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Students today are often assumed to be digitally literate and prepared for college, but that is not always the case. Introductory technology courses at the college level provide students with the technology and digital skills necessary for them to succeed in college. This study, conducted at a small New England "business school" that also offers liberal arts degrees, sought to determine which digital skills most incoming first-year college students have. The study examines which digital skills and competencies students acquire before entering college, and if those skills are adequate to achieve academic success in college. Guiding the study are these research questions: (RQ1) What digital devices are students using and with what frequency? (RQ2) What digital literacy competencies (DLCs) do incoming first-year students possess? (RQ3) How do first-year students self-rank their DLCs, and how does that compare to individual task self-ranking? (RQ4) What DLCs do incoming first-year students perceive as the most important to know, and do they have those skills? Results showed that most K-12 students are learning on Macs or Chromebooks and use the Google Suite of applications. They may need to switch to Windows machines and/or Microsoft Office products upon entering college. Almost 16% reported taking no high school courses covering computer topics. Only 34% of incoming first-year college students consider themselves "tech savvy" and most rank themselves at the beginner or intermediate level on digital literacy competencies. They believe the three most important skills to know are spreadsheets, programming, and word processing.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of objects that can exchange data with other devices also connected to the Internet. One of the most common consumer examples of IoT is home automation, as a variety of smart devices, including doorbells, lightbulbs, thermostats, and refrigerators are now available which users can control remotely using mobile apps or smart speakers. In this hands-on activity, students will apply their basic skills in accessing wireless networks and using mobile devices to connect an Amazon Echo smart speaker to a home network, configure smart plugs to communicate with the Echo, and develop routines to interact with the smart plugs, smartphones, and other smart devices.

Bloomberg Terminal is one of the most prominent and valuable tools for business and technology professionals. Having familiarity with Bloomberg is a desirable qualification for business students upon graduation. This classroom activity introduces Bloomberg Terminal in an introductory information technology (IT) digital literacy course at a business university. This activity guides students to find and analyze data related to capital markets that they will need to understand regardless of their chosen major. Students learn to apply IT concepts and develop their technology skills to complete the activity.

Organizations are keenly interested in data gathering from websites where discussions of products and brands occur. This increasingly means that programmers need an understanding of how to work with website application programming interfaces (APIs) for data acquisition. In this hands-on lab activity, students will learn how to gather data from several prominent websites using APIs and then build predictive models using that data. Unlike popular challenges on competition sites such as Kaggle where challenges often supply the data, this project emphasizes the data acquisition step of the analytics lifecycle. Working with data from Spotify, YouTube, and Twitter, students will fill out a music based March Madness bracket to predict the winner of the annual Locura De Marzo, a popular middle and high school Spanish competition. By becoming familiar with the data available from each site, through the analysis of the JSON formatted data returned by the APIs, students will be able to explore which features of a song might lend themselves to higher voting by high school students in order to build better prediction models.

Recent years have witnessed a growing demand for business analytics-oriented curricula. This paper presents the implementation of an introductory Python course at a business university and the attempt to elevate the course's relevance by introducing data analytics topics. The results from a survey of 64 undergraduate students of the course are analyzed to understand their perceived relevance of having Python programming skills upon entering the workplace, and how course design and other student characteristics influenced the perceptions of their learning and performance. Results demonstrate that business students are highly motivated to take Python programming courses to better position themselves for future career opportunities in the growing field of data analytics. We also found that students with no prior programming experience performed better than students who had some prior programming experience, suggesting that Python is an appropriate choice for a first programming language in the Information Systems (IS) curriculum. The paper concludes with recommendations for offering an analytics-focused first programming course to bring added relevance to IS students learning programming skills.

Project-based learning (PBL) engages students deeply with course concepts and empowers them to drive their own learning through the development of solutions to real-world challenges. By taking ownership of and completing a project that they designed, students develop and demonstrate creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. This paper describes two different software development projects, designed with a PBL approach, in Python coding courses at two business universities in the United States, in which students queried real-world data to answer their own questions and interpret the results. The authors contend that projects based on a PBL approach motivate students for self-exploration and allow for the measure of student learning. The authors present their respective projects, share examples of student work, and offer suggestions and lessons learned from implementing PBL assignments in their classrooms. Finally, the authors reflect, through sharing student comments, on how key aspects of PBL are manifest in this project and discuss challenges in offering and managing PBL assignments. With Python's popularity on the rise, these two class examples serve as a model for how instructors can incorporate autonomy in PBL assignments, offering a valuable learning opportunity for students to create software applications that meaningfully demonstrate their coding skills.

