Abstract
The integration of informal information and communication technologies (ICTs) has transformed social work practice, yet the use of ICTs in practice is not commonly discussed in supervision. ...The aim of this sequential mixed methods study was to understand the factors associated with social workers’ discussion of informal ICT use in supervision, and the considerations that influence these discussions. A logistic regression was conducted using data from Canadian #socialwork survey participants in organisational settings (n = 958). Quantitative findings were integrated with the qualitative findings from a reflexive thematic analysis of participant interviews (n = 22), some of which occurred during and were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on our integrated findings, supervisory ICT discussion was highly dependent on organisational policy and supervisors’ interpretation of these policies. The setting in which the survey participants worked was also associated with ICT discussion in supervision. In making their decisions to discuss ICT use, interview participants further highlighted the importance of the supervisory relationship based on supervisor qualities and availability.
Building on research of psychosocial maturity and self-determination theory, we introduced and investigated the concept of digital maturity as a novel view on young people's digital technology use. ...We conceptualized digital maturity as the self-determined use of digital technologies supporting psychological growth and well-being while shielding potential threats and considering needs of the social environment. To measure digital maturity, we developed the Digital Maturity Inventory (DIMI). In Study 1 (N = 390, age 12–18), we developed and selected items for the ten dimensions based on an exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2 (N = 558, age 12–18), we examined the scale's factor structure and internal consistency using confirmatory factor analysis, and tested the convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity. The results confirmed that digital maturity is linked to personality maturity (agreeableness, conscientiousness, negative emotionality), and a hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed the unique influence of digital maturity in predicting problematic mobile device use beyond individual differences in personality, age, and amount of mobile device use.
•Introduction of digital maturity as a comprehensive view on digital technology use.•Digital maturity as self-determined digital technology use supporting psychological growth and social adjustment.•Consideration of benefits and threats for the user and the social environment.•Development and validation of the Digital Maturity Inventory (DIMI).•Results show that digital maturity predicts problematic device use beyond individual differences in personality.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have become increasingly important in modern society and are poised to play an increasingly prominent role in education. This paper seeks to provide ...a theoretical framework for interrogating the integration of AI in education spaces. The paper argues that the eventual response of educators to recent developments in artificial intelligence is eerily like the earlier cycles of integrating ICT in education and, decades earlier, calculators into mathematics instruction. Premised on the argument that there are similarities between the calculator revolution in mathematics education and the ICT revolution in education several decades ago and the current ongoing developments in artificial intelligence, this paper offers a theoretical lens. The theoretical lens is composed of the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, Technology Acceptance Model, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Socio-technical system theory, and Diffusion of Innovation theory. The paper concludes that despite spatial differences between the ICT revolution and the artificial intelligence revolution, there are shared similarities warranting adoption of a similar theoretical lens. Furthermore, factors that were considered pivotal in the integration of ICT are still relevant to the revolution of artificial intelligence.
Digital maturity describes the self-determined use of digital technologies to support psychological growth and social adjustment and has been associated with reduced negative mobile device use. ...However, the relationships between digital maturity and a goal-directed use of technology (i.e., instrumental use) and well-being remain poorly understood. We conducted two studies (Ntotal = 641, age 12–18) with parent-adolescent dyads in Austria and Germany and investigated the associations of digital maturity with instrumental device use, indicators of well-being (life satisfaction, positive affect, psychological richness), and ill-being (negative affect, psychological distress), as well as the mediating role of psychological need satisfaction and frustration using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed that digital maturity is linked to instrumental device use. In addition, we found that digital maturity is positively associated with well-being and negatively with ill-being, partially mediated through psychological need satisfaction and frustration. The results indicate that a self-determined use of digital technologies (i.e., digital maturity) may support well-being while shielding against threats and dangers to well-being, and that psychological need satisfaction and frustration are important mechanisms of these relationships.
•Digital maturity defined as self-determined use of digital technology.•Examined how digital maturity correlates with instrumental device use and well-being in two studies (N = 641).•Digital maturity was found to be positively related to well-being and inversely related to ill-being in adolescents.•Psychological need satisfaction and frustration mediated these relationships.•The findings highlight the role of digital maturity in promoting well-being and reducing potential digital threats.
The contemporary health workforce has a professional responsibility to maintain competency in practice. However, some difficulties exist with access to ongoing professional development opportunities, ...particularly for staff in rural and remote areas and those not enrolled in a formal programme of study. E-learning is at the nexus of overcoming these challenges. The benefits of e-learning have been reported in terms of increased accessibility to education, improved self-efficacy, knowledge generation, cost effectiveness, learner flexibility and interactivity. What is less clear, is whether improved self-efficacy or knowledge gained through e-learning influences healthcare professional behaviour or skill development, whether these changes are sustained, and whether these changes improve patient outcomes.
To identify, appraise and synthesise the best available evidence for the effectiveness of e-learning programmes on health care professional behaviour and patient outcomes.
A systematic review of randomised controlled trials was conducted to assess the effectiveness of e-learning programmes on clinician behaviour and patient outcomes. Electronic databases including CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, MEDLINE, Mosby's Index, Scopus and Cochrane – CENTRAL were searched in July 2014 and again in July 2015.
