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In production companies, managers frequently deal with inefficiencies caused by employees learning about new tasks with a considerable delay. The paper focuses on solving the lack of real-time interaction in currently used task administration systems by means of an ICT solution. The main causes of the inefficiencies consist in insufficient real-time information on the sides of both workers and managers. Employees view updates in the information system randomly, thus increasing unnecessary periods of idle time, while their superiors are not fully informed about the status of tasks in progress and about current workload of individual workers. The presented ICT solution was developed for production companies and implemented for the purpose of administering production line failure records. The solution is based on informing employees about a new maintenance task online in real time, using a combination of the designed information system with a mobile phone. The presented system utilizes advanced information technologies - cloud messaging, mobile applications, and web applications. The employee will be equipped with a smartphone with a specially designed application. By a notification sent to the mobile phone, the employee will be immediately informed about the task assigned. As regards task administering, employees enter information about the phases of task execution and managers are informed about the status of executed tasks. Another key feature of the system is providing managers with managerial overviews and compiling reports in order to monitor a number of key indicators. The Unified Process (UP) methodology was used to design the information system. The system accelerates the process of receiving tasks by individual maintenance workers after a failure has been reported, an online overview of the status of work on failures, including a managerial overview of the work of individual workers and the total time spent on solving the task (e.g. a production line defect removal). The system is designed to be universally applicable in other workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has tested the organizational capacity of the education system in Mozambique, including the higher education level when it became mandatory to close all face-to-face teaching activities. To respond to this challenge and continue with the noble mission of teaching, the Catholic University of Mozambique implemented a hybrid model, specifically through digital platforms, even though it was aware of the various resource limitations on the part of teachers and students. This strategy would be determinant for a successful path to the purpose of "never stop teaching and learning." This paper attempts to answer questions that arose at introducing this new teaching model during the COVID-19: (i) What skills did teachers have to respond to ICT-mediated teaching? (ii) What strategies were used to circumvent the difficulties arising from COVID-19 for Teaching and Learning? (iii) What kind of skills, difficulty, and behaviour characterized the students to correspond to a 100% online teaching system? and (iv) What platforms and instruments were used to respond to this teaching model? The paper first seeks answers from exploratory interviews with teachers about the use of ICTs in teaching and learning and subsequently presents some challenges in three dimensions (institutions, teachers, and students) of which their consideration can lead to a path in the immersion of the technologization of teaching. In methodological terms, a qualitative approach was used, where interviews were conducted with a sample of teachers from this university who were part of the frontline of the process. The results show that for the case study, it was possible, to teach and learn through Moodle platforms, Google Classroom, interacting through Zoom, Google Meet, and using Skype as a communication tool with students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reported on in this paper reviewed the readiness of a specific high school in the township of Soweto to the south of Johannesburg, South Africa, to deliver the curriculum by using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), as well as to find the barriers and limitations thereto. For the empirical research, a quantitative mode of inquiry was adopted. A sample of learners and teachers was selected to answer the research questions, using two different questionnaires. The principal responded to a questionnaire on the ICT infrastructure available to establish what the school had in this regard, as well as the skills available to implement pedagogy using ICTs. Data analysis was carried out using a common spreadsheet application and multiple criteria, and the findings are discussed to provide value to, and should be of use to, the stakeholders involved for development purposes. The work discussed in this study covered curriculum topics, as well as lesson planning and reporting. In other words, it covered the process of teaching and learning up to reporting for teachers. A summary of the findings of the research conducted at the high school showed that the school does not have a stable internet connection and more technical support is needed from the government to strengthen the ICT infrastructure to enable the school to fully implement the curriculum using ICTs, compared to using traditional or hybrid methods. These strengthening recommendations include a stable internet connection, ICT staff, to support both e-teachers and e-learners with ICT problems, as well as software to deliver the curriculum. The findings also showed that learners are more comfortable with mobile devices and a little uncomfortable using computers for learning, which means that some aspects of e-learning requirements are not met, and it is very difficult to achieve some of the curriculum goals using mobile devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world in general and cities in particular face tremendous challenges at the environmental, social, economic and institutional levels. Currently, cities need to be sustainable and smart. As our better knowledge, most of the literature explores the concept of smart cities from the point of view of information and communications technology unless the connection with the social and sustainability aspects remains unsolved. This paper tries to overcome this gap in the literature. The main aim is to analyse the contribution of short supply chains of foods in terms of the sustainability of smart cities. The methods include a scoping revision of the literature. Information and data also come from the preliminary results from the SGDsCONSUM project. The results confirm the positive impacts of short supply chains of food in urban areas towards smart and sustainable cities. The conclusions of this paper will be helpful for scholars and public decision-makers to implement their policies accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and communication technologies (ICT) play an increasingly important role in learning and teaching. The way they are used in specific lessons is influenced by a number of factors, one of the most important of which is the teacher's beliefs about the use of ICT in education. The way teachers think about modern technologies is very important and greatly influences how they use ICT in their teaching. Our paper presents a partial output of research focusing on the influence of teachers' beliefs on the use of ICT in teaching. Within the presented research, lessons of several mathematics teachers were recorded longitudinally. The recordings from classes were subsequently coded by a team of researchers and analysed in detail on the basis of Grounded theory. Several different aspects of teaching were observed in the analysis: Forms of instruction, Teacher-pupil communication, Pupil activities at the blackboard, Pupil activity on PC or laptop, ICT involvement, Teacher activities, Phenomena in teaching using ICT, Used programs and applications and Testing. The results of this analysis were then compared with how teachers think about the use of ICT and how they characterize their own use of ICT in teaching. Even though all the monitored teachers characterized themselves as experienced users of ICT, the way they used technologies in their teaching was very different and often differed greatly from the positions they declared. As part of the paper, we present a comparison of the teaching styles of individual teachers and a comparison of their beliefs and proclamations with the reality that was observed in the lessons. Attention will also be paid to the impact of the actual use of ICT on the overall course of the lesson and the activity of the pupils. The results of the research show that the way in which the teacher's beliefs affect teaching is really crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of information and communication technologies autonomous learning is increasingly a selfinitiated process that is taking place in informal contexts not mediated by and without the knowledge of teachers. Thus, the current discussion on supporting structures for freedom of action demands a greater understanding of the complexity of learners' autonomous learning beyond the classroom. This paper explores student self-initiated language learning practices and their attitude towards out of class learning in order to support their foreign language learning process as well as their more general attitude towards out-of-class language learning. Since current research on computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has suggested a number of technological opportunities for language acquisition, students benefit from being encouraged to use technology for language learning on their own outside class. Therefore, the use of technology outside of the classroom by Japanese university students to self-initiate their language learning is investigated by this paper. A questionnaire was sent to 150 students over the internet and followed up by 20 targeted in person interviews. The responses revealed that most students were actively engaged in the use of technology, however there were differences among the students including in their skills of language acquisition. Findings in turn leads to a better understanding of students' actual practices and learner use of English outside class to provide opportunities for teachers, policymakers, and the wider community to gain insight into this phenomenon for fostering learner autonomy in the EFL