The Future of Learning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Cesaro

Abstract The unexpected discomfort caused by Covid-19 pandemic and all the consequent government restrictions on travels and social distancing have pushed all the Training Organizations worldwide into an unusual challenge, being forced to support their Customers from afar. This work aims to thoroughly analyze the success of the Remote Learning methodology, highlighting key factors impacting the learning curve, and to share effective improvement ideas for this approach to deliver training focused on technical and human skills. Many companies reacted to this situation by investing largely in and increasing the adoption of digital technologies to facilitate internal and external communications and more specifically to support Remote Learning. However, despite the prompt response, many Training Organizations found themselves delivering their products through a series of trials, mistakes and lesson learned on methodology and tools. The detection of few but significant improvements increased effectiveness and improved interaction in our Remote Classes. The improvement actions concerned learning how to make the most of the available digital technologies and identifying the most effective applications for sharing documents and interacting with participants; at the same time, a great focus on the human skills approach was crucial to learn how to promote trust, motivation and interaction between our staff and Customers’ personnel. In this perspective, Operator Training Simulations (OTS) and Remote VR Training have emerged as one of the best applications to increase the attendees’ learning curve and help develop Customers’ personnel skills. Our study, however, isn't all about bright stars. The feedback told us that some Customers still prefer to take in-person training classes rather than remote ones. Sometimes this relates with biases against remote or digital activities, but it often applies where hard activities need to be performed.

The current economic terms and conditions stimulate investments in digital transformations. Digital technologies act as drivers, including for education and vocational training. The companies that invest in information technologies for education and HR training realize that investments in HR and the development of skills in education and vocational training are recognized as key factors of the economic growth. This article aims at analyzing the peculiarities of investing in digital learning technologies in the context of the digital economy. In the article the relevance of investing in HR has been substantiated, and the foreign experience of stimulating investments in digital learning technologies has been analyzed. Based on the expert survey, the possibilities of HR digital training have been analyzed, and the peculiarities of various forms of digital training have been defined.


2020 ◽  
Vol 128 (9) ◽  
pp. 642-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Kwon ◽  
M. Lisa Zhang ◽  
Christopher J. VandenBussche

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 897-913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ai Qiang Li ◽  
Nicholas Rich ◽  
Pauline Found ◽  
Maneesh Kumar ◽  
Steve Brown

PurposeIn the age of Industry 4.0, digital advancement is reshaping manufacturing models towards product–service systems (PSS). The drivers, readiness and challenges to move to a PSS model are not well understood, and the exploitation of the digital era presents the gap of this research.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted using semi-structured interviews in six manufacturers. Two forum debates were also conducted to supplement and validate the findings.FindingsSocial and economic motivations rather than environmental considerations were driving the change to PSS. Digital technologies could be an important driver if manufacturers reached a certain PSS maturity level. A high level of technical readiness was offset by a low level of social investments and the strategic development of human resources. Value co-creation was a main challenge though manufacturers had the advantage of digital connectivity, which indicated new human requirements; the greater the enabling power of digital technologies, the greater the need for advanced human skills.Practical implicationsHuman resource management has underpinned lean models; yet, the role of employees within PSS is underdeveloped despite the impact of staff in exploiting digitalisation and value co-creation. A “learning organisation” and socio-technical fit are required for the “diffusion of innovation” of PSS.Originality/valueThis research attempted to explore drivers, readiness and challenges for PSS from a socio-technical systems (STS) perspective. Three levels of PSS maturity with STS features were derived from the research, providing guidance for manufacturers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 25-26
Author(s):  
Ilaria Chirico ◽  
Clarissa Giebel ◽  
Katarzyna Lion ◽  
Maria Mackowiak ◽  
Monica Cations ◽  
...  

Background:Social distancing rules and the closure of services associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have strongly impacted the physical and mental health of people with dementia. Digital technologies can represent an effective means to compensate for the distress associated with social distancing rules and the decreased use of in-person services. More specifically, technologies such as smartphones, tablets, and smart home systems can minimize the negative effects of social distancing and isolation, and the pressure on health and care systems. Indeed, they can provide a continuity of care and social connectedness, while decreasing exposure to risk. However, barriers such as digital literacy and lower income households can impede the access and use of digital technologies. The aim of this international study was to compare the use of technology by people with dementia from different care settings, and their informal carers across four countries (Italy, UK, Australia, and Poland).Methods:People with dementia and informal carers were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Verbatim transcripts were analysed by researchers in each country using inductive thematic analysis.Results:A total of 141 people with dementia and carers (47 in Italy; 50 in the UK; 18 in Australia; 26 in Poland) were interviewed. The analysis identified three overarching themes: 1) different uses of technology (three subthemes); 2) benefits of technology (three subthemes); 3) limitations of technology (three subthemes). Results show that calls, video calls, and group-chats were effectively used across countries to guarantee the continuity of relationships with professionals, families, and small groups of peers. Telemedicine was used with varying levels of satisfaction. Furthermore, the benefits experienced by carers exceeded those for people with dementia. Similar barriers were reported across countries, and were strictly associated with dementia deficits, low level digital literacy, and the need for carer’s supervision.Conclusions:These international findings highlight the importance to maximise the benefits related to the use of technology according to people with dementia’s impairment and care context. Moreover, it should be complementary to in-person care which should be provided, at least to some extent, even during pandemic times.


