Distance Matters to Weak Ties

Workers tend to make inferences about one another's commitment and dedication to work depending on what cues are available to them, affecting worker relationships and collaboration outcomes. In this work, we investigate how remote work affects workers' perceptions of their colleagues with different levels of social connectivity, commonly referred to as strong ties and weak ties. When working remotely, workers' perceptions of weak ties may suffer due to the lack of in-person interaction. On the other hand, workers' inferences about their strong ties may also be impacted by losing richer communication cues, even though they had more connections with their strong ties than weak ties. This study explores how remote workers make inferences about engagement levels of and willingness to collaborate with weak ties compared to strong ties. We used a mixed-methods approach involving survey data, experience sampling, and in-depth interviews with 20 workers from different companies in Taiwan. Results showed that workers depended on one-on-one synchronous tools to infer the engagement level of strong ties but used group-based communication tools to infer the engagement level of weak ties. Interestingly, the absence of cues in remote workplaces exacerbated prior impressions formed in the physical office. Furthermore, remote work led workers to develop polarized perceptions of their respective ties. We discuss how characteristics of computer-mediated communication tools and interaction types interplay to affect workers' perceptions of remote colleagues and identify design opportunities for helping remote workers maintain awareness of weak ties.

The Role of Biomimicry on Visual Design Education

The change and increasing diversity in communication tools with globalization have ensured the universal presentation of visual elements shaped by local cultural patterns. Today, design products have turned into a strategic tool for many countries in order to reach higher competitive power. As the visual design industry contributes as an important visual communication and marketing tool for different industries within and outside the creative sector, its role in ensuring sustainability becomes even more important. Graphic design is much more effective, direct, and fast than other means of information in order to develop environmental awareness and motivate desired behaviors. The biomimetic graphic is a design process and style that has been spread and passed along throughout today’s culture and society via various channels and networks of communication. In today's world, where globalization and associated social and environmental problems are increasing, design education plays an important role in the development of sustainable design products. In design education, the students should be taught the concepts of ecological material selection, environmentally friendly energy use, recycling, reconsideration, and reuse. In this study, the role of biomimicry in visual design education will be examined with sample applications. In addition to new skills and knowledge in design education, sustainability will emerge as an important feature sought in designers soon.

Digital Communication in the Inclusive Classroom

Digital communication is being extensively used, and during COVID-19 pandemic, it has transformed the way teaching is delivered and how learning happens which became even more problematic for children with learning difficulties. The digitalization of education during the lockdown period has forced teachers, children, and parents to develop and enhance their digital skills to maintain and keep ensuring efficient learning. Digital communication can be provided in the educational system by the simple use of email or WhatsApp groups up to the integration of complex digitalized learning programs and software adapted to the specific educational needs of each student. Being digital natives, students nowadays seem more engaged if learning is mediated by the use of digital communication tools. They are opened and interested in participating in educational activities that are technology-based.

Digital Transformation of Consumer Engagement by Sustainable Communication Tools

The Sustainable Development Goals by United Nations is one of the leading challenges of our world today. The common goal is to achieve a globally collaborative sustainable movement for reducing the harmful effects of climate change and its social consequences. Technology, communication, and collaboration are the pivot components of these targets and the continuing discussion of sustainable communication. Within this scope, the chapter discusses the role of sustainable communication for creating communicative action in the aspect of marketing communications. The chapter explains the role of packaging in terms of building emotional bond between the brand and consumer and offers a new communication perspective building brand purpose by using new technology-based packaging systems by giving some examples. The chapter aims to contribute to studies on Marketing 5.0 and sustainable communication beside starting a discussion for professionals on focusing the role of eco-friendly and communicative packages.

A Study Determining the Health Literacy Levels of Young Adults During COVID-19

COVID-19 caused a massive quarantine around the world and also raised the need for individuals to obtain accurate information about their health. Health-related information that exists on the internet can be similar to misinformation, and this can confuse people and create fear and anxiety. Health literacy, defined as motivation with cognitive and social skills to obtain accurate information about health, understand and use the information to protect the health of individuals, is important in this context, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic period has demonstrated the importance of the ability to use digital communication tools. In this study, a survey was undertaken using field research methodology. The sample was a group of 407 people studying at Sakarya University, Selcuk University, and Konya Technical University. As a result of the research, it was determined that the general health literacy of the young adult group studying in the field of social sciences at the university was of a sufficient standard.

