The social impact of technology on millennials and consequences for higher education and leadership

Transforming the delivery of chiropractic education through the strategic integration of educational technology in a chiropractic college program

OBJECTIVE

Chiropractic institutions face the challenging quandary of how to prepare future doctors for entry into a society completely transformed by technology. At an increasing rate, the incoming student profile is representative of a digital generation with a high affinity for technology use. The aim of this study was 2-fold: (1) outline the basic elements of a technology integration program at our institution and (2) determine if a potential relationship exists between ongoing training and acceptance of such a programmatic shift among faculty and students.

METHODS

At each phase of technology integration, electronic survey instruments were deployed to participating students and faculty members. Survey instruments included question items assessed through Likert-type scales and open-ended questions to provide students and faculty members with a vehicle for providing specific feedback. To ensure anonymity of student and faculty survey respondents, the response collection source was a different department than the deployment of the survey emails. Participants were encouraged, but not required, to complete the surveys.

RESULTS

Analysis of survey responses generally found increases in overall participant satisfaction and acceptance of the technology integration with the provision of ongoing support systems.

CONCLUSION

As suggested in similar scholarship in the field, the results of this study underscored the value of support systems for faculty members and students in an academic community. The systems that provided ongoing training and other support mechanisms seemed more accepted when tailored to myriad skill levels. Creating a culture in which faculty members and students felt adequately supported fostered the acceptance necessary for forward momentum of a campus initiative of significant change.

Supporting participatory innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative study of enterprise social media use

Purpose

The need for accelerating innovation is exacerbated as organizations struggle to either adapt or perish in this unforgiving condition due to the COVID-19 disruption. To address this issue, many organizations have embraced employee-driven participatory innovation to survive and thrive albeit the uncertainties. This study aims to investigate the role of enterprise social media (ESM) in supporting and facilitating these efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

This study first identified the underlying mechanisms that allow ESM use to foster and maintain participatory innovation and then reexamined how these mechanisms played out during the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. The data was collected through a questionnaire in two phases, before and during work-from-home mandates, and the results were analyzed and compared to capture similarities and differences.

Findings

The results revealed that innovation culture and management support mediated the effects of ESM use on three measures of innovation productivity in both conditions. Interestingly, the effect of ESM use was more prominent in driving innovation in the work-from-home condition. This effect was not limited to the direct effect of ESM use on innovation productivity but on innovation culture and management support as well.

Originality/value

The results suggest that ESM offer a potentially useful path to support and enable employees to participate in the innovation processes, especially when they work remotely or in a distributed team. More generally, this paper should be of interest to researchers and practitioners interested in understanding, implementing and evaluating enterprise social software applications and encouraging employee-driven participatory innovation.

Deploying Efficiently Modern Applications on Cloud

This study analyses some of the leading technologies for the construction and configuration of IT infrastructures to provide services to users. For modern applications, guaranteeing service continuity even in very high computational load or network problems is essential. Our configuration has among the main objectives of being highly available (HA) and horizontally scalable, that is, able to increase the computational resources that can be delivered when needed and reduce them when they are no longer necessary. Various architectural possibilities are analysed, and the central schemes used to tackle problems of this type are also described in terms of disaster recovery. The benefits offered by virtualisation technologies are highlighted and are bought with modern techniques for managing Docker containers that will be used to build the back-end of a sample infrastructure related to a use-case we have developed. In addition to this, an in-depth analysis is reported on the central autoscaling policies that can help manage high loads of requests from users to the services provided by the infrastructure. The results we have presented show an average response time of 21.7 milliseconds with a standard deviation of 76.3 milliseconds showing excellent responsiveness. Some peaks are associated with high-stress events for the infrastructure, but the response time does not exceed 2 s even in this case. The results of the considered use case studied for nine months are presented and discussed. In the study period, we improved the back-end configuration and defined the main metrics to deploy the web application efficiently..