context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the advantages, difficulties and challenges of working from home with digital communication as perceived and experienced by junior women researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two hypotheses are discussed: i) with the pandemics, higher education institutions and research centers may sponsor and support the intensification of working time at home, incorporating the increasing use of digital means; ii) within this process of intense valuation of home spaces and times, young academic women might have to deal with increasing levels of time compression as a result of the complex combination of different factors that still ascribe them to family and household temporalities; as well as with decreases in academic productivity that can affect their ability to continue and persist in academia. In order to tackle these two main ideas, the authors will introduce some main points concerning the relationship between time structures in academia and the increasing capability of digital means of communication to provide new types of constraints, new time valuations and new patterns of using and perceiving time which continue to produce differences and inequalities of gender. Empirically, the paper draws on qualitative and quantitative data provided by a survey with 108 young academic women, from several scientific fields focusing on the experience of working at home with digital communications during the pandemic. The results of this research, together with the theoretical contributions on gender time, and academy allow authors to put forward a few recommendations to higher education institutions for rethinking the effects that pandemicrelated implications have on time availability, and young academic women's productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research about women entrepreneurs is not new. In addition to the body of work on women entrepreneurship, networks and businesses, several resources, assistance, and support have been provided through various channels to assist women in their business and entrepreneurial pursuits. Although, research in these areas is popular, there is an aspect that has not gained as much attention - formal women business networks (FWBNs). FWBNs are networks that run like organisations and provide a way for women to network and pursue shared interests while gaining business benefits. These networks provide benefits such as funding, trainings, access to business resource, and are funded by various organisations as well as patronized by several women seeking the benefits they provide. Hence, there is a high expectation on these networks to not only deliver on the very much needed support for women entrepreneurs, but also, to deliver on the ROI to groups, organizations, bodies, and women that give to these networks. Furthermore, recent environmental/external influences like a pandemic have impacted the way entrepreneurs do business and increased the need for support and networks. Thus, it is important that FWBNs that serve to help women businesses be examined more closely and holistically. While literature provides some evidence of the importance of FWBNs, there is limited research about these FWBNs. This could be due to the limited number of frameworks, models or theories that holistically examines all the various possible elements in these networks, as well as the relationships between them. Therefore, a holistic and integrated framework that draws from existing frameworks and provides a lens to measure and explore all possible elements that impact a FWBN, can help provide better insights and understanding in several aspects. This paper is an attempt to provide a holistic and integrated framework that draws from different theories and literature concepts to examine the nature of FWBNs and how they contribute to the success of women entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid advancement of information and communication technologies have made ever-increasing amounts of information available. Individuals and organizations are gradually familiar with and accustomed to living in an era with overloaded information. The adoption of a wide range of ICT tools and services has indeed reduced the technical barriers for people to access relevant information. Despite the decreased technical limitation, the information exchange between actors involved within the same network is more often confronted with organizational attributes which are often subjective and intangible, such as institutional willingness, group capabilities or cognitive capacity to ingest and share information. What makes this type of research difficult is to collect quality and in-depth data on information sharing activities. Serious games have been widely adopted as an approach in analyzing and designing complex systems with an explicit touch on the social context of the research domain. The immersive environment created by the games is not only for the participants but also serves as a great source for data collection. In this paper, the authors present a case study on using an augmented reality game, Disaster in My Backyard (DIMB), to explore and examine the institutional barriers in information sharing. It presents the experiment of playing this game with professionals in crisis response. In this paper we discuss the implications of how the design of numerous game elements creates the communication environment and help to facilitate the identification and assessment of barriers in information sharing. With the insights obtained from the case study, the effectiveness of gamebased learning in the context of information sharing is also well reflected and discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since they were first introduced into modern teaching and learning, e-activities were recognized as a significant tool, especially in higher education. Teachers tend to use e-learning activities to enhance their teaching process and to deliver course content in a more interesting way. This applies to all areas of education, but the scope of this paper is focused on studies in information and communication technology (ICT). Students' expectations change as fast as the field of ICT evolves, so it is a good idea to monitor these changes and to develop course curriculum according to current trends. Universities are aware that students' academic satisfaction is influenced by many criteria. The amount and quality of e-learning activities can be one of them. This research aims to test this hypothesis. The main research question is: Do e-learning activities increase students' academic satisfaction? This paper presents a quantitative empirical research on students' attitudes towards elearning activities in their courses. The authors conducted an anonymous survey in order to get insight into: (a) students' opinion on using e-activities as a teaching method, (b) students' perception of the amount of e-activities in their study program, (c) influence of e-learning activities on students' satisfaction, (d) correlation between e-learning activities in courses and academic achievement (grades, knowledge, effort), (e) students' satisfaction with student-teacher communication in elearning environment, (f) assignment procrastination in courses with e-learning activities, (g) students' opinion on advantages and disadvantages of using e-activities. The survey consisted of 25 statements and questions that were used to express students' opinions on research areas mentioned above, with additional attention on gender differences. Although the research is focused on ICT students, the authors wanted to check whether students feel that e-activities are sufficient or they expect them to be combined with traditional teaching approaches (e.g. face to face and practical work in a computer lab). The main contribution of this research is the recognition of student expectations related to e-learning activities. The results of the research will be a good basis for defining measures to increase student satisfaction and adjusting the curriculum to better follow trends and student expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the state of inter-connectedness of the world today, and the associated pervasiveness of the internet, there are a growing number of ICT applications becoming available to end-users across all walks of life which are being used on a multitude of devices. However during this boom of application development, too few designers incorporate the user in the design process. Given the foregoing, this paper reports on an aspect of participatory empathetic user design. We argue that from a participatory design point of view, users who possess tacit knowledge and who may possess explicit knowledge as well, may be brought into the design space to work with the designer who already has a wealth of both knowledge types. Both tacit and explicit knowledge types have been debated in the extant literature. Fundamentally, Cook and Brown (1999: 385) believe that "tacit knowledge cannot be turned into explicit knowledge, nor can explicit knowledge be turned into tacit". We argue that the two forms of knowledge may be reciprocal during the process of participatory design. The paper thus lends support to Wynn and Williams (2012) who argue that the generation of new knowledge is the result of "... our interaction with the world," because the world and entities that constitute reality exist 'out there' independent of our human knowledge. We argue that knowledge is not only a belief of knowing and thinking but rather an ability to transform it into real action. The paper posits that tacit and explicit forms of knowledge are inextricably linked and that "knowledge is created and expanded through social interaction between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge" using modes of 'knowledge conversion'. This paper presents a model for application empathetic design that describes how knowledge creation unfolds among co-design team thereby enriching the design outcome of the application. Design iterations result into dialogic interaction and participatory learning process which may be formal or informal. This in turn helps to re-align the expectations and experiences of both the designers and the would be users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ever-evolving information and communication technologies (ICTs) have affected the learners' preferences for on-demand and on-the-spot access to information that challenge the traditional classroom practices and call for a reconstruction of curricula. New educational