BackgroundActive surveillance (AS) is a management option for men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer. Opinions differ on whether it is safe to include young men (≤60 yr) or men with intermediate-risk disease.ObjectiveTo assess whether reasons for discontinuation, treatment choice after AS, and adverse pathology at radical prostatectomy (RP; N1, or ≥GG3, or ≥pT3) differ for men ≤60 yr or those with European Association of Urology (EAU) intermediate-risk disease from those for men >60 yr or those with EAU low-risk disease.Design setting and participantsWe analyzed data from 5411 men ≤60 yr and 14 959 men >60 yr, 14 064 men with low-risk cancer, and 2441 men with intermediate-risk cancer, originating from the GAP3 database (21 169 patients/27 cohorts worldwide).Outcome measurements and statistical analysisCumulative incidence curves were used to estimate the rates of AS discontinuation and treatment choice.Results and limitationsThe probability of discontinuation of AS due to disease progression at 5 yr was similar for men aged ≤60 yr (22%) and those >60 yr (25%), as well as those of any age with low-risk disease (24%) versus those with intermediate-risk disease (24%). Men with intermediate-risk disease are more prone to discontinue AS without evidence of progression than men with low-risk disease (at 1/5 yr: 5.9%/14.2% vs 2.0%/8.8%). Adverse pathology at RP was observed in 32% of men ≤60 yr compared with 36% of men >60 yr (p = 0.029), and in 34% with low-risk disease compared with 40% with intermediate-risk disease (p = 0.048).ConclusionsOur descriptive analysis of AS practices worldwide showed that the risk of progression during AS is similar across the age and risk groups studied. The proportion of adverse pathology was higher among men >60 yr than among men ≤60 yr. These results suggest that men ≤60 yr and those with EAU intermediate-risk disease should not be excluded from opting for AS as initial management.Patient summaryData from 27 international centers reflecting daily clinical practice suggest that younger men or men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer do not hold greater risk for disease progression during active surveillance.

This paper presents student projects analyzing or using blockchain technologies, created by students enrolled in courses dedicated to teaching blockchain, at two different universities during the 2018- 2019 academic year. Students explored perceptions related to storing private healthcare information on a blockchain, managing the security of Internet of Things devices, maintaining public governmental records, and creating smart contracts. The course designs, which were centered around project-based learning, include self-regulated learning and peer feedback as ways to improve student learning. Students either wrote a research paper or worked in teams on a programming project to build and deploy a blockchain-based application using Solidity, a programming language for writing smart contracts on various blockchain platforms. For select student papers, this case study describes research methods and outcomes and how students worked together or made use of peer feedback to improve upon drafts of research questions and abstracts. For a development project in Solidity, this study presents the issues at hand along with interview results that guided the implementation. Teams shared lessons learned with other teams through a weekly status report to the whole class. While available support for the Solidity teams was not ideal, students learned to use available online resources for creating and testing smart contracts. Our findings suggest that a project-based learning approach is an effective way for students to expand and develop their knowledge of emerging technologies, like blockchain, and apply it in a variety of industries.

BackgroundThe optimal interval for repeat biopsy during active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer is yet to be defined. This study examined whether risk of upgrading (to grade group ≥ 2) or risk of converting to treatment varied according to intensity of repeat biopsy using data from the GAP3 consortium's global AS database.Materials and methodsIntensity of surveillance biopsy schedules was categorized according to centers' protocols: (a) Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance project (PRIAS) protocols with biopsies at years 1, 4, and 7 (10 centers; 7532 men); (b) biennial biopsies, that is, every other year (8 centers; 4365 men); and (c) annual biopsy schedules (4 centers; 1602 men). Multivariable Cox regression was used to compare outcomes according to biopsy intensity.ResultsOut of the 13,508 eligible participants, 56% were managed according to PRIAS protocols (biopsies at years 1, 4, and 7), 32% via biennial biopsy, and 12% via annual biopsy. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, risk of converting to treatment was greater for those on annual compared with PRIAS biopsy schedules (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51-1.83; p

Learning cybersecurity awareness builds on basic information technology concepts and digital literacy skills. In an effort to raise cybersecurity awareness among information technology students, this paper describes a series of three different interactive sessions offered to students of all levels at a business university. The sessions introduced cybersecurity awareness through identifying actual breaches and incidents, using open source intelligence tools, and participating in a capture the flag style competition. Student comments in blog posts and interviews after these sessions show the relevance of cybersecurity awareness in their daily lives and a general sense of surprise, amazement and concern at how much personal information is readily available online.

