Acceptability of a real-time notification of stress and access to self-help therapies among law enforcement officers

Background Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to chronic stress throughout the course of their shift, which increases the risk of adverse events. Although there have been studies targeting LEO safety through enhanced training or expanded equipment provisions, there has been little attempt to leverage personal technology in the field to provide real-time notification of LEO stress. This study tests the acceptability of implementing of a brief, smart watch intervention to alleviate stress among LEOs. Methods We assigned smart watches to 22 patrol LEOs across two police departments: one suburban department and one large, urban department. At baseline, we measured participants’ resting heart rates (RHR), activated their watches, and educated them on brief wellness interventions in the field. LEOs were instructed to wear the watch during the entirety of their shift for 30 calendar days. When LEO’s heart rate or stress continuum reached the predetermined threshold for more than 10 min, the watch notified LEOs, in real time, of two stress reduction interventions: [1] a 1-min, guided breathing exercise; and [2] A Calm app, which provided a mix of guided meditations and mindfulness exercises for LEOs needing a longer decompression period. After the study period, participants were invited for semi-structured interviews to elucidate intervention components. Qualitative data were analyzed using an immersion-crystallization approach. Results LEOs reported three particularly useful intervention components: 1) a vibration notification when hearts rates remained high, although receipt of a notification was highly variable; 2) visualization of their heart rate and stress continuum in real time; and, 3) breathing exercises. The most frequently reported type of call for service when the watch vibrated was when a weapon was involved or when a LEO was in pursuit of a murder suspect/hostage. LEOs also recollected that their watch vibrated while reading dispatch notes or while on their way to work. Conclusions A smart watch can deliver access to brief wellness interventions in the field in a manner that is both feasible and acceptable to LEOs.

Personal Technology in the Classroom

College instructors desiring classrooms free from learning distractions often enforce personal-technology-use policies to create what they think is an optimal learning environment, but students tend not to favor restrictive personal technology policies. Which type of personal technology classroom environment maximizes student satisfaction, learning, and attention? We surveyed 280 business communications students in two types of classrooms: a personal technology-restricted environment and a free-use environment. We evaluated student perceptions of cognitive learning, sustained attention, and satisfaction with the course as well as the technology policy governing their classrooms. Students believed they achieved greater cognitive learning in non-restricted personal technology classrooms and perceived no significant difference in sustained attention. Although students may be more satisfied with a free personal-technology-use policy in the classroom, overall satisfaction with the course did not significantly differ according to the classroom environment. We discuss the importance of sustained attention and policy satisfaction for enhancing student course satisfaction in classrooms with both technology policy types.

Smartphone-Induced Digital Distractions

This chapter investigates smartphone-induced digital distractions through the lens of social cognitive theory and self-regulated learning. Social cognitive theory's reciprocal triarchic conceptualization is matched with the current role of the smartphone in the learning environment. Self-regulated learning is used to frame the challenges and opportunities presented by the smartphone. A final section suggests two opportunities for generating positive educational outcomes in light of social cognitive theory and self-regulated learning. The first is opportunity described as a reclamation of the dominant narrative regarding the educative role of personal technology. The second is the development of the individual learning scientist.

Smartwatch helps detects lung cancer: Using personal technology to advance healthcare

Summary The prevalence of smartwatches and other wearable medical technology has been increasing yearly. These watches offer a sensitive tool for capturing cardiac dysrhythmias and can lead to patients seeking earlier medical advice. This case report highlights the importance of clinicians seeking and using the information provided by wearable medical technology which in this case resulted in both the timely treatment of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia and lung adenocarcinoma.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY USE OF KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS FOR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: E-NVOLVEMENT IN THE TURKISH CONTEXT

The primary research aim of this current study was to better understand the digital technology use of Turkish kindergarten teachers in their parental involvement practices. A questionnaire designed by the authors was administered to 100 kindergarten teachers in five cities located within Turkey. It was revealed in the study results that the kindergarten teachers owned a variety of electronic devices and used those devices for both personal and educational purposes within the early childhood education setting. Teachers used digital technologies for their parental involvement practices less than they did for their own personal use or for other activities within the educational setting. The parental involvement types where teachers most often used digital technologies were for parenting and communicating. While the least popular parental involvement types where kindergarten teachers used digital technologies were decision-making and collaborating with the community. Teachers mentioned the two most common reasons for insufficient technology use for parental involvement were the parents’ financial status and level of knowledge. A negative relationship between teachers’ personal technology use and experience in the field increased, they were less likely to encounter problems regarding digital technology use for parental involvement

PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY USE AMONGST STROKE PATIENTS: UNDERSTANDING THE BEST PLATFORMS FOR THE DESIGN OF HEALTH INTERVENTIONS IN TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION

Europe's healthcare systems are under strain with an ageing population contributing to increased risk of strokes. Rapid technology adaption is needed to prevent, rehabilitate and manage symptoms. This paper identifies what technology platforms are most familiar and accessible to stroke patients to guide designers and engineers to develop future interventions. A survey was distributed to 100 inpatients at a stroke unit, identifying patients' accessibility and usage of personal technologies. Results showed that desktop/laptops and smartphones were most used as opposed to tablets and smartwatches. Different technologies were used for different tasks with a notable lack of devices used for personal health. The underlying reasons for this are discussed with recommendations made on what personal technology platforms should be implemented by designers and engineers in technology-based health interventions.