approaches are to be encompassed so as to align with the tech-savvy Generation Z needs and the contemporary digitized world that demands competences and skills for successful and wellinformed personal and professional choices. Nevertheless, consumption and creation of new knowledge in the plethora of the new crowdsourced information ecosystem have to be critically accessed, analyzed, evaluated, and leveraged so as to lead to creativity and innovation. This paper is a report of the design of an educational intervention with the intent to enhance students' media literacy skills in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) secondary education context leveraging immersive technologies. In the first part there is a review of related work leveraging AR affordances in the EFL context. The second part explores the instructional design and pedagogical framework that AR assets can enrich a course material on media literacy for inclusive education practices taking into consideration students' preferences on their learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global economy increasingly responds to industrial digitization trends and develops its digitalization strategies, i.e., through application of Industry 4.0 concepts. Thereby, initiatives and developments are often carried out on a company-, industry-or country level. Hungary is one of the most industrialized countries in Europe since many leading car companies, together with their suppliers and related industries have production sites in this area. Witnessing the unprecedented scale and speed of industry transformation due to digitization in general and the emergence of autonomous solutions in all aspects of production and logistics in particular, it is well justified to deal with the question of what Autonomous Systems (ASys) will look like. How influential will it be when the changes' hard challenges and disruptive effects will be overcome, and what are the chances to meet the critical requirements of collaboration and cooperation? What are the technological and management tools to avoid being stuck in the so-called pilot purgatory? To analyse the ASys development status on a high level in the main part of this study, we introduce a conceptual model, including pillars and dimensions aiming to understand the Hungarian ecosystem in terms of ASys. The suggested framework follows a holistic approach in assessment by integrating the following pillars: ecosystem smart factory, human, product. In the second part a questionnaire's first results are presented: there is yet a lot to do to facilitate a definite turn in the mindset of the actors and to make them realize the relevance of simultaneous and continuous cultural and technological development. It's a newly developed, but already tested model to evaluate ASys ecosystems, which can be used in other countries, as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of the analysis of the assessment of the acquisition of digital competencies of students of secondary vocational schools with a focus on the field of engineering in terms of: their importance for meeting the profile of the graduate; employability of graduates in the field; requirements of Industry 4.0; the difficulty of their acquisition at a secondary vocational school. The research team performed analysis of the implementation of the Framework Educational Program for the field of education 23-41-M / 01 Mechanical engineering in the conditions of secondary vocational school. The main tool of the quantitative research survey was an online questionnaire distributed to the principals of secondary vocational schools with a focus on the field of engineering. The research survey took place in February and March 2021, the respondents were school principals and other persons responsible for the implementation of the school curriculum. The ICT competence of students is given very strong attention by teachers of secondary schools of engineering They consider the acquisition of this competence to be the third most demanding in terms of its complexity. They consider ICT competence to be the most connected of all the requirements of Industry 4.0. ICT competence of graduates may be the second most important for employers and it is the second competence contributing to fulfilling the profile of a school graduate. ICT education is the fourth most important educational area in terms of engineering practice. And it is the most popular area for students. Two thirds of secondary schools rate the equipment with digital technologies as favorable and fully compliant. Analysis will enable us to provide FEP publishers, FEP implementing schools, graduate customers and the general professional public with supporting documents for negotiations leading to the optimization of educational documents in new and increasingly changing production and socio-economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper represents the results of the collaborative research of the peculiarities of digital natives in management and marketing education. The research has been conducted by authors at two universities: Ural Federal University (Yekaterinburg, Russia) and Kodolanyi Janos University (Budapest, Hungary). The research is aimed to define peculiarities of new generation of students called digital natives both in the sphere of education and communication. The presentation specifies key features that distinguish modern students from their predecessors and offers new education and communication technologies that should be used with digital natives. In the 21st century, the era of technologies and globalization, the ways of perception and processing the information have changed dramatically. Children and adolescents got used to searching for any information they need in the Internet and they want to obtain the information as soon as possible. So nowadays to educate students efficiently we need to take into account this change and apply new educational technologies that allow us to use the advantages of the digital natives' thinking and to develop the skill of analytical or linear thinking. The methods applied include sociological poll and its quantitative analyses as well as in-depth interview with students and tutors. The authors also applied methods of observation and scientific analyses, researched scientific papers devoted to digital natives. As the research shows digital natives are characterized with clip thinking, impulse decision-making, quick information analyses but inability to make analytical conclusions. Hence appropriate educational technologies and forms for digital natives should include practical education (particular practical tasks related to the profession or real life), information technologies (starting with presentations and ending up with AR and VR technologies), certain aspects of gamification (for example in assessment or task formulation) as well as complex complicated tasks that require both information analyses and independent judgement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematics teachers feel the necessity for concrete teaching materials, which reflect the needs of their students in terms of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Favilli, 2015). A number of studies (e.g. Hastedt, 2016; Secada, 1992) show that these students encounter even more difficulties than their native classmates in acquiring fundamental mathematical skills. It is recommended that appropriate teaching materials for multicultural classrooms should follow certain inclusive criteria (Favilli, 2013; Novotná, Ulovec & Moraová, 2020): Fostering tolerance, inducing interest, value diversity, emphasize cooperative learning, make use of different cultural backgrounds, use a variety of contexts and names from multiple cultures, avoid cultural stereotypes etc. To take into consideration the different learning levels and learning styles of students, it is also recommended that such materials make use of ICT (Bartolini Bussi et al., 2004; Ebenhofer & Knierzinger, 2007). The paper shows how the recommendation to respect inclusive criteria, the recommendation to use ICT, and the recommendation to have concrete suggestions for classroom use, can be fulfilled, by giving two examples demonstrating the use of ICT in teaching mathematics to multicultural students. In the first one, we show how a classical multicultural teaching unit can be enhanced by using ICT. The second example demonstrates how an ICT product - a learning software that has been designed specifically for migrant students - can be used to produce a concrete teaching unit for multicultural classrooms. These examples show how the use of ICT - appropriately applied and eventually combined with already existing materials - can support mathematics teachers in their needs for teaching materials suitable for multicultural classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over several decades, Information Systems (IS) researchers have grappled with the problem of how best to evaluate the success or effectiveness of computing systems. Consequently, researchers working within the IS Management realm have contributed to an ever growing body of knowledge to the field of IS Evaluation. Much of the debate has focused on the difficulty in being able to measure IS Success and it has been suggested that the search for appropriate metrics has resembled the proverbial search for the Holy Grail. Consequently the field of IS evaluation research is fragmented, and various streams of research has tended to continue on independent trajectories. As a result, arguments in terms of the value thereof to IS Management occurs from a siloed perspective. It has therefore become paramount to develop a means for classifying IS evaluation approaches. This will enable improved coherence in the field, and assist researchers at the problem inception stage to locate their work within the broader field. Given the foregoing, this paper provides a review of literature to contextualise and frame the field of IS Evaluation research. The paper thereafter presents an analysis of 110 articles, which were published over a period of five years. Each paper was analysed to assess if the focus on IS evaluation was from either the IS Product, Process or Service perspective. The papers were also scored on the extent to which it focused on clearly delineated evaluation questions and the extent to which the research question was aligned to IS evaluation in the internetworked era. The findings indicate the research community has placed emphasis on IS evaluation from a service perspective as