Does Technology Matter? How Digital Self-Efficacy Affects the Relationship between ICT Exposure and Job Dissatisfaction

Despite multiple potentials of information and communication technologies (ICT), their increasing diffusion at today’s workplaces may lead to psychological issues for employees, unveiling a dark side of ICT use. Our study aims to examine the association between work related ICT exposure (i.e. ICT use and digital work intensification) and job dissatisfaction. We further look at the role of digital self efficacy as a moderator of the effect of digital work intensification. Cross sectional data from a nationally representative study of 1,145 employees were used in multiple regression analysis. Our results show that higher levels of digital work intensification are associated with higher levels of job dissatisfaction. Further, digital self efficacy buffers the effect of digital work intensification on job dissatisfaction. Thus, our findings imply that fostering employees’ confidence in their abilities in dealing with the challenges of digitalization promotes employees’ job satisfaction and coping with the negative effects of work-related ICT exposure

Improve Your Modeling Skills with the Help of Your Peers – Developing and Introducing a Digital Case Study and Peer Feedback App in an Information Systems Class

The overall goal of this research study is to improve students’ modeling skills in large-scale educational settings by providing video-based case studies and introducing a formative peer feedback process to enable asynchronous, anonymous collaboration among the students. To this aim, we designed a learning concept and implemented an app that supports the provision of video-based case studies and the conduction of a double-blind peer feedback process. Our results from introducing the digital learning concept in an introductory course targeting information systems students indicate that the students’ motivation and reflection on the learning content could be fostered, and their modeling skills could be improved. Overall, we contribute with insights into how to conduct video-based case studies combined with peer feedback processes in information systems education

How to Design Learning Applications that Support Learners in their Moment of Need – Didactic Requirements of Micro Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic is showing the limits of our traditional education systems that mainly build on classroom lectures with face-to-face interaction between teachers or trainers and learners. Now more than ever, there is a growing need for digital learning formats that make it possible to maintain teaching in universities, schools, and enterprises despite the spatial distance from the learners. To address these new conditions of learning, short and small learning units are a promising approach when it comes to demand-oriented learning solutions. However, the question of how to design didactically appropriate micro content is not yet answered by research. To close this research gap, we conducted a qualitative interview study with professionals in the field of instructional design and technology-enhanced learning-design. With this information, we were able to derive 20 requirements for designing effective micro content

Alkali metal dithiocarbamato carboxylates (DTCCs) – synthesis, properties, and crystal structures

A series of alkali metal salts of dithiocarbamate‐substituted carboxylate (DTCC) anions were prepared by reaction of the parent amino acids with carbon disulfide and an alkali metal hydroxide. The target compounds, which were isolated in anhydrous form or as hydrates, were extensively characterized by elemental analyses, IR and NMR spectroscopy, thermal analyses, cyclic voltammetry, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The isolated compounds are more or less hygroscopic and display a varying dehydratization and decomposition behavior upon heating. The assumed degradation of the DTCC scaffold was found to depend on the substitution pattern as well as on the alkali metal counterion, and covers a range between 200 and 340 °C. In aqueous solution, the DTCC anions show irreversible electrochemical oxidations, where the corresponding redox potentials are governed by the substitution pattern of the nitrogen atom. Single‐crystal structural analyses of sodium and potassium derivatives revealed that these compounds exist as two‐ or three‐dimensional coordination polymers in the solid state, with the alkali‐metal ions adopting typical irregular coordination environments with coordination numbers of six or higher

Medical students’ challenges and suggestions regarding research training: a synthesis of comments from a cross-sectional survey

Background: We previously reported on a cross-sectional study of students from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University that found most respondents wanted more opportunities to participate in research. Students provided additional comments that we synthesized to enrich the findings of our quantitative analysis.   Methods: From our previously administered 13-item, online questionnaire, run across three campuses in Ontario, Canada, 498 of 618 medical students completed our survey and 360 (72%) provided optional written comments, which we synthesized using thematic analysis in this current study.  Results: Major themes that emerged were: (1) Active student participation to identify research opportunities and interested mentors are needed; (2) Types of research involvement; (3) Uncertainty whether research training translates into useable skills; (4) Desire for a formalized research curriculum and centralization of research opportunities across campuses.  Conclusion: Programs should stress to interested students the importance of actively looking for research opportunities and consider both large and small-group educational sessions

Desafíos y logros en el diseño de ayudas técnicas para PcD durante la ASPO

A principios de 2020 con el advenimiento a nivel mundial de la Pandemia por el COVID-19 y la posterior aplicación de la ASPO a nivel Nacional, fue necesario establecer nuevos criterios de enseñanza para poder cumplir con los desarrollos que ya habían sido programados. Parte de esa reprogramación tuvo como protagonistas a los alumnos del 7° año de la Escuela de Educación Técnica N° 6 – Albert Thomas, tecnicatura electrónica, que realizan en la UIDET sus Prácticas Formativas Obligatorias (PFO). Estas PFO, requieren una carga horaria de 200 hs. anuales. En coordinación con los becarios, supervisores y colaboradores del espacio de extensión Mecatrónica, se programaron durante todo el año 2020 clases virtuales de modo de cumplir con las ideas y diseños previamente establecidos. En este contexto, se encararon dos proyectos bien definidos basados en la domótica los cuales cumplimentaron satisfactoriamente las etapas de investigación, desarrollo y simulación, dejando su implementación para más adelante, cuando se produzca el regreso a la presencialidad áulica.Facultad de Ingenierí

Autonomous on-board data processing and instrument calibration software for the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager on-board the Solar Orbiter mission

This is an open access article. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.A frequent problem arising for deep space missions is the discrepancy between the amount of data desired to be transmitted to the ground and the available telemetry bandwidth. A part of these data consists of scientific observations, being complemented by calibration data to help remove instrumental effects. We present our solution for this discrepancy, implemented for the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager on-board the Solar Orbiter mission, the first solar spectropolarimeter in deep space. We implemented an on-board data reduction system that processes calibration data, applies them to the raw science observables, and derives science-ready physical parameters. This process reduces the raw data for a single measurement from 24 images to five, thus reducing the amount of downlinked data, and in addition, renders the transmission of the calibration data unnecessary. Both these on-board actions are completed autonomously. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.This work was carried out in the framework of the International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research. Solar Orbiter is a mission led by the European Space Agency with contribution from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager instrument is supported by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) under grant Nos. 50 OT 1201 and 50 OT 1901. The Spanish contribution has been partly funded by the Spanish Research Agency under projects under grant Nos. ESP2016-77548-C5 and RTI2018-096886-B-C5, partially including European FEDER funds. IAA-CSIC members acknowledge and funds from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa” Program under grant No. SEV-2017-0709. The solar data used in the tests are the courtesy of NASA/SDO HMI science team. Parts of the work shown in this paper have been introduced at the SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation conference.42 EditorialPeer reviewe