Studies were reviewed and data extracted by two independent reviewers using the Joanna Briggs Institute standardised critical appraisal and data extraction instruments.
Seven trials met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. Due to substantial instructional design, subject matter, study population, and methodological variation between the identified studies, statistical pooling was not possible and a meta-analysis could not be performed. Consequently, the findings of this systematic review are presented as a narrative review.
The results suggest that e-learning was at least as effective as traditional learning approaches, and superior to no instruction at all in improving health care professional behaviour. There was variation in behavioural outcomes depending on the skill being taught, and the learning approach utilised. No papers were identified that reported the effectiveness of an e-learning programme on patient outcomes.
This review found insufficient evidence regarding the effectiveness of e-learning on healthcare professional behaviour or patient outcomes, consequently further research in this area is warranted. Future randomised controlled trials should adhere to the CONSORT reporting guidelines in order to improve the quality of reporting, to allow evaluation of the effectiveness of e-learning programmes on healthcare professional behaviour and patient outcomes.
Although information and communication technology (ICT) has a radical impact on people's everyday lives, bringing new social experiences and new ways for people to interact, there is still a large ...difference in social behaviour in this area between people in different age groups. Online social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. are becoming increasingly important social media, but people aged 50 years and over use these resources at lower rates than those in younger age groups. In this paper we aim to investigate the factors affecting the use of online social networks by active older Internet users in Slovenia. Additionally, we address how often, and to what extent, active older Internet users are engaged in using ICT. A research study is presented that was conducted among active older Internet users, on the basis of a non-standardised research questionnaire. Collected data were analysed with basic descriptive, univariate and multivariate statistical methods, followed by induction of a decision tree using the WEKA (Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis) 3.7 programming environment. Research findings revealed that female participants are more familiar with the term 'online social network' and are also more frequent users, compared to male participants. Additionally, the results showed that age, gender and education seem to be the most important factors having a direct or indirect impact on the use of online social networks by active older Internet users.
•We analyse attitudes of active older Internet users toward online social networking and factors affecting their use.•Findings give insight in actual knowledge of active older Internet users about the online social networks.•Age, gender and education are the most important factors affecting the use of online social networks.•Use of online social networks is positively correlated to Skype use.•Active older Internet users use online social networks to maintain social relationships and to prevent loneliness.
This study addresses a gap in research by investigating the role of the Blackboard platform in information communication technology based (ICT-based) language education, particularly among Chinese ...master’s students in the UK. Aiming to enhance the proficiency of Blackboard utilization, the research involved 54 postgraduate students, utilizing questionnaires and interviews to gather data. The findings reveal a positive impact on English language learning, emphasizing improvements in listening (β = 0.180), reading (β = 0.151) and interaction (β = 0.130). This research contributes to the understanding of the efficacy of Blackboard in foreign language education, offering insights for both educators and learners.
The Covid 19 pandemic has had an impact on various life settings. One of them is in educational institutions. The application of New Normal with its social distancing has made learning carried out ...remotely. The implementation of distance learning in schools needs an innovation through the use of Information and Communication Technology in learning. There are several Information and Communication Technology media that can be used in learning including computers and the internet. Teachers can design subject matter using computers. Then the material that has been designed is delivered to students via the internet network. Currently, there are many social media that support distance learning. SDIT Cahaya Hati has also conducted distance learning. Teachers need to prepare distance learning material in advance before it is delivered to students. This study aims to reveal the use of Information and Communication Technology by SDIT Cahaya Hati teachers in distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The type of this research is qualitative with interview data collection techniques, and documentation. The results show that the Cahaya Hati SDIT teachers have organized distance learning using Information and Communication Technology media. SDIT Cahaya Hati teachers use computers to make learning materials in the form of power points and learning videos. This material is delivered to students using the internet network through a WhatsApp group. Every day the teacher evaluates the learning and once a week the assignment is handed over to the teacher at school
As the usage of information and communication technology (ICT) solution have been exploded in the last decades, the research community exhibits a deficiency in terms of methodologies for accurately ...quantifying the energy consumption of individual ICT components. This paper presents a novel methodology aimed at addressing the existing research gap by offering a comprehensive analysis of energy consumption ranges for ICT components, measured in Watt. The methodology being proposed involves the classification of ICT components into distinct classes, namely sensors, gateways, servers-platforms, and databases, while these classes are further subdivided into sub-classes. The calculation of energy consumption places emphasis on particular components within each sub-class, encompassing CPUs, RAM, GPUs, hard drives, network switches, cooling systems, and communication units. Compared with existing green ICT standards where mainly focused on strategy-related recommendations, the methodology utilises manufacturers’ specifications for standard operational procedures in order to compute energy consumption. The objective of the methodology is to extend the current research and provide countable energy consumption attributes of various component types, that are used in the ICT architecture, supporting the decision-making process of architects regarding environmentally sustainable and high-performance device selection. This study concludes with the development of a tree diagram for calculating the energy consumption of an ICT system.
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