High-performance computing and computational intelligence applications with a multi-chaos perspective

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated many chaotic processes in modern society, has highlighted in a very serious and urgent way the need to understand complex processes in order to achieve the common well-being. Modern high performance computing technologies, quantum computing, computational intelligence are shown to be extremely efficient and useful in safeguarding the fate of mankind. These technologies are the state-of-the-art of IT evolution and are fundamental to be competitive and efficient today. If a company is familiar with these techniques and technologies, it will be able to deal with any unexpected and complicated scenarios more efficiently and effectively. The main contribution of our work is a set of best practices and case studies that can help the researcher address computationally complex problems. We offer a range of software technologies, from high performance computing to machine learning and quantum computing, which represent today the state-of-the-art to deal with extremely complex computational issues, driven by chaotic events and not easily predictable. In this chapter we analyze the different technologies and applications that will lead mankind to overcome this difficult moment as well as to understand more and more deeply the profound aspects of very complex phenomena. In this environment of rising complexity, in terms of technology, algorithms, and changing lifestyles, it is critical to emphasize the importance of achieving maximum efficiency and outcomes while protecting the integrity of everyone's personal data and respecting the human being as a whole.

Pharmacy Students' Perceptions and Attitudes towards Online Education during COVID-19 Lockdown in Saudi Arabia

In March 2020, a national lockdown in Saudi Arabia due to the pandemic forced all educational institutions to complete their academic year via online education. This study aims to explore pharmacy students’ perceptions and assess their attitude towards online education during the lockdown. A cross-sectional self-administered survey was designed to collect responses of pharmacy students (from one college of pharmacy in Saudi Arabia) from December 2020 through January 2021. A total of 241 students completed the survey. Students’ responses indicated that they had easy access to the technology, online skills, motivation and overall favorable acceptance for online learning and examinations. There was a significant difference in the mean scores between the students from different years of study (p = 0.013) related to technology access, and the male students were in significantly more favor of online examinations than female students (p = 0.009). The majority of the students indicated that the lockdown had no or negative impact on their learning and training. Students have general acceptance for online education delivery due to more technology access and online skills. More research should explore the factors affecting and the extent of the impact of online education on student learning and training.

Exploring the attitudes of Millennials and Generation Xers toward ridesourcing services

This paper presents a study investigating the potential market of ridesourcing services, with a focus on the attitudinal and preferential differences between Millennials and Generation Xers. Data obtained from a stated preference survey were utilized, where the respondents were asked to choose between a conventional mode (private vehicle driver, transit, or private vehicle passenger) and ridesourcing modes (exclusive ride and shared ride). Error component nested logit models were developed for Generation Xers and Millennials, respectively. Latent attitudes derived through factor analysis were incorporated into models. A wide range of attitudinal indicators, including general mobility attitudes, perceived benefits and concerns of shared mobility services, reasons for or against owning a car, reasons for ridings Autonomous Vehicles (AV), and the most desired AV features were considered to extract latent attitudes. Model results indicated distinct mode choice behavior between Millennials and Generation Xers. For Generation Xers, the choice to switch to ridesourcing was highly dependent on the perceived time and cost benefits of shared mobility. On the other hand, Millennials' choices were more likely to be influenced by their attitudes or desire toward technology, on-demand services, and driving stress relief. Interestingly, the joy of driving showed a negative impact on Millennials' use of shared-ride services only. The findings from this study provide a more in-depth understanding of the distinct behavior of Generation Xers and Millennials toward shared mobility services, which could help develop strategies and policies to focus more effectively on the needs and concerns of individuals based on their characteristics and attitudes and help promote sustainable transportation system.