Real-time polling to help corral university-learners' wandering minds

PurposeThis research investigates the use of real-time online polling to enhance university teaching and learning.Design/methodology/approachUsing a case study and employing action research, this work shows how polling can improve professional practice, learner engagement and teaching performance.FindingsIncorporating the right type of online real-time polling into lessons is a professional challenge and can be hard work for teachers but has overriding benefits.Research limitations/implicationsThis research reports one lecturer's experiences within two UK universities, limited to location, variety of students and lecturer technical capability. The research implications are that online polling, especially in different learning environments, is needed. Previous research is outdated or limited to real-time polling for teaching and learning during physical classes. There are research opportunities therefore in the use of polling before, during and after class.Practical implicationsThis research finds that the field of online polling needs to be seen as a modern teaching tool that now uses students' personal technology for easier use by students and teachers: it is more than the use of archaic “clickers” which were extra classroom items to be bought and maintained. Also, online polling, before, during and after classes, can be employed usefully and have validity within teachers' toolboxes. This paper shows how such polls can be successfully deployed.Originality/valueWhilst there are previous reports of polling undertaken within teaching and learning events, this paper builds upon those experiences and boosts collective understanding about the use of polling as a way to improve professional practice and increase learning.

‘Do we need to use a wiki, Miss?’

Blogs, wikis, nings, Google, del.icio.us, YouTube, Skype, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter… the list is endless. Social networking technologies have become an integral part of life – supporting our work, learning and social activities on a daily basis. As new technologies emerge, we make decisions about adopting these as part of the suite of tools we prefer to use to complete information, communication and learning tasks. As social networking technologies are integrated across the curriculum in schools, how do students cope with the introduction of these new technologies, particularly with regard to the development and management of their own personal technology toolkit? What features of new technologies are valued by students in supporting their learning? What factors influence students’ decision making in terms of adopting or rejecting a new technology as part of their personal toolkit? These questions are explored based on findings of a doctoral study which examined the use of Web 2.0 technologies to support students’ completion of an inquiry-based assignment.

Understanding Teens’ Perceptions and Aspirations towards Relationship with Personal Technology: Survey of teens (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Understanding teens' relationship with technology is a pressing topic in this digital era. There seem to be both benefit and harmful implications that originate from use of technology by teens. Approximately 95% of teenagers have access to a smartphone, and several studies show a positive correlation between screen addiction and trends of Anxiety and Depression. While, at the same time, research shows that two-thirds of teenagers believe that technology is a necessity for connecting and making new friends. OBJECTIVE The aim of this formative research is to understand how teens’ perceive their own and others’ relationship with personal technology and what future relationships teens aspire to have with their technology. METHODS This research paper explores teens and technology relationship via three novel lenses. Lens-1 is teens' perception of their current relationship with their personal technology as users. Lens-2 is teens' perception of others' (parents, siblings or friends) relationship with personal technology as bystanders. Lens-3 is teens’ aspiration of how they wish to relate to their personal technology. We conducted an online survey with 619 teens in the 13-19 years age range. RESULTS We found that teens selected 'Essential,' 'Distractive,' and 'Addictive' most commonly to describe both their own and others' relationship with personal technology. Teens selected 'Provides an escape' more to describe their own relationship with technology. Whereas, they selected 'It's just a tool' and 'Creates Barrier' more to describe others' relationship with technology. These trends are consistent across ages and genders. Additionally, we found that 13-15 year-olds, particularly the majority of females in this age range, wish to see their future technology as their 'best friend.' However, 16-17 year-olds’ top choice was 'I don't believe in personal connection with mobile technology,’ and 18-19 year-olds’ top choice was 'My personal assistant.’ CONCLUSIONS Our three lenses approach is holistic as it allows comparison of how teens perceive their relationship with personal technology as users vs. bystanders and from current vs. aspirational perspectives. Our findings not only confirm what is established, but uncovers critical new associations more exclusive to teens' own relationship with technology. Based on our findings, we suggest design guidelines for informing personal tech design, including a shift from 'user experience design' process to 'user relationship design.'