of complex scientific problems requires the combination of scientific literacy with other competencies, such as scientific modelling, the appropriate application of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is of great importance. The present study focuses on an established, hands-on outreach genetic education module on DNA structure, which it extends with a bilingual adaption to examine the influence of non-CLIL and CLIL learning on students’ scientific modelling skills and model understanding. When comparing non-CLIL learners (n = 149) and CLIL learners (n = 316), the former received higher scores in the assessment of model-related self-evaluation sheets and built better models. We also found that non-CLIL learners achieved better temporary knowledge of “DNA as a model” scores and, for model evaluation, were more reflective in determining similarities and differences between their hand-crafted model and a commercial DNA school model. However, CLIL learners performed better in comparing their model sketches with their hand-crafted models. They also used different approaches to develop models and conceptualize integral components of models, as reflected in their advanced model understanding. We conclude that CLIL influences modelling qualities on different levels, by fostering modelling practice, and in particular, model understanding

The Role of Cultural Fit in the Adoption of Fashionable IT: A Blockchain Case Study

Investments in fashionable IT do not make organizations more successful than investments in less fashionable alternatives. Many organizations nevertheless associate with fashionable IT to signal compliance with norms of progress and rationality. These decisions can be risky as they require the ability to navigate hype narratives and fit the new technology into the adopting organization. In this paper, we explore a so far understudied fit perspective: cultural fit between the values attributed to the fashionable IT and those of the recipient organizational context. Through an interpretivist case study of two blockchain projects, we find that cultural sensemaking and dissonance reduction can be important determinants for successful adoption of fashionable IT. Moreover, we identify two recursive paths for how organizations can reduce cultural dissonance. They can adapt their implementation and the narratives surrounding the fashionable IT or they can transform their local or overarching organizational culture

With or Without Blockchain? Towards a Decentralized, SSI-based eRoaming Architecture

Fragmentation and limited accessibility of charging infrastructure impede the adoption of electric vehicles. To improve the availability of charging infrastructure independent of providers, eRoaming offers a promising solution. Yet, current eRoaming systems are typically centralized, which raises concerns of market power concentration. While the use of blockchain technology can obviate such concerns, it comes with significant privacy challenges. To address these challenges, we explore a combination of blockchain with self-sovereign identity. Specifically, we apply a design science research approach, which helps us to identify requirements, derive a conceptual architecture, and deduce design principles for decentralized eRoaming and beyond. We find that blockchain may best leverage its benefits when it takes a backseat as a public registry for legal entities. Moreover, we find that the use of self-sovereign identities could improve compliance with privacy regulations, but they should not be overused