Struggling to Keep Tabs on Capstone Projects: A Chatbot to Tackle Student Procrastination

Capstone projects usually represent the most significant academic endeavor with which students have been involved. Time management tends to be one of the hurdles. On top, University students are prone to procrastinatory behavior. Inexperience and procrastination team up for students failing to meet deadlines. Supervisors strive to help. Yet heavy workloads frequently prevent tutors from continuous involvement. This article looks into the extent to which conversational agents (a.k.a. chatbots) can tackle procrastination in single-student capstone projects. Specifically, chatbot enablers put in play include (1) alerts, (2) advice, (3) automatic rescheduling, (4) motivational messages, and (5) reference to previous capstone projects. Informed by Cognitive Behavioural Theory, these enablers are framed within the three phases involved in self-regulation misalignment: pre-actional, actional, and post-actional. To motivate this research, we first analyzed 77 capstone-project reports. We found that students’ Gantt charts (1) fail to acknowledge review meetings (70%) and milestones (100%) and (2) suffer deviations from the initial planned effort (16.28%). On these grounds, we develop GanttBot, a Telegram chatbot that is configured from the student’s Gantt diagram. GanttBot reminds students about close landmarks, it informs tutors when intervention might be required, and it learns from previous projects about common pitfalls, advising students accordingly. For evaluation purposes, course 17/18 acts as the control group ( N=28 ) while course 18/19 acts as the treatment group ( N=25 students). Using “overdue days” as the proxy for procrastination, results indicate that course 17/18 accounted for an average of 19 days of delay (SD = 5), whereas these days go down to 10 for the intervention group in course 18/19 (SD = 4). GanttBot is available for public usage as a Telegram chatbot.

The Influence of Gender and Interest on the Use of Learning Strategies in Biology Lessons

<p style="text-align: justify;">For biology students, the diversity, complexity, and abundance of content in this field yield a heavy study load. Hence, appropriate learning strategies are key in supporting learners’ academic success. In biology, the factors gender and interest hold a unique position within the natural sciences, as there is an academic imbalance to the disadvantage of male students. In the present study, we examined the influence of gender and interest as well as its interdependences on the students’ use of learning strategies for biology learning. A total of 180 seventh through tenth grade students (Mage=14.47; SD=1.35; 60% female) from four general-track secondary schools located in Germany participated in this study. Data on the students’ level of interest and the use of learning strategies in biology lessons were collected. We used multivariate analysis of covariance with the students’ age as the covariate to analyse our data. Results revealed a significant effect of gender on the students’ use of the learning strategies rehearsal, organisation, effort, and time management. With regard to elaboration and effort, the effects of interest were found to be significant. The gender gap regarding learning strategy use was narrower for students with high levels of interest. These findings might have implications for beneficial teacher behaviour in biology.</p>

PEMBINAAN GAYA KEPEMIMPINAN DAN KOMUNIKASI EFEKTIF PADA PADA SISWA DAN SISWI SMA ANANDA KOTA BATAM

Students and Students are a place for students' aspirations to express their creativity. OSIS is formed based on the decision of the principal of the school which has a management body. Students who are involved in the OSIS management body must pass several criteria and requirements, including having communication skills and having a leadership spirit. Communication has a strong influence in shaping a person's attitude and leadership style in an organization. Students must be given briefings on attitudes and leadership styles so that they can direct, control their members and be responsible so that all parts of the work are coordinated in order to achieve company or organizational goals. One of the requirements to become an OSIS administrator is sitting at Ananda High School in Batam City, where the psychological condition of students is still unstable to lead. So that there are some conflicts that arise such as misunderstanding between members, task structure factors and organizational structures, for example, the unequal desire between the treasurer and chairman, personal factors, namely individuals must make decisions concerning themselves and the organization, environmental factors such as the absence of support from the environment or certain parties, differences of opinion, incomplete gatherings, many administrators who leave, there is leisure between members, poor time management and declining performance.