compared to evaluating product and process perspectives. This indicates an increase in the development of proxy indicators of IS success rather than evaluations which focus on the product. The paper concludes with recommendations on how future research in this field may be improved. It is proposed that the clarity of the units of analysis of IS Evaluation studies may be obtained by positioning or classifying the evaluation focus within the systems development life-cycle framework. A case is further made for a stronger alignment of research questions which advance questions related to systems issues in the inter-networked era, as well as advancing knowledge related to the Information Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the age of 13, many young women lose interest in programming. To sustain the interest of young women in programming, the Graz University of Technology has initiated several coding activities over the last years especially for girls. One of these activities is the Girls Coding Week (GCW) which also took place this year in August 2020. Many approaches to learning programming use game design and teach kids to build playable artifacts. Gender differences in gaming behavior and preferences raise concerns about possible gender inequalities when games are used as a motivation to learn to program. The question that occurs is whether there are other playful and interesting approaches that encourage girls to program? During the GCW we provide two main activities: game design and embroidery coding. To demonstrate the basic steps of programming as well as to create games and embroidery designs, the coding app Pocket Code has been used. Pocket Code uses Catrobat's mobile visual programming framework for smartphones. It allows users to develop games and animations directly on their device, by simply sticking bricks together. The possibility of embroidery coding with a mobile phone should give young females new access in today's technical World. We use tutorials and instructions that were created in advance by students and co-workers of the Graz University of Technology. In this paper, we show that embroidery coding gives an alternative opportunity for young women to be creative and to learn to program. During the GCW qualitative and quantitative data were collected through interviews, created games and embroidery designs and surveys, which refer to motivational aspects. First results show that this playful, easy and effective way of learning to program while creating an embroidery design reinforces young women for coding and gives them especially a new perspective for future careers. The findings show that girls were very passionate about designing their own pattern and stitch it on fabric instead of game coding. The authors argue that the programming of embroidery designs can be intended to prevent the falling interest of girls for coding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) report about the digital performance of the EU member states shows that a large part of the EU population still lacks basic digital skills, even though most jobs require such skills. The report also evidences the extremely low rates of females enrolled at computer sciences and information engineering academic courses, resulting not only in a massive loss of talent for companies and economies, but also perpetuating gaps in gender inequality in the ICT-related fields. To counteract these effects, the engineering and computer science departments of two Italian universities have organized, since 2014, an innovative form of summer camp, namely 'Digital Girls', dedicated to female students of the third and fourth grade of the high schools. The summer camp provides girls with a learning experience, based on a team-working and learn-by-doing approach, about coding applied to creative and innovative fields, such as video game programming or Arduino-controlled robot making, and with the exposition to inspiring female role models from academia and industry. For its scope, nature (free for the girls to participate) and duration (3-4 entire weeks), the summer camp Digital Girls represents a unique experience not only in Italy but also, at the best of our knowledge, in the world. The COVID-19 emergency imposed deep changes to the 2020 edition of the summer camp, that was carried out completely online and based on different activities with respect to past editions realized in presence. In this paper, we analyzed the summer camp experience through its different editions, highlighting the impact of such activity on girls attitudes and on their plans for future studies and careers. The availability of data on several and deeply different editions of the summer camp allows us to highlight pros and cons of different approaches in carrying out similar extra-curricular activities to reduce the gender gap in ICT education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing global awareness that increasingly powerful AI technologies are being developed which have the potential to reshape societies and institutions. ICT researchers and practitioners are under pressure to consider and reflect on the motivations, purposes and possible consequences of their innovations. Whilst it has long been recognised that technological innovations have social and ethical impacts, a gap remains in practice between ethics and social science research on the one hand, and computer science and engineering on the other. Few opportunities exist to incorporate ethical or social reflection into system development in order to design more responsible technologies. We argue that interdisciplinarity is fundamental to identifying pathways to best practice in the design and development of AI innovations - including their deployment in, and impact on, society. In this paper, we detail our experience of conducting an 'ethical hackathon' as a tool for the facilitation of the ethical design of AI systems. This non-conventional hackathon model draws on Responsible Innovation (RI) and places primacy on the the integration of ethics by bringing together a range of disciplines as a necessary part of addressing a design task. In an ethical hackathon, computer scientists and engineers collaborate closely with specialists from other fields in order to learn how to work together effectively to design more responsible technologies. Teams which include computer scientists, engineers, ethicists, social scientists and business students, complete a task that requires them to anticipate and reflect on the social and ethical issues that may emerge from an innovation, and also consider how to address these in their technical designs. Through a qualitative analysis we highlight the significant potential of the model to facilitate the ethical design and development of AI systems. However, we also identify several barriers to the success of the approach and conclude that in order to conduct a successful ethical hackathon, and engender a truly interdisciplinary consideration of the ethics of AI, careful design and management of participants' expectations is required. To this end, we conclude the paper by providing design implications which build on our experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

eLearning is a widely used concept when it comes to using information and communication technologies in the education of people of all ages. Since it was first used in the education process, eLearning has undergone a number of changes and innovations, in order to meet the latest technology requirements as well as the changing requirements of society. As a result, there are various forms of eLearning and it is entirely up to the teacher/tutor which one they decide to use (i.e. which one they consider to be the most effective). The following are some of the forms of eLearning: mobile learning, blended learning, adaptive eLearning or eLearning with gamification elements. Apart from these, the term microLearning is also becoming established. Even though it is not a completely new term, microLearning has yet to be described in detail (in research studies, methodologies and textbooks), despite its popularity with the majority of age groups. The greatest advantage of microLearning is that it is not dependent on the technology that the student is using. Dividing the curriculum into smaller units, microLearning allows the student to learn anytime and anywhere as well as plan their learning, regardless of whether they use a desktop computer, a laptop, a mobile phone or a tablet. The paper describes practical experience with using microLearning in education of future teachers at the Pedagogical Faculty. In order to be able to determine the potential of microLearning, pilot microLearning courses had been created, which were then compared with existing eLearning courses. This part of research was aimed at comparing the behavior of students in the microLearning course with those in the eLearning course. Both courses had the same content, were used in the instruction of students with the same specialization, and both were one semester long. Apart from describing students’ way through the course, the paper also presents their opinions on the microLearning-based courses, the level of acquired knowledge and other factors that could prove crucial for the wider use of this eLearning concept in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IT and ICT software project enterprises offer advanced business services and products to their customers and users through complex, innovative and tailored programs and projects. IT and ICT programs and projects are broadly used by different industries to deliver their services and products through advanced software, web and cloud services and a multitude of user-customized digital technologies. A powerful and unforeseeable market competition brought a lot of challenges to the complex project and program management process. The primary challenges in the program and project management stem from: the growing overall project efficiency and productivity, reduction of the time-to-market, an increasing predictability of customer deliveries, expanding transparency of project planning, stronger cooperation and communication between business and project teams, optimisation of project and program portfolio management and creating a supportive and learning organizational culture. IT and ICT software project companies evolve by going through various organizational changes related to project management methodologies in order to address most of these challenges. The primary goal of this paper is to present the Agile