The importance of updating, expanding and improving what is taught in cybersecurity curricula is increasing as the security threat landscape becomes more dangerous, breaches become more frequent, and the number of deployed Internet of Things (IoT) devices, known for their security challenges, grows exponentially. This paper argues that a profile of "T-shaped" skills, which is known to be desirable in many consulting and design professions, is being reflected in the latest manifestations of cybersecurity curriculum design and accreditation. A model of learning that yields "T-shaped" professionals combines the ability to apply knowledge across domains (breadth) with the ability to apply functional and disciplinary skills (depth). We present the design of a junior- or senior-level cybersecurity course in which the horizontal stroke of the "T" (representing breadth) spans knowledge areas that cut across the people, process and technology triad. The vertical stroke of the "T" (representing depth) is provided by two aspects of the course design: first, learning the foundational principles of cybersecurity, including practical examples from cryptography and network security; and second, applying the principles of cybersecurity to a semester project, allowing students to expand the core "T" of the course to satisfy their own passions and interests. Our paper concludes with student and instructor reflections on the implementation of this cybersecurity course, as well as broader implications of the lessons learned after the initial offering of this course.

Estimote Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons deployed throughout a university campus enabled the creation of interactive tours for prospective and accepted students at Fall and Spring open house events. By configuring their mobile devices with an app to detect the beacons' signals, participants could view webpages containing information based on their current physical locations from the web addresses pushed to their devices by nearby beacons. Google Analytics and relational database reporting functions provided information related to the behavior of campus guests. This study presents lessons learned from deploying a Physical Web and results of analyzing user behavior based on the analytics data. The conclusions drawn from this data can be used to improve campus visits for prospective students and supplement decision making in university admissions offices. Participants in a follow-up survey shared their impressions of the Physical Web as an emerging technology. By joining in the project, participants said they learned more about the Physical Web and its application to real-life scenarios.

BackgroundThe inclusion criterion for active surveillance (AS) is low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer. The predictive value of the presence of a suspicious lesion at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the time of inclusion is insufficiently known.ObjectiveTo evaluate the percentage of patients needing active treatment stratified by the presence or absence of a suspicious lesion at baseline MRI.Design setting and participantsA retrospective analysis of the data from the multicentric AS GAP3 Consortium database was conducted. The inclusion criteria were men with grade group (GG) 1 or GG 2 prostate cancer combined with prostate-specific antigen

This paper presents data from two international projects focused on the interaction between changemaking and digital making in university students. The data is drawn from the contributions of 63 university students located in the United States, Romania, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Denmark and England. Using a design thinking methodology and a thematic analysis of student responses, the aim was to understand how the creative use of immersive technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, might create an environment for changemaking practices in an international context. Findings suggest that students demonstrated not only enhanced digital skills and student engagement but increased cultural competence and global mindfulness. International digital collaboration can create conditions for students to develop changemaker attributes and identify as changemakers within the spheres of entrepreneurship and education, preparing them to be a force for change in the world.

Python is a popular, general purpose programming language that is gaining wide adoption in beginning programming courses. This paper describes the development and implementation of an introductory Python course at a business university open to students in a variety of majors and minors. Given the growing number of career opportunities in analytics, the instructors felt that including a module on Data Analytics would add relevance and interest in the course. A survey given at the end of the semester shows students found this topic to be relevant to their future uses of Python. The paper also discusses challenges in teaching a first programming course to students with varying levels of programming experience.

As industry embraces the agile methodology for application development, universities are shifting their curricula to teach agile principles along with traditional waterfall concepts. This paper describes a simulation game offered to students in a first-year computing concepts course to introduce both models of application development. Students work in development teams to design, build, and test paper airplanes following both waterfall and agile principles to experience the roles, processes, and challenges of each. Participants track their team's progress throughout the activity, so they can draw conclusions about the benefits and challenges of each approach. Survey results indicate that students learned the various roles and approaches of both methods through this experience.

