The Value of Government Mandated Location-Based Services in Emergencies in Australia

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 41-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anas Aloudat ◽  
Katina Michael ◽  
Roba Abbas ◽  
Mutaz Al-Debei
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
National Security ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Location Based Services ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Location Services ◽  
Big Picture ◽  
National Emergency

The adoption of mobile technologies for emergency management has the capacity to save lives. In Australia in February 2009, the Victorian Bushfires claimed 173 lives, the worst peace-time disaster in the nation’s history. The Australian government responded swiftly to the tragedy by going to tender for mobile applications that could be used during emergencies, such as mobile alerts and location services. These applications have the ability to deliver personalized information direct to the citizen during crises, complementing traditional broadcasting mediums like television and radio. Indeed governments have a responsibility to their citizens to safeguard them against both natural and human-made hazards and today national security has grown to encapsulate such societal and economic securitization. However, some citizens and lobby groups have emphasized that such breakthrough technologies need to be deployed with caution as they are fraught with ethical considerations, including the potential for breaches in privacy, security and trust. The other problem is that real world implementations of national emergency alerts have not always worked reliably and their value has come into question as a result. This paper provides a big picture view of the value of government-mandated location-based services during emergencies, and the challenges ensuing from their use.

The Socio-Ethical Considerations Surrounding Government Mandated Location-Based Services during Emergencies

2011 ◽  
pp. 129-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anas Aloudat ◽  
Katina Michael
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
National Security ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Location Based Services ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Location Services

The adoption of mobile technologies for emergency management has the capacity to save lives. In Australia in February 2009, the Victorian bushfires claimed 173 lives, the worst peace-time disaster in the nation’s history. The Australian government responded swiftly to the tragedy by going to tender for mobile applications that could be used during emergencies, such as mobile alerts and location services. These applications have the ability to deliver personalized information direct to the citizen during crises, complementing traditional broadcasting mediums like television and radio. Indeed governments have a responsibility to their citizens to safeguard them against both natural and human-made hazards, and today, national security has grown to encapsulate such societal and economic securitization. However, some citizens and lobby groups have emphasized that such breakthrough technologies need to be deployed with caution as they are fraught with ethical considerations, including the potential for breaches in privacy, security, and trust.

The Value of Government Mandated Location-Based Services in Emergencies in Australia

2013 ◽  
pp. 244-272
Author(s):  
Anas Aloudat ◽  
Katina Michael ◽  
Roba Abbas ◽  
Mutaz Al-Debei
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
National Security ◽  
Real World ◽  
Location Based Services ◽  
The Other ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Location Services ◽  
Big Picture ◽  
National Emergency

The adoption of mobile technologies for emergency management has the capacity to save lives. In Australia in February 2009, the Victorian Bushfires claimed 173 lives, the worst peace-time disaster in the nation’s history. The Australian government responded swiftly to the tragedy by going to tender for mobile applications that could be used during emergencies, such as mobile alerts and location services. These applications have the ability to deliver personalized information direct to the citizen during crises, complementing traditional broadcasting mediums like television and radio. Indeed governments have a responsibility to their citizens to safeguard them against both natural and human-made hazards and today national security has grown to encapsulate such societal and economic securitization. However, some citizens and lobby groups have emphasized that such breakthrough technologies need to be deployed with caution as they are fraught with ethical considerations, including the potential for breaches in privacy, security and trust. The other problem is that real world implementations of national emergency alerts have not always worked reliably and their value has come into question as a result. This paper provides a big picture view of the value of government-mandated location-based services during emergencies, and the challenges ensuing from their use.

The Socio-Ethical Considerations Surrounding Government Mandated Location-Based Services during Emergencies

2013 ◽  
pp. 918-943
Author(s):  
Anas Aloudat ◽  
Katina Michael
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
National Security ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Location Based Services ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Location Services

The adoption of mobile technologies for emergency management has the capacity to save lives. In Australia in February 2009, the Victorian bushfires claimed 173 lives, the worst peace-time disaster in the nation’s history. The Australian government responded swiftly to the tragedy by going to tender for mobile applications that could be used during emergencies, such as mobile alerts and location services. These applications have the ability to deliver personalized information direct to the citizen during crises, complementing traditional broadcasting mediums like television and radio. Indeed governments have a responsibility to their citizens to safeguard them against both natural and human-made hazards, and today, national security has grown to encapsulate such societal and economic securitization. However, some citizens and lobby groups have emphasized that such breakthrough technologies need to be deployed with caution as they are fraught with ethical considerations, including the potential for breaches in privacy, security, and trust.