transformation framework as a model of an organizational change deployed by introduction of a new project management methodology in the context of the contingency theory. The paper responds to research questions about a potential Agile adoption framework within the Agile transformation process. Following a review of the literature, the author's empirical research resulted in a multiple case study analysis of companies implementing Agile project management methodologies. It is focused on Agile adoption models in IT and ICT software project enterprises. As demonstrated by the results of the research, the change in the project management methodology has significantly impacted the entire project organization. The research results showed that Agile transformation framework is not only a pure change in project management methodology but an uniform set of comprehensive organizational changes in governance, processes, technology, methodology, strategy, structure and organizational culture. These changes may lead to a competitive advantage gained by a software project organization. Senior executive management should analyze possible adoption models and framework prior to deciding about deployment of the transition process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to theoretically address the theme of conference tourism, to identify the main challenges that this sector faces. It is part of a more comprehensive work that includes studying the impact of COVID-19 on academic conferences and scientific events and the future of face-to-face events. Therefore, in this paper, we present a literature review to support the theoretical basis of the ongoing research work. In the current context, remote communication technologies have replaced physical participation in events. However, it is expected that in the future, as mobility restrictions end and the pandemic is controlled, physical presence at events will also increase. Not only for the character of socialization and personal interaction that is irreplaceable, but also for the opportunities to discover new tourist destinations and to develop leisure activities that physical participation allows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gender barrier in the technological area represents a significant challenge for the members States of European Union. Also, in Portugal the participation of men and women in ICT is still uneven. This position is the result of the historical evolution of the position of women in the Portuguese society. This article aims to review the digitally index of women and the level of representation of women specialists in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Portugal comparing with the position occupied by men and the rank occupied by women in other members States of the European Union. It also intended to know the policies that have been implemented in Portugal with the aim of improving the digital inclusion of women. To achieve our goals, we supported our study in statistics data and we recapitulate Portuguese policies adopted to strengthen female representation in the digitally and ICT market. Furthermore, we looked at the 2020 European Commission report on this subject (which presents pre-pandemic COVID-19 data, 2021 (which represents data during the period of the pandemics and the period of the emergence State in Portugal) and the 2022 report (which represents post-pandemic data to understand the evolution and impact of female digital inclusion caused by the COVID-19 period. The research technique adopted is document analysis based on the systematization of statistical data from the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, reading articles, academic books on the subject and the political programs implemented in Portugal to meet the digital challenges of women. we conclude that Portugal is on the right path, however, it is still too early to assess the success of the measures implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to analyze the risks and hazards of information and psychological security within the framework of the development of artificial intelligence as one of the possible causes of controlled chaos in the modern world. Even today, the social and political basis of many managerial methods are being changed from the point of view of their architecture because of information and communication technologies. In general global information data bases, intellectual analytical systems and information technologies force specialists to deal with absolutely new kinds of decision making and prognostics either in social or political management. The genesis of the main areas of problem management and prognostics is connected as a rule with strict time limits and available media solutions. The paper also considers the problem of the nonstructural nature of modern data and the way that creates an additional challenge for the functioning of various systems. Data hygiene and a new philosophy of data structure are important elements of future advances and far-sighted strategies for most organisations. Big possibilities create big problems. One of them is inequality, but not in the economic sense, but in terms of inequality in the access to information data, to control information data. It actually means that the advantages of the digital revolution, the Fourth Industrial revolution and artificial intelligence development are going to concentrate in the hands of an extremely small percentage of the population. This is dangerous for social and political stability. Under such conditions, the main way to maintain some balance is mutual development, co-operation and dialogue at least in the scientific sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid development of information systems and information technology, everybody can have information on anything and everyone at any moment and any place. However, information systems are arranged in such a way that the context rather than the individual or organisational need for information actually determines what information an individual or organisation will retrieve and use. And due to algorithms in the internet, confirmation bias and the use of standard (ERP) software organisations (conform the theory of isomorphic systems) information becomes context bound. In general this results in organisations as well as individuals retrieving information that they have already found and used before, rather than open minded looking for information (the phenomenon of echo chambers). For good decision making it is necessary that people and organisations make use of complete and adequate information. In this paper we provide an overview of recent literature and non-academic media on this topic (published over the last five years). We combine theoretical concepts in order to define countermeasures against the negative consequences IT developments. Digital leadership has to be a frontrunner in order to facilitate the quality of information within society or organisation. Digital leadership must be able to identify the risks and dangers that come with the use of new information technology and must be dealt with in a proper way. Frameworks or standard like IDQ (at the data level) or BiSL (at the context level) or ISO38500 (at the organisational level) can be used as guidance for this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the project Community Drive as well as the theoretical and empirical background on which the project is based. Community Drive is a technical and humanistic research and development project focused on education, learning and co-production of knowledge. Through technical and humanistic collaboration, the project aims to create models that allow children and young people to participate in overcoming future challenges in cities by becoming an active and contributing part of research and development efforts. In addition, the project aims to add to the knowledge about community-driven science and propose how design thinking can be used as an approach to learning '21st-century skills'. Further, the project contributes knowledge about community-driven game tools, user-driven big data and the Internet of Things and their connection with intelligent and socially responsible urban development. The project is conducted in cooperation with the city of Copenhagen, local schools and Aalborg University. Community Drive involves students aged 10- 14 attending schools in deprived neighbourhoods near Aalborg University Copenhagen in southern Copenhagen. This area is characterised by a high rate of unemployment, low income and little or no education, and it has been defined as an area of focus by various projects administrated by the city of Copenhagen. As a result, resources have been allocated for reconditioning the subsidised housing in this area. In this paper, we discuss the ways in which the project Community Drive, initiated in May 2018, is based on the results of pilot projects conducted from 2014 to 2017. Overall, these studies showed that tasking students with changing their living conditions by redesigning their neighbourhoods is a strong motivational factor. During the redesign process, students were able to construct game-based models of various residents' needs and argue for redesigns based on their knowledge about the area and the ability of certain designs to fulfil the needs of various groups of residents living in the area. The paper discusses the potential benefits and pitfalls of designing community-driven science gaming environments and how the results of previous studies led to the Community Drive project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the important topic of implementation of ICT into mathematics education. Use of ICT in mathematics education on primary and secondary school levels and in pre-service teacher education is a very up-to-date topic. Implementation of ICT into mathematics teaching and learning should never be purposeless. It should be an 'added value' to learning activities. In the paper, one additional principle for selecting suitable activities with a solid potential for teaching are added to those already published. These principles follow from the use of new ICT tools. In the article, the new set of principles is illustrated. Examples of good practice are contrasted with the so called "for show" implementation of ICT in lessons of mathematics. The topic discussed in the article is relevant especially for teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing Enterprise Architecture (EA) models and frameworks appear to be incapable of capturing the dynamic