2021 ◽  
Vol 114 ◽  
pp. 01024
Author(s):  
Galina V. Astratova ◽  
Tatyana K. Rutkauskas ◽  
Natalya V. Parushina ◽  
Natalya A. Suchkova

The aim of the study was to analyze new trends, competition and structural changes in higher education in the context of digitalization. The main directions of higher education development in the XXI century are identified. It is shown that by 2020, new trends in the market of higher education services have appeared and fully manifested themselves, due to three key factors: 1) increased global competition; 2) the active introduction of digital technologies in higher education; 3) the impact of the global COVID pandemic on educational technologies. It is shown that the coronavirus pandemic was a powerful incentive for the transition to digital technologies in higher education. Thanks to digitalization, the structure of the market has changed, and the number of players has increased significantly, and the market consists of private and public institutions, ministries of education and government agencies, educational, consulting and test (rating) companies, etc. Moreover, the global competition of universities for quality is becoming more organized and technically equipped; it increasingly relies on impersonal methods of assessing quality using digital technologies. At the same time, the authors draw a number of conclusions about the negative consequences of distance education. It is shown that competitiveness and accessibility of educational services for different categories of citizens in the difficult conditions of global challenges and threats, the wave pandemic, is ensured through high-quality interaction of all participants in the process, the activity of scientists and practitioners around the world, and state support for teaching initiatives in all regions of the country.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl J. Friston ◽  
Thomas Parr ◽  
Peter Zeidman ◽  
Adeel Razi ◽  
Guillaume Flandin ◽  
...  

We recently described a dynamic causal model of a COVID-19 outbreak within a single region. Here, we combine several of these (epidemic) models to create a (pandemic) model of viral spread among regions. Our focus is on a second wave of new cases that may result from loss of immunity—and the exchange of people between regions—and how mortality rates can be ameliorated under different strategic responses. In particular, we consider hard or soft social distancing strategies predicated on national (Federal) or regional (State) estimates of the prevalence of infection in the population. The modelling is demonstrated using timeseries of new cases and deaths from the United States to estimate the parameters of a factorial (compartmental) epidemiological model of each State and, crucially, coupling between States. Using Bayesian model reduction, we identify the effective connectivity between States that best explains the initial phases of the outbreak in the United States. Using the ensuing posterior parameter estimates, we then evaluate the likely outcomes of different policies in terms of mortality, working days lost due to lockdown and demands upon critical care. The provisional results of this modelling suggest that social distancing and loss of immunity are the two key factors that underwrite a return to endemic equilibrium.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1816-1818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly A Hirko ◽  
Jean M Kerver ◽  
Sabrina Ford ◽  
Chelsea Szafranski ◽  
John Beckett ◽  
...  

Abstract Telehealth programs have long held promise for addressing rural health disparities perpetuated by inadequate healthcare access. The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and accompanying social distancing measures have hastened the implementation of telehealth programs in hospital systems around the globe. Here, we provide specific examples of telehealth efforts that have been implemented in a large rural healthcare system in response to the pandemic, and further describe how the massive shift to telehealth and reliance on virtual connections in these times of social isolation may impact rural health disparities for those without access to necessary broadband to deploy digital technologies. Finally, we provide recommendations for researchers and policymakers to ensure that telehealth initiatives do not amplify existing health disparities experienced by those living in rural communities.


Author(s):  
Mohsen Attaran ◽  
Sharmin Attaran ◽  
Diane Kirkland

This chapter explores the changing dimensions of the workplace and highlights the relationship between technology and organizational change. The chapter begins by briefly reviewing some key perspectives that have emerged in the information systems (IS) literature to account for the relationship between technology and organizational change. It highlights the importance of smart workplace technologies, identifies determinants of successful workplace transformation, proposes a conceptual model for implementation, identifies key factors to consider, and covers some of the potential benefits. The chapter argues that digital transformation is more than just implementing digital technologies. Successful digital transformation occurs when business strategies or major sections of an organization are altered.


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