Organizational Communication: Perceptions of Staff Members’ Level of Communication Satisfaction and Job Satisfaction

The purpose of this research study was to explore the topic of organizational communication in higher education and examine staff members’ perceptions about their level of communication and job satisfaction in their workplaces. This study was also designed to test the relationship between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction by analyzing the significance of different dimensions of Communication Satisfaction with the view that satisfaction is multifaceted. A total of 463 non-faculty staff members from different units of a single higher education institution participated in this study. This study included non-teaching staff, including student workers and both full-time and part-time staff members. A modified version of Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) developed by Downs and Hazen was used to collect data. The study used a Likert-type scale with a 7-point scale and had eight dimensions (personal feedback, relationship to supervisors, horizontal and informal communication, organizational integration, organizational perspective, communication climate, media quality, and job satisfaction). The statistical analyses of the data from eight research questions revealed some significant relationships and differences. The results found that staff members perceived their level of satisfaction with communication satisfaction dimensions personal feedback, relationship to supervisors, horizontal and informal communication, organizational integration, and media quality from somewhat satisfied to satisfied, and communication satisfaction dimensions organizational perspective and communication climate as somewhat satisfied. The results found significant differences among different dimensions of CSQ, indicating that communication satisfaction is multi-faceted. The staff members perceived their level of job satisfaction to be among somewhat satisfied to satisfied range. The results indicated that gender and number of years in service do not seem to make a significant difference among staff members’ level of satisfaction, but level of education and job classification does. There were strong positive relations found among all dimensions of CSQ. A strong positive relationship and statistically significant correlation was found between overall communication satisfaction and job satisfaction scores, indicating that when staff members feel satisfied with communication in their workplace, they also tend to feel satisfied with their job in their workplace

Triclosan Photolysis Facilitated by Polyethylene Microplastics; A Look into Surface Area

Plastic debris in natural water can absorb persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and catalyze their transformation to other molecules. This study aims to determine how the surface area of plastic affects the rate of POP photolysis. Photolysis reactions of triclosan and methyl triclosan are being carried out in the presence of polyethylene particles ranging from 5 to 925 um in diameter and sheet plastic with a surface area of at least 10mm, which displays the highest degree of photolysis. The results will provide insight into plastic surface interactions and energy sharing with adsorbed molecules

Someone to talk to: Using automated characters to support simulated learning activities

The University of the West of England (UWE) has a large number of students who will pursue subsequent careers in a wide range of professional fields such as engineering, law, business, nursing, teaching, psychology, criminology and design. An important part of that education is the ability to relate theory to practice (Barrett 2011), and developments in technology over the past years have now created opportunities to enable students to experience simulations of events and situations that are difficult, unethical or impossible to organise in the real world, before they put their skills into practice in the real world (Newland 2008). Virtual worlds are proving to be popular and effective environments at UWE for simulations of a range of experiences, such as accident investigations, risk assessments, business ethics cases, psychotherapy practice and sociological experiments. However, as the number of students undertaking these simulations increases, so the call on tutor time will significantly increase. These simulations require to be scalable, to enable their potential for study by large cohorts of students. This year we have experimented with automated non-player characters, also known as “bots,” to enable students to undertake some dialogue during the simulated scenarios without the need for a number of tutors to be available to take particular roles. The bots are currently unsophisticated keyword recognition systems, but even these have proven to have some value in two of the simulations; the accident investigation and the risk assessment, where students were able to gather information from characters they could “talk” to, making more realistic the experience of exploring the environment where the simulations were taking place. This paper discusses the results of student feedback, evaluations of these simulations and prototype development for the next generation bots that we want to implement in future learning simulations based on the findings of the evaluations