and extended nature of military enterprises. An improved understanding of the evolution of enterprise structures over extended periods of time may help architects in planning military transformations. This paper approaches the Military enterprise architecture from the viewpoint of qualitative research using the fundamentals of systems science and evolutionary theory. The paper merges the results of five related studies that each explore the evolution of a single domain or layer of the military enterprise. The resulting merged model, referred to as the coherent EA model, combines the domains of knowledge, information, and information security management on the layer of ICT Infrastructure. The coherent model defined for this work is composed of layers of knowledge management, information management, information security management and ICT infrastructure. The coherent EA model is tested in experimentation where three separate transformation journeys of different Armed Forces are analysed from starting point to end state. The validity of the model is assessed according to its usability in determining possible positive and negative forces affecting the transformation of a military enterprise and providing advice to manage the change. The EA model focuses on helping architects working in the field of military Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Information (C4I), to examine their existing situation, to find realistic paths for transformation and to provide advice in each step of change of military enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, the widespread use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry has had a substantial impact on consumer and managerial practices. As a driving force for innovation, ICT has not only changed the way stakeholders and consumers interact, but also redesigned tourist experiences as whole. This on-going digital revolution has also affected the training sector, particularly Higher Education Institutions (HEI), which are now being challenged to adopt more flexible training methods and tools. This growing flexibility mirrors the industry’s own growth, as there has been an escalating demand for human resources who are well-equipped with transversal skills and able to adapt to the apace-evolving market demands. Based on a literature review focusing on recent peer-reviewed, opensource research published within the last 5 years, this paper focuses on the use of mobile learning in tourism education in European HEI. After establishing a theoretical framework and clearly defining the key concepts and methodology, the author describes the current state of the art regarding mobile learning and tourism and outlines the different ways European HEI are incorporating mobile learning into their tourism programs and courses. The different initiatives are divided into categories, which are then analysed considering their impact, perceived limitations and improvement potential. Overall, it is possible to find examples of how tourism courses are incorporating mobile learning into their programs, namely by using mobile devices to support communication and learning activities. Even though this is still an emerging research topic, there are several projects highlighting the affordances of mobile learning within tourism education and training, pairing it with other trending research areas such as gamification and e-tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no agreed definition of the term/concept gender in the scientific community. Its meaning has evolved and can be applied to a variety of theoretical perspectives in gender studies. This variety, evolving in time and influenced by different academic traditions, is substantial and may disconcert the academic field and the general public alike. The paper draws on previous literature, in particular, the concepts of doing, undoing and queering gender, as well as on new research conducted by the author through interviews with 33 experts in gender equality and diversity in the Academia and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Companies. The paper explores the theoretical and practical implications of the empirical results to provide insights into different interpretations of the term "gender" emerging from the participants' discourses, influencing formal and informal institutional practices, and their impact on the implementation of gender equality strategies in Academia and ICT companies. Referring to a two-sex model and promoting the notion of a binary sex-gender, organisations may conceal the crucial issues of intersectionality and critical reflections regarding the impact of neoliberal policies and societal challenges on the progression towards gender equality and diversity. In conclusion, it would be worth further investigating if and to what extent awareness of the multiple meanings and varied use of the term/concept "gender" may lead to different transformative practices and impacts on science and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is nearly three decades since the introduction of technology integration in Education in South Africa. However, incorporating technology for teaching and learning in the higher institutions of learning is still low. Statistics reveal that different integration strategies such as the development programs, infrastructure, ICT policies and the teachers 'attitudes, have been explored Although improvements attempts were made in some institutions nationally and internationally, the technology integration pace remains slow. A strategy seems missing. In the study university, student teachers are still taught traditionally. Hence, the 21st-century technologies at schools where they are deployed for teaching practice baffle them. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdown, which resulted in all the universities shutting down in South Africa, a call for emergency remote teaching, poses a challenge. Thus, Mintzberg 5P's strategic model used in the business sector for projects was adopted as a framework for the integration of technology in this study. However, the focus of this paper, the strategy as perspective in Mintzberg 5P's strategic model was examined. The question posed in this study was, to what extent does the strategy as perspective impact on the integration of technology for teaching and learning in the School of Education? To answer the question, the qualitative method was used. The participants were 95 student teachers and 20 lecturers. Data were collected utilizing open-ended questionnaire, interviews, and observations. To analyze data, Atlas.ti was used. Results revealed that stratagems in the School of Education are not informed by the recent research results Hence, training programs, infrastructure and teaching and learning strategies provided in the study university are not aligned to the 21st-century skills needed in the schools. Furthermore, although, the university devised the emergency multimodal teaching, and learning strategy during the COVID-19 outbreak and national lockdown, the buy in is very low in the school of education. It is recommended that the school of Education be in alignment with the recent research findings on the emerging technologies to produce teachers that are well prepared and relevant to the evolving technology industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, the widespread use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry has had a substantial impact on consumer and managerial practices. As a driving force for innovation, ICT has not only changed the way stakeholders and consumers interact, but also redesigned tourist experiences as whole. This on-going digital revolution has also affected the training sector, particularly Higher Education Institutions (HEI), which are now being challenged to adopt more flexible training methods and tools. This growing flexibility mirrors the industry's own growth, as there has been an escalating demand for human resources who are well-equipped with transversal skills and able to adapt to the apace-evolving market demands. Based on a literature review focusing on recent peer-reviewed, opensource research published within the last 5 years, this paper focuses on the use of mobile learning in tourism education in European HEI. After establishing a theoretical framework and clearly defining the key concepts and methodology, the author describes the current state of the art regarding mobile learning and tourism and outlines the different ways European HEI are incorporating mobile learning into their tourism programs and courses. The different initiatives are divided into categories, which are then analysed considering their impact, perceived limitations and improvement potential. Overall, it is possible to find examples of how tourism courses are incorporating mobile learning into their programs, namely by using mobile devices to support communication and learning activities. Even though this is still an emerging research topic, there are several projects highlighting the affordances of mobile learning within tourism education and training, pairing it with other trending research areas such as gamification and e-tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military forces are in transition towards digitalised forces following the example of their mother societies. In this transition, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) remains a key enabler to gain more effect from units composed of men, procedures, machines, software, and information. This paper studies the evolution of military ICT infrastructure and composes a roadmap to predict its architecture; a roadmap to help enterprise architects evaluate options when designing an ICT infrastructure to support digitalised military forces. The paper approaches the ICT systems architecture and program challenges from post-positivist view, trying to create new tools through an empirical observation and case study method. A hypothetical model is created with general systems modelling logic, which is then tested to practical information collected over thirty years in Defence Forces of Finland. Observation data is compared with two documented sources providing triangulating testing and improved integrity of resulting roadmap for ICT infrastructure evolution. The generalisation of the roadmap is made by referring to similar features found in other military forces and their missions. Finally, some examples of utilisation of the ICT evolutionary roadmap are given to help enterprise architects to analyse the current situation, the possible