To share or not to share - The underlying motives of sharing fake news amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia

This study investigates the underlying motives for online fake news sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented time that witnessed a spike in the spread of false content. Motives were identified based on a fake news sharing model developed using the SocioCultural-Psychological-Technology (SCulPT) model, Uses and Gratification (U&G) theory and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and further extended using fake news predictors/gratifications from past studies. A self-administered survey resulted in 869 online Malaysian respondents aged between 18 and 59 years old (Mean = 22.6, Standard deviation = 6.13). Structured equation modelling revealed the fake news sharing model to collectively account for 49.2 % of the variance, with Altruism (β = 0.333; p < 0.001), Ignorance (β = 0.165; p < 0.001) and Entertainment (β = 0.139; p < 0.001) significantly predicting the behaviour. Conversely, Availability/Effort, Pass Time and Fear of Missing Out were found to be insignificant. Our findings indicate that fake news sharing behavior is determined by different motives, hence these need to be understood in order to develop better solutions to mitigate this problem.

Development of an organizational coolness concept from an examination of millennial perceptions of cool and uncool employer organizations

Purpose

Considering the growing prominence of millennials in the workforce, the current work explores the idea of cool employers as perceived, particularly by millennials.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing a mixed methods approach, the authors explore the polar concepts of cool and uncool potential employing organizations through a two-phase study that examined millennial's and nonmillennials’ perceptions of the components that constitute a cool or uncool organization to work.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate a difference between millennial and nonmillennial perceptions regarding the characteristics of a cool or uncool employing organization. Additionally, the authors discuss the dimensions of the cool and uncool organization concepts as perceived by millennials in the context of pertinent organizational theory.

Originality/value

Based upon the tenets of attraction–selection–attrition (ASA) theory and social identity theories, an organizational coolness concept is developed.

Emotional Performance of a Low-Cost Eco-Friendly Project Based Learning Methodology for Science Education: An Approach in Prospective Teachers

Enhancing the emotional dimension of prospective teachers in science subjects—which has become increasingly important in recent decades—is a responsibility of higher education institutions. The implementation of active methodologies has the potential to modify the traditional student-teacher roles that are encouraged by the educational policies implemented in the Bologna Process. Simultaneously, it is possible to promote knowledge of sustainability, as well as the attitudes and behaviors required by UNESCO. The main aim of this work is to describe a project-based learning methodology with a transversal sustainability approach (low-cost and eco-friendly) and to introduce this as a potential resource for the emotional and cognitive improvement of 19 prospective primary teachers enrolled in scientific subjects. This is a qualitative study in the context of a research line focused on higher education for sustainable development. A questionnaire was designed and filled in by students at two different stages, before and after implementation of the activity. The initial feedback from students was surprisingly enthusiastic due to the fact that they were working with rockets, despite this not being considered a common emotion expressed by students in science lessons. The results show the emotional improvement of prospective teachers after implementation of the activity. It is concluded that a good science education, with implementation of sustainable approaches is necessary during the training of teachers, taking into account their emotional dimensions and social repercussions as a consequence of future transmission.

What just happened? Impact of on-campus activities suspension on pharmacy education during COVID-19 lockdown - A students' perspective

Introduction

COVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown, suspending all on-campus educational activities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), compelling to continue the education online. We explored pharmacy students' perspective on its impact on their learning.

Methods

A Twitter chat was organized on three consecutive days, after final examinations, inviting all pharmacy students in KSA to participate. Day 1 chat included 11 questions regarding learning and assessment, Day 2 chat included six questions about online examinations and six questions about technology use, Day 3 chat included six questions related to lessons learnt from the learning experiences during the lockdown. The questions were validated and piloted before the chat. The responses were copied, reviewed to remove any confidential information, and thematically analyzed by two teams of research students independently.

Results

During the three-day chat, 790 responses were received in total. Thematic analysis generated 944 codes which were categorized into 43 subthemes. These subthemes were further categorized into six main themes: 'facilitators for online education', 'barriers for online education', 'online versus onsite education', 'role of technology in online education', 'suggestions for improving online education' and 'long-term impact of online education during lockdown'. Participants highlighted several facilitators and barriers which affected their education during the lockdown, compared online education with onsite education, and provided suggestions for improving online education based on their learning experiences during the lockdown.

Conclusion

As COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions are expected to last longer, pharmacy colleges and academic staff will find these findings useful to prepare for the coming years, ensuring pedagogical and accreditation standards.