Citizens’ Juries: When Older Adults Deliberate on the Benefits and Risks of Smart Health and Smart Homes

open access articleBackground: Technology-enabled healthcare or smart health has provided a wealth of products and services to enable older people to monitor and manage their own health conditions at home, thereby maintaining independence, whilst also reducing healthcare costs. However, despite the growing ubiquity of smart health, innovations are often technically driven, and the older user does not often have input into design. The purpose of the current study was to facilitate a debate about the positive and negative perceptions and attitudes towards digital health technologies. Methods: We conducted citizens’ juries to enable a deliberative inquiry into the benefits and risks of smart health technologies and systems. Transcriptions of group discussions were interpreted from a perspective of life-worlds versus systems-worlds. Results: Twenty-three participants of diverse demographics contributed to the debate. Views of older people were felt to be frequently ignored by organisations implementing systems and technologies. Participants demonstrated diverse levels of digital literacy and a range of concerns about misuse of technology. Conclusion: Our interpretation contrasted the life-world of experiences, hopes, and fears with the systems-world of surveillance, e ciencies, and risks. This interpretation o ers new perspectives on involving older people in co-design and governance of smart health and smart homes

Proyecto de investigación pedagógico: implementación de la estrategia de aprendizaje con canciones en inglés.

Fotos, videos.En esta investigación podremos abordaremos la implementación de la música como estrategia de aprendizaje en un colegio rural, específicamente en el grado preescolar donde analizaremos las diferentes ventajas y dificultades del aprendizaje del vocabulario en inglés con canciones como estrategia de aprendizaje en edad temprana, es en esta edad donde los niños tienen la capacidad cognitiva de memorizar a través de la enseñanza oral y de una manera más rápida, es por esto que se escoge esta población como muestra para el análisis cualitativo en el ejercicio de la investigación sobre la pregunta problema ¿Qué impacto tiene la implementación de canciones para la adquisición de vocabulario en inglés como estrategia de aprendizaje en estudiantes de preescolar del colegio Gimnasio Americano Emmanuel?, se realiza un plan de trabajo para implementarse en tres actividades; cada actividad se implementa en 3 clases con una intensidad de 1 hora por clase, el tema que se implementa es el de My Family, se espera que al final los niños aprendan y reconozcan en el uso del vocabulario en inglés con las canciones que se implementa para evaluar y reconocer la estrategia de aprendizaje con canciones.In this research we will be able to address the implementation of music as a learning strategy in a rural school, specifically in the preschool grade where we will analyze the different advantages and difficulties of learning English vocabulary with songs as a learning strategy at an early age, it is in this age where children have the cognitive ability to memorize through oral teaching and in a faster way, that is why this population is chosen as a sample for qualitative analysis in the exercise of research on the problem question What impact Has the implementation of songs for the acquisition of vocabulary in English as a learning strategy in preschool students of the American Gymnasium Emmanuel school? a work plan is carried out to be implemented in three activities; each activity is implemented in 3 classes with an intensity of 1 hour to class, the theme that is implemented is My Family, it is expected that in the end the children learn and recognize the use of vocabulary in English with the songs that are implemented to evaluate and recognize the learning strategy with songs

Influencia de la atención y la memoria en los procesos de enseñanza aprendizaje en los estudiantes de preescolar del centro de desarrollo infantil Jardín Salas Cunas Medellin Gota de Leche

El proyecto de investigación está orientado a identificar qué elementos intervienen para que los niños y niñas de 5 a 6 años, manifiesten inseguridad y falta de atención al momento de realizar actividades pedagógicas en el aula. Esto se llevó a cabo en el jardín salas cunas Medellín gota de leche, especialmente en el grupo de transición, en el cual se identificó poco interés por atender y comprender aspectos importantes en diversos momentos pedagógicos, se realizó una serie de estrategias para fortalecer estos aspectos a través de una metodología dinamizadora, promoviendo mejores resultados en las maestras, padres de familia y niños; es aquí en donde se propicia un ambiente más lúdico y dinámico para que los niños y niñas interactúen con los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, permitiendo fortalecer la timidez, atención e independencia en los niños y niñas

Influencia de la atención y la memoria en los procesos de enseñanza aprendizaje en los estudiantes de preescolar del centro de desarrollo infantil Jardín Salas Cunas Medellin Gota de Leche

El proyecto de investigación está orientado a identificar qué elementos intervienen para que los niños y niñas de 5 a 6 años, manifiesten inseguridad y falta de atención al momento de realizar actividades pedagógicas en el aula. Esto se llevó a cabo en el jardín salas cunas Medellín gota de leche, especialmente en el grupo de transición, en el cual se identificó poco interés por atender y comprender aspectos importantes en diversos momentos pedagógicos, se realizó una serie de estrategias para fortalecer estos aspectos a través de una metodología dinamizadora, promoviendo mejores resultados en las maestras, padres de familia y niños; es aquí en donde se propicia un ambiente más lúdico y dinámico para que los niños y niñas interactúen con los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, permitiendo fortalecer la timidez, atención e independencia en los niños y niñas