МОДЕЛЬНИЙ ПІДХІД У МЕТОДОЛОГІЇ УПРАВЛІННЯ ПРОЕКТАМИ

Вступ. У деяких математичних моделях управління проектами виникає потреба встановлення максимального радіусу гіперсфери, зануреної в поліедральну галузь. Сучасний математичний апарат теорії оптимізації сумісно із застосуванням комп’ютерних технологій дає змогу розв’язувати нелінійні задачі оптимізації, але завжди існує доцільність лінеаризації складних нелінійних задач. Таке спрощення дає змогу використовувати точні класичні методи оптимізаційного розв’язку, на відміну від наближених, для нелінійної оптимізації. Поставимо завдання строгого математичного зведення (лінеаризації) багатовимірної нелінійної задачі оптимізації про занурення гіперсфери максимального радіусу в опуклу ділянку типу поліедру. Нехай маємо замкнений поліедр, поданий системою лінійних алгебраїчних нерівностей. У ділянці замкненого поліедру необхідно розмістити гіперсферу максимального радіусу. Мета. У статті проаналізовано модель установлення максимального радіусу гіперсфери, розміщеної (зануреної) у поліедральну ділянку (опуклу множину, обмежену прямими лініями), яка забезпечує врахування великої множини факторів, серед яких – управління інтеграцією (Project Integration Management); предметна ділянка проекту (Project Scope Management); управління якістю (Project Quality Management); управління часом (Project Time Management); управління вартістю (Project Cost Management); управління комунікаціями (Project Communication Management); управління контрактами (Project Procurement Management); управління ризиками (Project Risk Management). Результати. У моделі запропоновано строге математичне зведення (лінеаризація) нелінійної оптимізаційної задачі про розміщення гіперсфери максимального радіусу в опуклу ділянку типу поліедру до задачі лінійної оптимізації. Таким чином, задача про розміщення гіперсфери найбільшого радіусу в поліедрі формулюється як задача лінійної оптимізації. Висновки. Строго доведено можливість лінеаризації задачі про занурення гіперсфери максимального радіусу у поліедр. Задачу зведено до класичної задачі лінійної оптимізації, яка може бути розв’язана відомими методами. Запропонований підхід узагальнюється на задачі довільної скінченої вимірності.

Job challenges are hindrances too: examining experiences of managers and employees in Finnish SMEs

PurposeThe study aims to explore job demands experienced by employees and managers in micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on the job demands framework, the study discusses the experienced demands from the perspective of challenges that create opportunities for learning and achievement and hindrances that create obstacles for work. The study builds on the idea that the same demand can be perceived both as a challenge and a hindrance. That approach opens a path to responding to challenges by reformulating working practices and removing hindrances by designing, developing and crafting jobs and tasks.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyzed open-ended survey responses (N = 306) to study experienced job demands in 50 micro-enterprises and SMEs, how the perceived demands differ between employees and managers and whether they represent challenge or hindrance demands.FindingsThe authors identified 17 job demand categories most including both challenge and hindrance demands. Time management and prioritization was the most central challenge and hindrance category for both employees and managers. For employees, sales and stakeholder relationships represented the second largest challenge category and communication and information flow was the second largest hindrance category. For managers, the second largest challenge and hindrance categories were organization and management of activities and the fragmentation of work, respectively.Originality/valueBy focusing on employee experience, the achieve a more nuanced understanding of the SME context, which has been dominated by managerial evaluations. The study also advances the discussion on job demands by extending our knowledge of demands that may be experienced both as a challenge and a hindrance.