The practice of online assessment in an EFL context amidst COVID-19 pandemic: views from teachers

For many years, technology has been applied to improve the quality of language learning and teaching. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the integration of technology in different language learning contexts. The sudden shift to online teaching faced educators with an array of challenges they had not experienced before. In particular, the teachers encountered many barriers with the online assessment of the students. To shed more light on what passed, following a qualitative mode of inquiry, the present study set out to find out how a group of 20 Iranian English language teachers at Persian Gulf University faced with the online assessment challenges posed by COVID-19. For this aim, the researchers conducted in-depth semi-structured retrospective interviews with the teachers at different times throughout the course. In addition, the teachers were asked to provide a narrative account of how they responded to the crisis. The analysis of the findings showed that after the shift to online assessment, the teachers initially faced with serious pedagogical, technical, administrative, and affective barriers, but as the course proceeded, they could adjust their practice with the new situation. However, the teachers recounted problems that still remained and negatively affected their practice. Overall, the study discusses that to improve the online assessment in the post-COVID-19 era several technological, pedagogical, and administrative measures should be taken into account. These would further improve the integration of the technology in the pedagogical context in the long run.

DigiCraft: A Pedagogical Innovative Proposal for the Development of the Digital Competence in Vulnerable Children

The integration of citizens in the society of information and knowledge is a pillar in social cohesiveness. The digital gap, a direct consequence of socioeconomic inequality among citizens enables e-exclusion, which is a new way of social exclusion that excludes people from different economic, social and economic backgrounds out of the society of information and knowledge. The aim of this paper is to present an educational programme lead by the Foundation Vodafone Spain with the assessment of educators and experts at university. The objective is focused on the development of the digital competence centred on vulnerable childhood. This program uses a method based on learning-by-doing and the “maker” movement. The majority of educators who have participated have underlined that children have improved their digital competence and also some transversal competencies and have defined it as an innovative and creative programme. DigiCraft contributes to the acquisition and development of digital competence from a social perspective. The proposal avoids discrimination of children depending on their sociable heterogeneous factors in their education.

Are Cooperatives an Employment Option? A Job Preference Study of Millennial University Students

Millennials represent the most important group among the working age population. Destined to be the leaders of the future, their professional and personal profiles differ considerably from previous generations. Despite being considered as the most successful generation, millennials face a societal transformation and a labor reality marked by high levels of unemployment and underemployment that shape their career choice. Although millennials’ and university students’ job preferences have long been debated in the literature, some research gaps remain. Studies rarely consider the interplay between individuals’ profiles and the institutional form of business, particularly cooperative versus non cooperative options. To predict the compatibility between Millennials’ profiles and the cooperative job preference, a multinomial logit model is developed based on a survey of millennial business college students. Our key findings showed that some extrinsic issues are related to cooperative job preference, however the factor that has the most significant impact is the cooperative knowledge. This has important implications for the cooperative movement and for policy makers in charge of cooperative development.

Green Marketing as a Part of the Socially Responsible Brand’s Communication from the Aspect of Generational Stratification

Green marketing is focused on a responsible approach to the environment, which is integrated into various areas of society. In order to build a successful and socially responsible brand, it strives to apply environmental principles that attract new customers or strengthen the loyalty of existing ones. To ensure success, it is necessary to focus on green marketing as a part of socially responsible brands’ communication to individual target groups, which can be divided according to the age of the consumer generations, which have similar requirements for product characteristics. The main aim of the paper is to determine the differences between generational cohorts of Slovak consumers in perception of green marketing as part of socially responsible brands’ communication. The most important sources for secondary data were scientific research, statistical databases, and published professional publications. In order to find out the perception of green marketing as a part of socially responsible brands’ communication from the aspect of generational stratification, a questionnaire survey was conducted among Slovak consumers. Based on the analysis and results of the questionnaire survey, benefits of green marketing as part of socially responsible brands’ communication focused on individual consumers’ generations are highlighted, such as gaining competitive advantage, increasing the brand value, improving brand loyalty, and increasing the attractiveness for investors.