scholarly journals A Platform and Its Applied Modes for Geography Fieldwork in Higher Education Based on Location Services

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 225
Author(s):  
Ling Ruan ◽  
Yi Long ◽  
Ling Zhang ◽  
Guonian Lv
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Application ◽  
Geography Education ◽  
Location Based Services ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Dynamic Adjustment ◽  
Location Services ◽  
Significant Support ◽  
Independent Mode ◽  
Teacher Centered

Fieldwork is an important aspect of geography learning in higher educational institutions. Under the support of mobile technologies, the process and method of fieldwork in geography education have significantly been changed. However, the in-depth combination of Location-Based Services (LBSs) and geography fieldwork is still in the initial exploration stage. This paper designed and implemented a professional geography fieldwork platform based on Lushan, a famous geography fieldwork education station in Jiangxi, China. The platform includes the student-side mobile application, teacher-side mobile application, and a web back-end management system. Three specific technologically-enhanced applied modes were put forward based on the platform, which contains teacher-centered, semi-supervised, and student-independent modes. Students’ views on the three applied modes and usage in the fieldwork platform were collected through a questionnaire. The result shows that the LBS fieldwork platform has significant support for geography fieldwork. It meets the needs of students and reduces the burden for teachers. The teacher-centered is the most popular mode for students. Due to the unguaranteed fieldwork safety, inconvenient dynamic adjustment, and the habit of relying on the teacher’s explanation, the student-independent mode based on the LBS platform has apparent limitations. Nevertheless, students can recognize its potential in improving their practical, cooperative, and autonomous abilities. They are willing to try independent fieldwork supported by the platform in several days.

scholarly journals Government Authority and the Covid-19 Lockdown

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine Hayward
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
National Security ◽  
Constitutional Change ◽  
Government Response ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Civil Defence ◽  
National Emergency ◽  
Epidemic Response ◽  
Government Authority

During the national lockdown, Cabinet exercised extraordinary authority in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This article summarises the circumstances leading up to the adjournment of Parliament in late March, and the decision-making processes in place during the lockdown. This includes the national security system and all-of-government response to the crisis, as well as the key legislative triggers for the government’s response: the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006 (and the epidemic notice) and the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 (and the state of national emergency). It also discusses decision making by the Covid-19 Ministerial Group and the Epidemic Response Committee while Parliament was adjourned. It argues that Cabinet exercised appropriate authority in response to the crisis and did not make significant, permanent or constitutional change.

Developing and Validating a M-Governance Framework Adoption Model of a University for Communication Services to Its Affiliated Institutions

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 484
Author(s):  
E. Ramganesh ◽  
E. Kirubakaran ◽  
D. Ravindran ◽  
R. Gobi
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Technology Acceptance Model ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Communication Services ◽  
Governance Framework ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
Acceptance Model

The m-Governance framework of auniversity aims to utilize the massive reach of mobile phones and harness the potential of mobile applications to enable easy and round the-clock access to the services of its affiliated institutions.  In the current mobile age there is need for transforming e-governance services to m-Governance as m-Governance is not a replacement for e-Governance rather it complements e-Governance. With this unparalleled advancement of mobile communication technologies, universities are turning to m-governance to realize the value of mobile technologies for responsive governance and measurable improvements to academic, social and economic development, public service delivery, operational efficiencies and active stakeholder engagement. In this context the present study, aims to develop and validate a m-governance framework of a university by extending Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with its prime stakeholders so called the Heads of the affiliated institutions. A survey instrument was developed based on the framework and it was administered with 20 Heads of the affiliated Institutions. The results also showed that the Heads of the affiliated Institutions expressed their favorableness towards m-governance adoption.

scholarly journals Gamification-less: may gamification really foster civic participation? A controlled field experiment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Romano ◽  
Paloma Díaz ◽  
Ignacio Aedo
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Management ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Civic Participation ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Design Experiment ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Group Design ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Open Issue ◽  
Smart Communities

AbstractIn the context of smart communities, it is essential an active and continuous collaboration between citizens, organizations and institutions. There are several cases where citizens may be asked to participate such as in public decision-making process by informing, voting or proposing projects or in crisis management by sharing precise and timely information with other citizens and emergency organizations. However, these opportunities do not automatically result in participatory practices sustained over time. Mobile technologies and social networks provide the substratum for supporting formal empowerment, but citizen engagement in participation processes is still an open issue. One of the techniques used to improve engagement is gamification based on the humans’ predisposition to games. So far, we still lack studies that can prove the advantage of gamified systems respect to non-gamified ones in civic participation context. In this work, we present a between-group design experiment performed in the wild using two mobile applications enabling civic participation, one gamified and the other not. Our results highlight that the gamified application generates a better user experience and civic engagement.