EVALUATION OF EDUCATION SYSTEM DURING COVID-19 TOWARD STUDENTS’ PSYCHOLOGY

The Covid-19 virus disease affects the entire world, including the education system and its impact on students' psychology. The goal of this study is to learn how the education system transitioned from offline or face-to-face teaching learning to online teaching-learning mode at Putera Batam University for the teaching-learning process and semester exams via online during COVID-19. In this study, the descriptive qualitative approach was used to discover students' psychology in online learning. In order to overcome these issues, the purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive picture of online teaching and learning activities taking place during the lockdown period, including the link between the change management process and online teaching and learning processes in the education system in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. Ongoing disruption and resumption of educational activities and discourse as normal procedures in the education system. The data were analyzed using Wile (Syahputri et al., 2020) and Miles Huberman and Saldana (2014). They were 110 students as respondents (B.Miles et al., 2014). The result found that students fatigued 100%, they felt headache, tired, shoulder sore 85%, demotivation 21%, withdrawal, and procrastination 70%, bad time management about 76%, and Feeling Isolated 85% and Uncertainty to what the lecturer/friends explain during the class 75%.

Equipping Property Graduates for the Digital Age

Bridging the gaps between property graduates’ attributes and industry expectations has been touted to be the key driver of sustainable development for the next generation of the workforce. This study investigated property-related knowledge and skills from the perspective of property employers and graduates in Australia in the digital age by (1) identifying the most and least important knowledge and skillsets in the property sector; (2) examining the strategies used to develop the required knowledge and skillsets; and (3) ascertaining if there are differences in the knowledge and skillsets perceived to be necessary between employers and graduates. A questionnaire survey was undertaken across property employers affiliated with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and graduates of an Australian university. The results showed that problem solving and time management are the most important knowledge and skills for property employers and graduates, respectively. Notably, there were statistically significant differences in the perceived importance of course directors maintaining close communication with employers, real-life case study-based school assessment, the use of various course delivery methods, inviting guest speakers, and internship training while studying between employers and graduates. This finding implies that Australian property professionals are yet to fully embrace technology in the digital age.

A case report on penile duplication: A rare congenital anomaly

Introduction: Penile duplication or penile diphallia is a rare congenital anomaly that is mainly associated with renal, anorectal or vertebral anomalies, that is, spina bifida. This condition was first described by Johannes Jacob Wecker in 1609 in Italy. Problem: Its incidence is extremely rare, about one in millions. The aetiology of this condition is unknown up till now; however, it is considered that defect of genital tubercle leads to the formation of diphallia. Methods: The condition is diagnosed clinically, and management depends on the appearance of genitalia and the associated anomalies as well as after taking into account the social and ethical considerations. Most of the time, management involves surgical incision of the non-functioning penis. Results: In this case report, a child of age 10 years presented with double penis since childhood. The child was evaluated clinically and radiologically for any other associated abnormalities, and his non-functional urethra was surgically removed. Level of evidence: Level IV

Nurse managers in mental health units: from activities to time management

Objective: to understand the use of time by nurse managers in psychiatry and mental health units, as they carry out their daily tasks. Methods: cross-sectional study, carried out by 48 managers from public psychiatric units and from the social sector. Data collection was made through an online questionnaire that is part of the Scale of Perception of Nurse Manager Work, including 43 items separated in five functional domains of nurse managers. The responses were in a Likert scale: does not take time, takes little time, takes some time, takes much time. Results: the activities inherent to ethical and legal professional practices and to the management of care and of human resources required more time from the manager when compared to policy interventions, and consulting and professional development. Conclusion: the managers recognize that managing time implies organization, planning work, and establishing priorities in the tasks to be developed.

Worker Saturation in Facing Changes in the Work Environment: The Physiological Impact of Online Jobs

This article discuss about worker saturation in facing changes in the work environment in the physiological impact of online jobs. During the Covid-19 epidemic, social segregation was implemented, and employees worked from home (WFH) via online platform. Some workers get saturation in facing the situation. A process that makes individuals feel ill, uneasy, or anxious as a result of their employment, workplace, or work circumstance. The capacity to adapt to and appreciate current circumstances transforms stress from distress to eustress. Effective stress management tactics include regular exercise, setting aside time for relaxation and self-care, balancing work and pleasure, and practicing time management and meditation