BackgroundInnovations in treatments, imaging, and molecular characterisation in advanced prostate cancer have improved outcomes, but there are still many aspects of management that lack high-level evidence to inform clinical practice. The Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC) 2019 addressed some of these topics to supplement guidelines that are based on level 1 evidence.ObjectiveTo present the results from the APCCC 2019.Design, setting, and participantsSimilar to prior conferences, experts identified 10 important areas of controversy regarding the management of advanced prostate cancer: locally advanced disease, biochemical recurrence after local therapy, treating the primary tumour in the metastatic setting, metastatic hormone-sensitive/naïve prostate cancer, nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, bone health and bone metastases, molecular characterisation of tissue and blood, inter- and intrapatient heterogeneity, and adverse effects of hormonal therapy and their management. A panel of 72 international prostate cancer experts developed the programme and the consensus questions.Outcome measurements and statistical analysisThe panel voted publicly but anonymously on 123 predefined questions, which were developed by both voting and nonvoting panel members prior to the conference following a modified Delphi process.Results and limitationsPanellists voted based on their opinions rather than a standard literature review or formal meta-analysis. The answer options for the consensus questions had varying degrees of support by the panel, as reflected in this article and the detailed voting results reported in the Supplementary material.ConclusionsThese voting results from a panel of prostate cancer experts can help clinicians and patients navigate controversial areas of advanced prostate management for which high-level evidence is sparse. However, diagnostic and treatment decisions should always be individualised based on patient-specific factors, such as disease extent and location, prior lines of therapy, comorbidities, and treatment preferences, together with current and emerging clinical evidence and logistic and economic constraints. Clinical trial enrolment for men with advanced prostate cancer should be strongly encouraged. Importantly, APCCC 2019 once again identified important questions that merit assessment in specifically designed trials.Patient summaryThe Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference provides a forum to discuss and debate current diagnostic and treatment options for patients with advanced prostate cancer. The conference, which has been held three times since 2015, aims to share the knowledge of world experts in prostate cancer management with health care providers worldwide. At the end of the conference, an expert panel discusses and votes on predefined consensus questions that target the most clinically relevant areas of advanced prostate cancer treatment. The results of the voting provide a practical guide to help clinicians discuss therapeutic options with patients as part of shared and multidisciplinary decision making.

Connecting ordinary devices to the Internet is a defining characteristic of the Internet of Things. In this hands-on lab activity, students will connect a wireless doorbell to the Internet using a Raspberry Pi computer. By modifying and running a program on the Raspberry Pi to send an email or text message notifying a recipient that someone is at the door, students will gain an appreciation for how the Internet of Things enables devices to work together to produce new products or solutions. The activity also serves as a brief introduction to interacting with the Linux operating system on a Raspberry Pi computer. Working in groups of 3 or 4, students will demonstrate their understanding by completing a collaborative lab report that summarizes the key takeaways of each step. Little or no programming skills are required. The experience of physically connecting an everyday object to a device online gives an appreciation of the potential for automating tasks using the Internet of Things.

BackgroundCareful assessment of the reasons for discontinuation of active surveillance (AS) is required for men with prostate cancer (PCa).ObjectiveUsing Movember's Global Action Plan Prostate Cancer Active Surveillance initiative (GAP3) database, we report on reasons for AS discontinuation.Design, setting, and participantsWe compared data from 10296 men on AS from 21 centres across 12 countries.Outcome measurements and statistical analysisCumulative incidence methods were used to estimate the cumulative incidence rates of AS discontinuation.Results and limitationsDuring 5-yr follow-up, 27.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.4-28.6%) men showed signs of disease progression, 12.8% (95% CI: 12.0-13.6%) converted to active treatment without evidence of progression, 1.7% (95% CI: 1.5-2.0%) continued to watchful waiting, and 1.7% (95% CI: 1.4-2.1%) died from other causes. Of the 7049 men who remained on AS, 2339 had follow-up for >5yr, 4561 had follow-up for

