Posttraumatic Growth in Women With a Long-Standing Experience of Involuntary Childlessness in the Czech Republic

This qualitative research study aimed to examine aspects of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in women with a long-standing experience of involuntary childlessness. In-depth semi-structured interviews, lasting an average of 53 min, were conducted in the Czech Republic. Twenty-four women, averaging 38.8 years old with an average of 6.2 years of infertility experience, participated. They were asked how involuntary childlessness affected/changed their partnerships, sexual life, job, future plans, attitude to children/values/faith, and leisure time. Participants shared both positive and negative aspects of the infertility experience. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five main themes of PTG were identified: strengthening of partnership, greater humility, deeper self-appreciation, reassessment of relationships, and changes in the philosophy of life. These findings could be useful to mental health providers to facilitate the PTG process in patients.

Augmented Reality Mobile Application for Children with Autism : Stakeholders’ Acceptance and Thoughts

American Psychiatric Association defined autism spectrum disorder as a neurological disorder due to which a diagnosed child may face difficulty in social communication or have a repeated or restricted set of behaviors. Learners with autism are primarily visual strategy learners, and they tend to learn better through pictures and images. Due to their cognitive disabilities, most learners with autism struggle to acquire new vocabulary. There have been many inventions invented by researchers all over the world to help autistic children with their education; however, not much emphasis put on the interventions that can assist autistic children with their English vocabulary learning process. Hence, this study intends to investigate the stakeholders’ acceptance and thoughts on the use of augmented reality mobile applications for children with autism. This study is a qualitative research study where interviews are used as an instrument to gather stakeholders’ views on the usefulness of the designed and developed augmented reality technology mobile application. This study involved seven respondents who come from different backgrounds and in different field areas. The results have gathered that the designed and developed mobile application has the prospect of helping children with autism with their English language learning process. With further improvements, the designed and developed mobile application is believed to be able to help autistic children to learn English vocabulary in a more exciting yet meaningful manner and at the same time help to spark their interest in their English vocabulary language learning process.

Design and Development of an Instructional Program for Teaching Programming Processes to Gifted Students Using Scratch

This chapter examines practical applications of an educational program designed to teach Turkish gifted second, third, and fourth grade students programming using Scratch, an online programming website (https://scratch.mit.edu). This qualitative research study was conducted with gifted identified students in an elementary school in Ankara's Altındağ district. Qualitative data collection methods were used. The study found program strengths included practical orientation, student independence, student free expression, computer literacy, and interdisciplinary connections. Additionally, providing a variety of tools and equipment, using Scratch, having a course web site, and on-line resource sharing were also seen as strengths by the participants. Perceived weaknesses were technical difficulties, the limited number of course hours, some of Scratch's negative features, inadequate help at particular points, and negative situations caused by gender and grade level differences. Results indicate preliminary knowledge of participant computer literacy as important to programming success.

One Step Further

In this qualitative research study, a bidirectional ARS was integrated into a lecture. Students’ perceptions were explored by focusing on their preferences on different question and feedback types, sharing of posts, nickname use, problems, and design suggestions. A total of 25 students participated in focus group interviews. The results showed that students liked the multiple-choice type questions due to the easy answer characteristics, and they found it difficult to text their responses for open-ended questions. The majority of the students preferred getting feedback immediately after asking a question. Students also stated that using ARS ease their shyness. The findings can significantly contribute for understanding the potential of an ARS supporting two-way communication during a lecture-based approach of instruction, also demonstrate that thinking level of the questions with the feasibility of ARS should be investigated together, and the different preferences of students on the question type, feedback type, and nickname use highlight the importance of student characteristics.

Role-Playing Games as a Model of Gamification Applied to Engagement of Online Communities

Recent technological advances have promoted a social change that affects all areas of society, but mainly communication and entertainment, where social networks play a primordial function as they facilitate sociability and the creation of virtual communities. So-called “social media marketing” facilitates direct interaction between brands and markets through the Internet. For this, new communication strategies have been implemented, oriented towards the active participation of the users to increase their engagement. Some of these are inspired by the main product of the entertainment industry, videogames, through gamification. However, not many research studies have focused on classic role-playing games (RPGs), despite being considered the types of games that create the greatest player involvement. This work enquires about the possibilities offered by these games for the implementation of social media marketing strategies. A qualitative research study was conducted in which the engagement strategies utilized by RPG were associated with those utilized in social networks.

Motivations and Barriers for Adult Learner Achievement: Recommendations for Institutions of Higher Education

Recent trends in higher education indicate a steady increase in the number of adult and non-traditional learners returning to complete college degrees. Though higher education can provide numerous economic and career enhancement opportunities, adult learners experience several challenges when they return to college. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to gather and analyze data from employees from companies in the Midwest to determine the challenges and motivations of adult learners who plan to return to higher education. The results highlight that it is important for institutions of higher education to collaborate with employers to identify ways to modify their student recruitment methods to attract more adult student learners and identify supportive resources to help them complete their degrees successfully.

Gender Inequality in Nigeria Economy

Qualitative research study analyzing economic inequality in Nigeria. Employing the black feminist perspective to explore the laws, norms, values, traditional authority, government and financial institutions that exclude women in the matters of economic empowerment. The study is an extended literature review and utilizes document analysis.

Gender Inequality in Nigeria Economy

Qualitative research study analyzing economic inequality in Nigeria. Employing the black feminist perspective to explore the laws, norms, values, traditional authority, government and financial institutions that exclude women in the matters of economic empowerment. The study is an extended literature review and utilizes document analysis.

Augmented Reality Mobile Application for Children with Autism : Stakeholders’ Acceptance and Thoughts

American Psychiatric Association defined autism spectrum disorder as a neurological disorder due to which a diagnosed child may face difficulty in social communication or have a repeated or restricted set of behaviors. Learners with autism are primarily visual strategy learners, and they tend to learn better through pictures and images. Due to their cognitive disabilities, most learners with autism struggle to acquire new vocabulary. There have been many inventions invented by researchers all over the world to help autistic children with their education; however, not much emphasis put on the interventions that can assist autistic children with their English vocabulary learning process. Hence, this study intends to investigate the stakeholders’ acceptance and thoughts on the use of augmented reality mobile applications for children with autism. This study is a qualitative research study where interviews are used as an instrument to gather stakeholders’ views on the usefulness of the designed and developed augmented reality technology mobile application. This study involved seven respondents who come from different backgrounds and in different field areas. The results have gathered that the designed and developed mobile application has the prospect of helping children with autism with their English language learning process. With further improvements, the designed and developed mobile application is believed to be able to help autistic children to learn English vocabulary in a more exciting yet meaningful manner and at the same time help to spark their interest in their English vocabulary language learning process.