paths and end states. For many architects, it is hard to define how the management and cultural nature of an organisation will react to improving technology. The roadmap for ICT infrastructure evolution helps the architect to assess the status of the current situation from technical, management and organisation viewpoints at the same time. The approach helps architects to consider different paths of development and to optimise technical solutions with management structures and cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many European countries, mathematics teachers feel the need for teaching materials being aware of and sensitive to the multicultural background of their classrooms (Favilli, 2015). A number of studies show that such materials should follow certain inclusive criteria (Favilli, 2013; Novotná, Ulovec & Moraová, 2020): Fostering tolerance, inducing interest, value diversity, emphasize cooperative learning, make use of different cultural backgrounds, use a variety of contexts and names from multiple cultures, avoid cultural stereotypes etc. Based on these criteria, the authors, in an international collaboration project, have developed a few exemplary teaching units (Novotná & Ulovec, 2020), as well as a number of teaching unit concepts specifically designed for multicultural classrooms (Novotná, Ulovec & Moraová, 2020). In this paper, we demonstrate how -- based on one of these concepts -- teachers in the field can create their own fully-developed mathematical teaching units for their multicultural classrooms, making use of ICT tools and thereby following the recommendations of Ebenhofer, M. & Knierzinger, A. (2007). We use the concept of "How (seemingly) simple things can be very different (and difficult) in other places and cultures" to develop two teaching units: First, a teaching unit using Dynamic Geometry Software to analyse parabolas, and second, a teaching unit using CAS to analyse the relation between air pressure and the boiling point of water. These examples can then serve as guidelines for teachers on how to develop teaching units for other mathematical topics and different cultural backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offers an opportunity for the development of modern Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM). The use of game features in a non-gaming context 'gamification' - suggest the promise to make teaching and learning of programming more motivating and more enjoyable to students. Notwithstanding widespread commentary on its advantages and lacks, little empirical study has sought to validate the existing gamification models as a meaningful concept and provide evidence of its efficiency as a tool for motivating and engaging users in non-entertainment contexts. The aim of this paper is to propose a new model named "Appiahene Gamification Model (AGM)" for programming learning to prove that gamification has quality that when applied well would be beneficial. Qualitative method of research was used by reviewing several models and frameworks applied in gamification, to demonstrate that there is academic merit to these models. Discussions with four programming lecturers were also used; one has implemented a gamification, two are yet to experience it whilst the last have not heard about the concept. Using such qualitative methods in this paper illustrates that there is academic support for a common model design that can be used by institutions. The proposed model reflects how instructors and learners relate to their learning objectives and experience. There is a notion that gamification cannot be stagnant and linear once applied, but must be cyclical and updated to reflect changes in the learning objective, gamification elements and the experience of the users who use the application. As the success of gamification depends on the definition of objectives and experience, the clarity of such definitions will correlate to the success rate of gamification in the specific area. With proper integration of the proposed model in the field of programming, a positive impact such as motivation and greater engagement of students on the learning process can be achieved. This proposed model would have implications for a wide range of teaching and learning and identifies areas for further research. The model can also be used to formulate recommendations towards the design of gameful instruction in other fields like business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of technology in higher education institutions (HEIs) is a national priority and much work has been conducted and reported on the benefits derived from information and communication technology (ICT) integration. The focus in most universities, however has been on the provision of technology tools to students and lecturing staff, and not enough effort has been made in training and capacitating academic staff on ICT integration. Walter Sisulu University recently embarked on a mission to increase participation in teaching and learning with technology to 80% of its staff and students by 2020. As part of this strategy the university provided e-learning tools to both students and academic staff between 2014 and 2016 with the use of these tools being monitored by the Centre for Learning and Teaching Development (CLTD). This paper discusses the objectives and intended outcomes of the ICT integration strategy by the university. It further analyses data collected on academic staff perceptions, how lecturers integrated technology in their teaching as a way to enhance student learning as well as the challenges experienced in ICT integration by the university. Lecturer perceptions indicated a reluctance in using technology due to challenges in the university that currently hinder the practice; this was attributable to a lack of in depth training in ICT integration which led to misinformed presumptions by the lecturers. Capacitating academic staff on how technology use provides additional opportunities to support new ways of learning is a key component in the successful integration of technology. The paper concludes with recommendations for the university on the proposed planning and academic staff professional development initiatives for continued and effective success of ICT integration using the technology integration models. This will lead to enhanced teaching and learning thereby improving student success rates at the university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meaningful, complex and effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education has been a widely discussed topic for a number of years. With new technologies come new ways of their use. Our research focused on the contribution of ICT to the education process. The paper introduces the results of an empirical research aimed at the development of the key learning to learn competence through the Personal Learning Environment (PLE). This competence was selected due to its impact on lifelong learning. Despite its importance, the teachers tend to overlook this competence. A four-step model - E-R-R-A (Planning and evocation, Contact with sources, Reflection and Aggregation of knowledge) - was designed to carry out implementation of the aforementioned environment and the related information and communication technologies into the education process. Not only does the model enable the controlled and systematic use of the PLE in both humanities and science courses, it can also be used to build any instructional unit. The research was designed as a pedagogical experiment. Upper primary school students participated in the experiment. The PLE was represented by a web application designed specifically for this purpose. Respecting the fundamental principles of the PLE, the application features a number of tools and services which students could use during instruction. The paper presents the results of a data analysis obtained through evaluation of projective tests. This type of test was used to determine the current level of the key learning to learn competence. The students took the tests twice (six months apart and following the PLEbased instruction). The presented results not only reveal a new method for developing the key learning to learn competence, but also introduce new ways of using modern information and communication technologies in the education process (especially tablets and cellular phones). Moreover, projective tests have proved to be an effective method for measuring the level of mastery of key competences. Furthermore, the paper introduces research areas which the authors would like to explore in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of technology in higher education institutions (HEIs) is a national priority and much work has been conducted and reported on the benefits derived from information and communication technology (ICT) integration. The focus in most universities, however has been on the provision of technology tools to students and lecturing staff, and not enough effort has been made in training and capacitating academic staff on ICT integration. Walter Sisulu University recently embarked on a mission to increase participation in teaching and learning with technology to 80% of its staff and students by 2020. As part of this strategy the university provided e-learning tools to both students and academic staff between 2014 and 2016 with the use of these tools being monitored by the Centre for Learning and Teaching Development (CLTD). This paper discusses the objectives and intended outcomes of the ICT integration strategy by the university. It further analyses data collected on academic staff perceptions, how lecturers integrated technology in their teaching as a way to enhance student learning as well as the challenges experienced in ICT integration by the university. Lecturer perceptions indicated a reluctance in using technology due to challenges in the university that currently hinder the practice; this was attributable to a lack of in depth training in ICT integration which led to misinformed presumptions by the lecturers. Capacitating academic staff on how technology use provides additional opportunities to support new ways of learning is a key component in the successful integration of technology. The paper concludes with recommendations for the university on the proposed planning and academic staff professional development initiatives for continued and effective success of ICT integration using the technology integration models. This will lead to enhanced teaching and learning thereby improving student success rates at the