Much has been written on the skills and capabilities of a new generation raised with social media, smartphones, and immediate access to data and information via the Internet. Today's college students grew up using the Internet, where they both generate and consume data. But do incoming college students have the skills necessary to thrive in a digital world that requires the ability to generate, analyze, and share insights from data? This paper presents a study, performed at two small New England institutions each with a business focus, which examines the digital skill sets of first-year college students in relation to the skills they have developed before entering college. The authors also consider whether there is a "digital divide" among first-year college students in relation to their previous technology skills. When applying the Databilities framework for evaluating data literacy competencies, results show that teaching data literacy skills to first-year college students will be critical to their academic success as future information technology workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching game development has become an accepted methodology for introducing programming concepts and capturing the interest of beginning computer science and information technology (IT) students. This study, conducted over three consecutive semesters, explores game development using a gaming engine, rather than a traditional programming language, as a means not only to introduce programming concepts, but also to promote the development of information and communications technology (ICT) literacy skills among first-year business students. The paper argues that in addition to learning programming concepts, completing the steps involved to develop and publish an original game requires students to demonstrate a variety of ICT skills. To be successful, they must be proficient at creating and editing multimedia, interacting with multiple operating systems and mobile devices, performing research online, transferring files from one machine to another, and uploading the files for their games to an app store and the web.

The start of the college experience is often hectic as students discover their new surroundings on campus. Students must carry out several high-tech tasks on their laptops and mobile devices in order to be successful participants in the digital culture that permeates their institution of higher learning. This paper describes the implementation of mandatory JumpStart sessions, held during the first week of the semester outside of class time, for first year students enrolled in a required Technology Concepts course. The goal of these peer-led sessions is to set up student laptops and devices to function within the university's computing infrastructure, to install needed software for their technology concepts course, to introduce students to computing resources on campus, and to create a social learning environment where students engage with each other. In doing so, students form a community of practice which serves them well as they acclimate to their new surroundings.

BackgroundIn advanced prostate cancer (APC), successful drug development as well as advances in imaging and molecular characterisation have resulted in multiple areas where there is lack of evidence or low level of evidence. The Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC) 2017 addressed some of these topics.ObjectiveTo present the report of APCCC 2017.Design, setting, and participantsTen important areas of controversy in APC management were identified: high-risk localised and locally advanced prostate cancer; "oligometastatic" prostate cancer; castration-naïve and castration-resistant prostate cancer; the role of imaging in APC; osteoclast-targeted therapy; molecular characterisation of blood and tissue; genetic counselling/testing; side effects of systemic treatment(s); global access to prostate cancer drugs. A panel of 60 international prostate cancer experts developed the program and the consensus questions.Outcome measurements and statistical analysisThe panel voted publicly but anonymously on 150 predefined questions, which have been developed following a modified Delphi process.Results and limitationsVoting is based on panellist opinion, and thus is not based on a standard literature review or meta-analysis. The outcomes of the voting had varying degrees of support, as reflected in the wording of this article, as well as in the detailed voting results recorded in Supplementary data.ConclusionsThe presented expert voting results can be used for support in areas of management of men with APC where there is no high-level evidence, but individualised treatment decisions should as always be based on all of the data available, including disease extent and location, prior therapies regardless of type, host factors including comorbidities, as well as patient preferences, current and emerging evidence, and logistical and economic constraints. Inclusion of men with APC in clinical trials should be strongly encouraged. Importantly, APCCC 2017 again identified important areas in need of trials specifically designed to address them.Patient summaryThe second Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference APCCC 2017 did provide a forum for discussion and debates on current treatment options for men with advanced prostate cancer. The aim of the conference is to bring the expertise of world experts to care givers around the world who see less patients with prostate cancer. The conference concluded with a discussion and voting of the expert panel on predefined consensus questions, targeting areas of primary clinical relevance. The results of these expert opinion votes are embedded in the clinical context of current treatment of men with advanced prostate cancer and provide a practical guide to clinicians to assist in the discussions with men with prostate cancer as part of a shared and multidisciplinary decision-making process.

From their presence on social media sites to in-house application data files, the amount of data that companies, governments, individuals, and sensors generate is overwhelming. The growth of Big Data in both consumer and enterprise activities has caused educators to consider options for including Big Data in the Information Systems curriculum. Introducing Big Data concepts and technologies in the classroom often is reserved for advanced students in database or programming courses. This paper explores approaches for integrating Big Data into the Information Systems curriculum, and presents a sample lesson for presenting basic Big Data concepts to first year students in a general education Information Technology course. As the need for IT professionals with Big Data skills will continue to increase, including these topics in a general education technology curriculum is especially pertinent.