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.

Some Thoughts on Building a Green and Low-Carbon Circular Economy System—Taking Shenzhen as an Example

The report of the 19th National People’s Congress of China proposed to implement the new development concept, promote green development, and establish a sound economic system for green and low-carbon circular development. As one of the most active coastal cities in China’s economic development, Shenzhen regards the development of green industries as an important measure to promote economic restructuring, emphasizes green innovation in science and technology, and has achieved certain results in green development. However, Shenzhen’s green development also faces problems such as lack of systematic and coordinated development strategies and institutional obstacles. Focusing on the strategic goal of “creating a pilot demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics”, the author discussed the governance path of Shenzhen’s construction of a green and low-carbon circular economic system from the perspective of effective governance, and formed a scientific decision-making mechanism, sound laws and regulations, and Countermeasures and suggestions in several aspects, such as the standard system, perfecting economic policies, and promoting the deep integration of science and technology policies and technological innovation.

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS: AN OVERWIEV OF TURKEY AND SCOTLAND

Technology education varies across countries depending on the goals they set to achieve. Therefore, comparative research on different technology education approaches can provide a holistic perspective and contribute to the literature. This paper compared the technology-focused courses offered by primary schools in Turkey and Scotland. A qualitative research design was adopted. Data were collected using document review and analyzed using descriptive analysis. The results pointed to differences in technology policies, manifesting themselves in the curricula of the courses offered by the schools. However, the courses also had something in common in terms of structure, goal, content, and approach to learning and teaching. We discussed the differences and similarities based on literature. In order to reveal different dimensions of technology education, comparative education studies that address different countries can be suggested.

A Comparative Study on Turkey’s Science and Technology (S&T) Indicators

Science and technology (S&T) indicators are important in evaluating how successful countries are in factors described by endogenous growth models. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to investigate S&T indicators of Turkey in a comparative and more hitherto comprehensive study and to present a guiding reference for researchers and decision makers working on innovation and technology policies. This study was carried out using online databases such as those of the OECD, World Bank, Eurostat, and TÜİK considering the criteria used in the literature to measure countries’ R&D and innovation performances, and Turkey’s innovative performance is presented in comparison with the world’s by summarizations within the scope of the study. The results demonstrate that Turkey has made significant progress in the last 20 years in terms of R&D and innovation, but it is still far from reaching the indicators of developed countries. In particular, the increase in R&D and innovation performance has decreased due to the economic difficulties experienced in the world and in Turkey after 2012 and 2013. Based on the indicators evaluated in this study, some suggestions are given and prioritized to increase Turkey’s innovation performance.

A Comparative Study on Turkey’s Science and Technology (S&T) Indicators

Science and technology (S&T) indicators are important in evaluating how successful countries are in factors described by endogenous growth models. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to investigate S&T indicators of Turkey in a comparative and more hitherto comprehensive study and to present a guiding reference for researchers and decision makers working on innovation and technology policies. This study was carried out using online databases such as those of the OECD, World Bank, Eurostat, and TÜİK considering the criteria used in the literature to measure countries’ R&D and innovation performances, and Turkey’s innovative performance is presented in comparison with the world’s by summarizations within the scope of the study. The results demonstrate that Turkey has made significant progress in the last 20 years in terms of R&D and innovation, but it is still far from reaching the indicators of developed countries. In particular, the increase in R&D and innovation performance has decreased due to the economic difficulties experienced in the world and in Turkey after 2012 and 2013. Based on the indicators evaluated in this study, some suggestions are given and prioritized to increase Turkey’s innovation performance.

Technology Policy Recommendations Using Artificial Intelligence

Conventionally, the approach to policy making includesweighing the costs and benefits (i.e., tradeoffs) of certainchoices to calculate expected outcomes. However, quantifyingchoices is not always straightforward without understandingmany factors such as time, causal effects, and associations- making it difficult to label policy as either afailure or a success. Accordingly, our work proposes utilizingArtificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to assess the impactof policy (state-level science and technology policies asan example). Our approach allows for an efficient policygenerating process, providing policymakers with insightsbased on previous legislation and historical data for their respectivestates. Leveraging AI this way stimulates humanlikelearning which can yield better results with the subjectivebehavior of public policy. Our approach consists of collectingdatasets relevant to science and technology policies,utilizing AI to create methods for determining the best pathforward, testing the validity of the algorithms using AI assurance,and measuring attributions to determine whichcomponents contribute to the outcomes most effectively.Using AI provides context relevant to the impacts of certainpolicies, and an overall data-driven approach that mitigatesdepending solely on expert’s judgment, subjective experiences,or ad-hoc processes.

Implementing the United States’ Domestic and International Climate Mitigation Goals

The United States has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050, meet sectoral objectives (e.g., for carbon free power, electric vehicles) and encourage greater mitigation among large emitting countries and of international transportation emissions. Fiscal policies at the national, sectoral, and international level could play a critical role in implementing these objectives, along with investment, regulatory, and technology policies. Fiscal instruments are cost-effective, can enhance political acceptability, and do not worsen, or could help alleviate, budgetary pressures. Domestically, a fiscal policy package could contain a mix of economy-wide carbon pricing and revenue-neutral feebates (i.e., tax-subsidy schemes) with the latter reinforcing mitigation in the transport, power, industrial, building, forestry, and agricultural sectors. Internationally, a carbon price floor among large emitters (with flexibility to implement equivalent measures) could effectively scale up global mitigation, while levies/feebates offer a practical approach for reducing maritime and aviation emissions.