university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meaningful, complex and effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education has been a widely discussed topic for a number of years. With new technologies come new ways of their use. Our research focused on the contribution of ICT to the education process. The paper introduces the results of an empirical research aimed at the development of the key learning to learn competence through the Personal Learning Environment (PLE). This competence was selected due to its impact on lifelong learning. Despite its importance, the teachers tend to overlook this competence. A four-step model - E-R-R-A (Planning and evocation, Contact with sources, Reflection and Aggregation of knowledge) - was designed to carry out implementation of the aforementioned environment and the related information and communication technologies into the education process. Not only does the model enable the controlled and systematic use of the PLE in both humanities and science courses, it can also be used to build any instructional unit. The research was designed as a pedagogical experiment. Upper primary school students participated in the experiment. The PLE was represented by a web application designed specifically for this purpose. Respecting the fundamental principles of the PLE, the application features a number of tools and services which students could use during instruction. The paper presents the results of a data analysis obtained through evaluation of projective tests. This type of test was used to determine the current level of the key learning to learn competence. The students took the tests twice (six months apart and following the PLEbased instruction). The presented results not only reveal a new method for developing the key learning to learn competence, but also introduce new ways of using modern information and communication technologies in the education process (especially tablets and cellular phones). Moreover, projective tests have proved to be an effective method for measuring the level of mastery of key competences. Furthermore, the paper introduces research areas which the authors would like to explore in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SMEs are often the main vehicles of economic development in Africa. They are the highest contributors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in their respective countries. It is unfortunate that African SMEs tend to lag behind in the adoption and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), as this negatively affects their potential contribution to the countries' GDP. One of the causes is the lack of capital to purchase and maintain these ICT tools. Research shows that cloud computing (CC) may be a solution to this challenge. CC offers numerous benefits to SMEs mainly related to the accessibility of ICT tools at reduced ICT costs. Whilst substantial scientific research has been carried out on CC and SMEs to date, it is not clear how much research is focused on African SMEs. It is also not clear whether the research considers the environment in which African SMEs operate. The question that this paper sought to answer is, what is the state of scientific publications on CC in African SMEs? Thus the objective of this paper is to present a systematic analysis of literature review on the state of CC and SMEs in Africa. The paper outlines themes that existing publications focus on. It also highlights the knowledge gaps, the challenges and the opportunities that exist related to CC as a beneficial service for SMEs in Africa. Findings illustrate that scientific publications that focus on African SMEs are limited. The few publications that exist have a strong focus on adoption issues followed by benefits and challenges; Perception and awareness; and security concerns of CC. Therefore, there is a requirement for further research, considering the context of SMEs in Africa. Further research can be conducted in developing cost benefit, opportunity cost and risk analysis models. Further research can also focus on developing strategies that can contribute to the ability for SMEs to explore and exploit new technologies such as CC for productivity and competitiveness in this knowledge economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to the traditional responsibilities of education and research, the modern universities engage proactively in the practical application of the scientific results and disseminate newly developed knowledge to solve societal challenges. An entrepreneurial university, which is defined as an outcome of the third mission in this paper, is important catalyst in innovation development. The paper positions the promotion of university entrepreneurship in the context of an innovation eco system with strong ties to collective intelligence and system thinking theories. By modelling entrepreneurial university, the empirical data from extensive qualitative research on Lithuanian academic institutions in the context of innovation system were applied. The triangulation approach was chosen in order to understand deeper the complexity of the entrepreneurial university. The empirical research consists of the qualitative expert interviews, content analysis and assessment of strategic documents from the national universities, The proposed conceptual model of the promotion of university's entrepreneurship distinguishes three levels of interactions: Macro, Mezzo, and Micro. The synergy between these levels delineates the various processes using the comprehensible 'Where?', 'How?', and 'What For?' questions. The EU universities may apply the model for creating ICT supported entrepreneurship promotion strategies or/and by implementing specific entrepreneurial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalised environment supported by fast ICT development change the rules and ways how business is done. New generation of managers and entrepreneurs needs knowledge on management relevant to these changes. The paper discusses the process of change happening in Department of Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Economics, Prague. The goal of the change is to adapt the way management is taught according to stakeholders' needs and in comparison with the standard of teaching the subject abroad. The Department of Management has a new manager (department chair) who initiated all the necessary changes to meet new requirements for modern management education. He assembled new team responsible for management courses and chaperons the change. The change happening in the department is a transitional change and its character comprises both process and product innovation. The product innovation is represented by the change in the syllabi of individual courses, especially in the general management course. The process innovation covers all process changes related to this change. In our paper we are focusing on the way these changes are managed and lead. At the moment we are approximately in the middle of the process of the change and relevant information is at disposal. We are mainly focusing on two views. The first is the view of the head of Department of Management and his perceptions of the changes made. The second is the view of academics who participate in the change. The topic is interesting for academic debate for the sake of several reasons. Firstly, the change is a sensitive change, and not everyone finds it befitting. Secondly, all people who participate in the change are knowledge workers. Some of them are experienced academic staff (used to previous status quo and style of work), some of them are new. We would like to identify tools, ideas and methods, the manager uses in leading this highly specific group of employees through this considerable change. We would also like to find out how academics perceive the change, its individual phases, the impact they have on knowledge, pedagogical process and their own lives and carriers. The comprehension and argumentation will be based on interviews and analysis of the answers. The findings will be based on research planned for late April 2015 that will take place in University of Economics, Prague while preparing changes in general management course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of this paper and research question addressed concerns the author's experiences in designing and teaching an entry-level Information and Communication Technology for Development Open Education e-Learning module. The paper introduces the module design, which included additional learner support instruments, such as mixed media, etutors and extended use of the functions on the institutional virtual learning en5vironment, myUNISA. The literature review section presents aspects relating to the pedagogy adopted by academic staff and e-Learning teachers in this module, as well as how the module design process followed the team approach, including criteria in terms of the planning process, online development, curriculum design and applicable quality assurance. It also documents concepts related to what was done to ensure that the module was creative, relevant and of high impact for e-Learners. This included cutting-edge content in terms of e.g. open educational resources in the form of e-books and simulations, which was used in conjunction with innovative learning technologies. The following section describes how the empirical research was undertaken and the research method regarding the research design used. It also outlines the especially quantitative data that had been collected in a learner module evaluation, which included mechanisms for feedback and improvement. A discussion of the results starts with demographic details in terms of the e-Learner characteristics for the sample of 1571 participants from fifteen countries. The author then provides a look at learners' evaluation of e.g. the use of e-tutors, extended use of myUNISA e-Learning technologies, and to what extent the latter had been used as additional learner support instruments. Details are provided on, for example, how learners communicated with their e-Learning tutors, the extent to which the textbook and/or prescribed material for the module was relevant, and what learners' overall experience of the module as a whole had been like. This paper discusses issues and lessons learned from designing and teaching an e-Learning module to almost 80,000 learners to date, which had been prepared in a learner-friendly style, used a range of engagement tools and thus created a rich e-Learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]