Ethical listening to employees during a pandemic: new approaches, barriers and lessons

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlene S. Neill ◽  
Shannon A. Bowen
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Communication Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Management Professionals ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify new challenges to organizational listening posed by a global pandemic and how organizations are overcoming those barriers.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers conducted 30 in-depth interviews with US communication management professionals.FindingsCommunication management professionals value listening, but do not always make it the priority that it merits. They listed lack of desire of senior management, time, and trust of employees as barriers to effective organizational listening. The global COVID pandemic has made it more challenging to connect to employees working remotely and to observe nonverbal cues that are essential in communication. Organizations are adapting by using more frequent pulse surveys, video conferencing technology and mobile applications. Most importantly, this pandemic has enhanced moral sensitivity and empathy leading organizations to make decisions based on ethical considerations.Research limitations/implicationsThe researchers examined organizational listening applying employee-organization relationships (EOR) theory and found that trust is essential. Trust can be enhanced through building relationships with employees, ethical listening and closing the feedback loop by communicating how employers are using the feedback received by employees to make a positive change.Practical implicationsCommunication managers need to place a higher priority on listening to employees. Their listening efforts need to be authentic, morally autonomous or open-minded, and empathetic to respect the genuine concerns of employees and how organizational decisions will affect them. Listening is essential to serving as an ethical and effective strategic counselor.Originality/valueThe study examines organizational listening in the context of a global pandemic.

scholarly journals Teaching and Learning Physics with Smartphones

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Á. González ◽  
Manuel Á. González ◽  
M. Esther Martín ◽  
César Llamas ◽  
Óscar Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Traditional Learning ◽  
Know How ◽  
Measurement Devices ◽  
The One ◽  
Physics Experiments

The use of mobile technologies is reshaping how to teach and learn. In this paper the authors describe their research on the use of these technologies to teach physics. On the one hand they develop mobile applications to complement the traditional learning and to help students learn anytime and anywhere. The use of this applications has proved to have very positive influence on the students' engagement. On the other hand, they use smartphones as measurement devices in physics experiments. This opens the possibility of designing and developing low cost laboratories where expensive material can be substituted by smartphones. The smartphones' sensors are reliable and accurate enough to permit good measurements. However, as it is shown with some examples, special care must be taken here if one does not know how these apps used to access the sensors' data are programmed.

scholarly journals A Framework for Research in Gamified Mobile Guide Applications using Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs)

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Doumanis ◽  
Serengul Smith
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Location Based Services ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Conversational Agents ◽  
Cultural Narratives ◽  
Unified Framework ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Cognitive Accessibility

Mobile Guides are mobile applications that provide players with local and location-based services (LBS), such as navigation assistance, where and when they need them most. Advances in mobile technologies in recent years have enabled the gamification of these applications, opening up new opportunities to transfer education and culture through game play. However, adding traditional game elements such as PBLs (points, badges, and leaderboards) alone cannot ensure that the intended learning outcomes will be met, as the player’s cognitive resources are shared between the application and the surrounding environment. This distribution of resources prevents players from easily immersing themselves into the educational scenario. Adding artificial conversational characters (ECAs) that simulate the social norms found in real-life human-to-human guide scenarios has the potential to address this problem and improve the player’s experience and learning of cultural narratives [1]. Although significant progress has been made towards creating game-like mobile guides with ECAs ([2], [3]), there is still a lack of a unified framework that enables researchers and practitioners to investigate the potential effects of such applications to players and how to approach the concepts of player experience, cognitive accessibility and usability in this context. This paper presents a theoretically-well supported research framework consisted of four key components: differences in players, different features of the gamified task, aspects of how the ECA looks, sound or behaves and different mobile environments. Furthermore, it provides based on this framework a working definition of what player experience, cognitive accessibility and usability are in the context of game-like mobile guide applications. Finally, a synthesis of the results of six empirical studies conducted within this research framework is discussed and a series of design guidelines for the effective gamification of mobile guide applications using ECAs are presented. Results show that an ECA can positively affect the quality of the player’s experience, but it did not elicit better player retention of cultural narratives and navigation of routes.

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