Symposium review: Considerations for the future of dairy cattle housing: An animal welfare perspective

Many contemporary dairy cattle housing practices are at odds with societal perceptions of positive animal welfare. The public (i.e., those external to the dairy industry) typically emphasizes the importance of naturalness for dairy cattle, such as through provision of pasture, freedom of movement, and the ability to interact socially with conspecifics. Yet, in the United States, the majority of lactating dairy cattle are reportedly housed without any access to pasture, and almost 39% of dairy farms use tiestalls, which restrict movement and social interactions. In addition to being in conflict with public expectations, a lack of pasture access and restrictive housing systems are also in conflict with the animals' own motivations, which can adversely affect their welfare. For example, dairy cattle are highly motivated to access pasture and show a reduction in oral stereotypies when allowed on pasture after periods of tethering. Calves housed without social contact have cognitive deficits and exhibit increased fear responses to novelty. We argue that the long-term sustainability of the dairy industry will depend on the extent to which housing systems reflect public concerns and the animals' priorities. The adoption of technologies, such as automated feeders and remote monitoring systems, may represent a means to practically promote the animals' natural behavior while simultaneously improving individualized care. Although older generations of the public may consider technological solutions to be a further deviation from naturalness and a departure from dairy farming's agrarian roots, the definition of "naturalness" for younger generations may well have expanded to include technology. As the buying power shifts to these younger generations, the adoption of technologies that promote natural cattle behaviors may be one means toward reconciling the disconnect between public perceptions of animal welfare and contemporary dairy farming practices.

Higher Education Students Perspective on Education Management Information Systems

As higher education evolves into a multifaceted and complex activity, the incorporation of education management information systems (EMIS) that allows for the production of relevant, organized and structured information, becomes a necessity for both institutions and students. Despite the recognition of this requirement, existing literature does not focus on how EMIS might trigger students' success. With this in mind, an initial proposal of a multi-perspective EMIS success model is presented and a validation on the possible existence of linear correlations between the model contexts is described. Moderate correlations have been detected between the majority of the model contexts and a very strong correlation has been detected between students' satisfaction and the arise of net benefits associated with the use of EMIS.

The Higher Education Sustainability through Virtual Laboratories: The Spanish University as Case of Study

Education has been integrated into the globalization process supported by technological advances such as e-learning. The sustainability of the universities is one of the key points of the university survival, and they strongly depend on the number of students that can enroll in them. Thus, many of the educational institutions have had to develop their curricula based on the use new technologies. Without a doubt, virtual laboratories are the latest technology in this regard. The objective of this work is to determine which are the main institutions and research trends in relation to virtual laboratories. The methodology followed in this research was to perform a bibliometric analysis of the whole scientific production indexed in Scopus. The world’s scientific production has been analysed in the following domains: first the trend over time, types of publications and countries, second the main subjects and keywords, third main institutions and their main topics, and fourth the main journals and proceedings that publish on this topic. After that, a case study was analysed in detailed as a representative country (Spain). The most productive institution in this field, Universidad de Educación a Distancia (UNED). If the ranking is established by average citations per published paper, the first three institutions are from the USA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Washington (Seattle), and Carnegie Mellon University. The scientific categories at world level and in the case of study are similar. First, there is the field of engineering followed by computer science and above all it highlights the wide spectrum of branches of knowledge in which this topic is published, which indicates the great acceptance of this teaching methodology in all fields of education. Finally, community detection has been applied to the case study and six clusters have been found: Virtual Reality, Users, E-learning, Programming, Automatic-robotics, Computer Simulation and Engineering Education. As a main conclusion, bibliographic analysis confirms that research in virtual laboratories is a very active field, where scientific productivity has exponentially increased over recent years in tandem with universities growth. Therefore, expectations are high in this field for the near future. The possibility of virtual laboratories opens up new perspectives for higher education sustainability, where the educational policies of countries could be reoriented.