Vibrational Data Communication Tools and Methods for Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction

Summary For the purpose of exploration and extraction, the drilling process in the mining and oil and gas industries is very complicated because of the obvious invisibility of the operation of the drill bit. Acoustic/vibrational telemetry has been of keen interest because it is so far the only method that allows a high data transfer rate as well as less data loss, over other methods. The method certainly depends on the use of the right communication tools and efficient communication schemes to achieve the highest data transfer rate. Although the acoustic method provides a very high data transmission rate, it also has its limitations. However, limitations can be overcome through certain approaches and the use of technologies. The proper use of a communication device with the steel pipe is the most important factor to consider so that the transducer works as the right actuator for the pipeline. The type of sensor that is used to pick up the data also plays a major role because signals are most likely to attenuate, and a sensitive sensor is necessary to collect these attenuated signals. This research demonstrates the use of a transducer as a communication device and oil and gas pipe as the medium of data transmission. The transducer can be used both as an actuator driver and as a receiver sensor. A new piezoelectric transducer was manufactured for this research, which was used with a test setup of a total 184 ft length of six oil and gas pipes. The test setup performed well and data were sent through this setup successfully. A communication scheme is developed using novel theories to achieve the highest data transfer rate. The scheme is tested with the transfer function data obtained from the experimental system. The communication scheme developed outputs a signal, which is a type of binary phase-shift keying signal data along with an equalizer filter. Then the signals developed from the scheme are used in the actual experimental setup to test the speed of the transmission and bit error rate (BER). For the six oil and gas pipes setup, the scheme provides a data transmission of 153 bits/sec (bps) with zero error percentage, which is high enough to use in any oil and gas industry.

PEMANFAATAN APLIKASI ONLINE DALAM PEMBELAJARAN JARAK JAUH DAN DAMPAKNYA TERHADAP PENCAPAIAN KOMPETENSI MULTIMEDIA DI SMKN 1 KOTA JAMBI

This study aims to explain the use of online applications in distance learning and its impact on the achievement of multimedia competencies at SMKN 1 Jambi City. This study uses a qualitative method with phenomenological research. For data collection conducted, interviews and documentation. To analyze the data consists of three activity lines simultaneously, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions.The results of observing can be concluded in class X-1 and X-2 are able to adapt using online applications in online learning. Meanwhile, grades XII-1, XII-2, and XII-3 have gotten used to online applications provided by schools in online learning. Furthermore, the results of interviews from 10 informants and 15 questions became the basis for in-depth data sources on the phenomena that occurred based on experts that distance learning was learning independently by utilizing online applications as a medium in honing skills and communication tools online learning.

Post Pandemic Era – Adopting Tele-dentistry

Dentistry, the field of medicine where the communication sets standards for success. A continuous patient and dentist as well multidisciplinary dental communication leads to accuracy in diagnosis, increased efficiency as well as better patient satisfaction and long term positive outcomes. However the COVID-19 has brought a hindrance in the regular dental practice. The dental work demands a close proximity between the dentists with the patient which pitches them at a higher risk of being affected by the virus. Hence, international as well as national policy making associations and organizations have suggested only emergency and minimal aerosols generating treatment procedures. The dentists have almost been in hibernation, along with the waves of the pandemic and the constant lockdowns, carrying out free consultations for regular patients of their practices, through the phone and even chats. Can this be an opportunity to include tele-communication tools in routine dental practice?

Enhancing Hybrid OSS Development Through Agile Methods and High Media Synchronicity

Open source software (OSS) is increasingly being developed by hybrid teams that consist of a mix of company employees and volunteer developers. While hybrid OSS teams are becoming more prevalent, they also face unique challenges due to the involvement of different constituents. To address those challenges, this paper develops and validates a new organizing model. Specifically, the paper draws on media synchronicity theory (MST) to theorize that hybrid OSS teams would benefit from adopting an organizing model that involves practicing agile methods and using communication tools with multiple symbols sets and high transmission velocity. The paper also extends MST by conceptualizing the theory's key concept of communication convergence as consisting of two distinct dimensions: affective and cognitive convergence. Using primary survey data from hybrid OSS teams, the paper presents empirical evidence that such an organizing model can enhance those teams' affective convergence and cognitive convergence and, in turn, their development productivity and the quality of the software. In addition, the results show that affective convergence has a stronger impact on hybrid OSS teams' performance than cognitive convergence.