A comparison of presentation methods for conducting youth juries

The 5Rights Youth Juries are an educational intervention to promote digital literacy by engaging participants (i.e. jurors) in a deliberative discussion around their digital rights. The main objective of these jury-styled focus groups is to encourage children and young people to identify online concerns and solutions with a view to developing recommendations for government policy-makers and industry chiefs. The methodology included a series of dramatized scenarios that encourage jurors to deliberate about their digital rights. This paper compares two formats for these scenarios: live actors and professionally recorded and edited videos of the same actors. Results failed to show any major differences between formats indicating the cost-effectiveness of the video-recorded format and the possibility for others to run the 5Rights Youth Juries with the support of an online open educational resource

Carbon Free Boston: Social equity report 2019

OVERVIEW: In January 2019, the Boston Green Ribbon Commission released its Carbon Free Boston: Summary Report, identifying potential options for the City of Boston to meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The report found that reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 requires three mutually-reinforcing strategies in key sectors: 1) deepen energy efficiency while reducing energy demand, 2) electrify activity to the fullest practical extent, and 3) use fuels and electricity that are 100 percent free of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The Summary Report detailed the ways in which these technical strategies will transform Boston’s physical infrastructure, including its buildings, energy supply, transportation, and waste management systems. The Summary Report also highlighted that it is how these strategies are designed and implemented that matter most in ensuring an effective and equitable transition to carbon neutrality. Equity concerns exist for every option the City has to reduce GHG emissions. The services provided by each sector are not experienced equally across Boston’s communities. Low-income families and families of color are more likely to live in residences that are in poor physical condition, leading to high utility bills, unsafe and unhealthy indoor environments, and high GHG emissions.1 Those same families face greater exposure to harmful outdoor air pollution compared to others. The access and reliability of public transportation is disproportionately worse in neighborhoods with large populations of people of color, and large swaths of vulnerable neighborhoods, from East Boston to Mattapan, do not have ready access to the city’s bike network. Income inequality is a growing national issue and is particularly acute in Boston, which consistently ranks among the highest US cities in regards to income disparities. With the release of Imagine Boston 2030, Mayor Walsh committed to make Boston more equitable, affordable, connected, and resilient. The Summary Report outlined the broad strokes of how action to reach carbon neutrality intersects with equity. A just transition to carbon neutrality improves environmental quality for all Bostonians, prioritizes socially vulnerable populations, seeks to redress current and past injustice, and creates economic and social opportunities for all. This Carbon Free Boston: Social Equity Report provides a deeper equity context for Carbon Free Boston as a whole, and for each strategy area, by demonstrating how inequitable and unjust the playing field is for socially vulnerable Bostonians and why equity must be integrated into policy design and implementation. This report summarizes the current landscape of climate action work for each strategy area and evaluates how it currently impacts inequity. Finally, this report provides guidance to the City and partners on how to do better; it lays out the attributes of an equitable approach to carbon neutrality, framed around three guiding principles: 1) plan carefully to avoid unintended consequences, 2) be intentional in design through a clear equity lens, and 3) practice inclusivity from start to finish

An exploration of how trust online relates to psychological and subjective wellbeing

Internet users often report feelings of stress, anxiety, and a lack of control, often related to uncertainty about the use of algorithms and autonomous systems (AS) behind what they encounter. This may lead to a loss of trust in the services, content, and websites people encounter online. In order to ensure that the online world contributes to human flourishing, it is important to understand how both trust and wellbeing manifest online. This paper describes an online questionnaire exploring the relationships between factors related to trust and psychological and subjective wellbeing, as well as online activity and digital confidence. Results suggest that trust is important to people online but in practice is quite low, and that positive measures of wellbeing outweigh the negative, but more could be done to design AS in a responsible, trustworthy, and wellbeing-affirming manner, particularly considering ways to enhance human autonomy and competence. Suggestions are made for how designers might consider trust and wellbeing when approaching the creation and presentation of online AS