Story-Telling, Gamification, and Videogames

The educational use of gamification in class has been widely explored by research. Theorizations establish a direct relationship between gamification and higher levels of motivation and engagement of students regardless of their educational levels. When teaching English as a second language, gamification becomes a key factor to provide dynamism to lessons and to foster the consolidation of the content taught in class. Moreover, gamification not only promotes the assimilation of vocabulary and grammar, but also the improvement of oral and written comprehension and production. The extensive use of new technologies in class has proved to be very useful for the implementation of the methodology on gamification. One of the tools that has attracted the attention of educators recently is Classcraft, an online virtual game based on digital storytelling. This chapter aims at explaining and assessing the use of Classcraft as a successful technology-based collaborative learning tool in a course on English as a second language at the university level.

Management of successful technology transfer in agriculture: The case of Kazakhstan

Progress of agriculture is becoming increasingly reliant on the successful application of technology. However, many developing countries depend on technology transfer from other countries to be utilized in large and complex projects in agriculture. This study intends to identify strategic directions for successful technology transfer in developing countries’ agriculture with Kazakhstan as a case study. A SWOT analysis was conducted using Internal Factor Evaluation, External Factor Evaluation, Strategic Position and Action Evaluation, and Quantitative Strategic Planning matrices as analytical methods, based on primary data from interviews and secondary data from reports. With a weight of 52%, opportunities prevail in external factors, with emerging good geographical position, land area latitude, and participation in economic integrations as the most significant ones. On the other hand, internal factors such as emerging low skills in agricultural innovation, insufficient resources in agriculture, old technologies and worn-out equipment, and lack of mechanisms for effective adaptation of foreign technologies to local conditions are indicated as weaknesses, with the percentage of 82%. This study includes twenty-six strategies that were specially designed for technology transfer, and nine of them are considered the most relevant in overcoming internal weaknesses by exploiting external opportunities. Promoting agriculture in an innovative direction, expanding the resource base necessary for technology transfer, and increasing sources of funding for the transfer of technology and the R&D expenditures in agriculture make a top 3 of these strategies. These results will be of interest for policymakers in decision-making on technology transfer in agriculture.

Correction: Homes of Stroke Survivors Are a Challenging Environment for Rehabilitation Technologies (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED The design of digital technologies that support poststroke rehabilitation at home has been a topic of research for some time. If technology is to have a large-scale impact on rehabilitation practice, then we need to understand how to create technologies that are appropriate for the domestic environment and for the needs and motivations of those living there. This paper reflects on the research conducted in the Motivating Mobility project (UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council: EP/F00382X/1). We conducted sensitizing studies to develop a foundational understanding of the homes of stroke survivors, participatory design sessions situated in the home, and experimental deployments of prototype rehabilitation technologies. We identified four challenges specific to the homes of stroke survivors and relevant to the deployment of rehabilitation technologies: identifying a location for rehabilitation technology, negotiating social relationships present in the home, avoiding additional stress in households at risk of existential stress, and providing for patient safety. We conclude that skilled workers may be needed to enable successful technology deployment, systematizing the mapping of the home may be beneficial, and education is a viable focus for rehabilitation technologies.

Intercultural Competencies for Fostering Technology-Mediated Collaboration in Developing Countries

With the rapid global spread and application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the question is whether every culture makes similar use of the ideology that often underlies its creators’ design. ICT applications are designed with underlying beliefs or principles about e.g., work, communication, and individuality. These beliefs or principles are invisible and hidden in software and, as such, in many instances not recognized by users in other cultures. These hidden principles might even frustrate the understanding, use, knowledge-sharing, and e-collaboration between people from different cultures. In this article, we aim to explore, from a historical point of view, the early years of adaptation of ICT in developing countries, and we will highlight the importance of the use of intercultural (ICT-)skills to learn to recognize cultural differences from a relationship-based definition in technology-mediated collaboration. A semi-systematic or narrative review approach is used that is particularly suitable for topics that have been conceptualized differently. Our review firstly summarizes and categorizes the cultural factors impacting the adaptation and diffusion of ICT, especially in developing countries, and investigates which factors could hinder and/or facilitate the collaboration with other countries. Secondly, the findings of a thorough comparison between different intercultural competencies’ frameworks indicate that intercultural competencies show a combination of motivation, knowledge (-management), and skills, which are key competencies in the light of successful technology-mediated collaboration.

Critical Success Factors for Leveraging Technology Transfer from Higher Education Institutions to Industry: Indian Context

This study aims to identify and empirically evaluates the critical factors of successful technology transfer (TT) from higher education institutions (HEI) to industry and to develop a TT model in the Indian context. With the help of questionnaire survey, the perception profile of 318 respondents was collected from PAN-India. Utilizing the survey data, factor analysis identified six constructs representing five critical factors of TT and an outcome factor. The results of multiple regression analysis indicate significant effect of all five critical factors on an outcome factor. The findings of the study validate the TT Model and identify supportive and promotive TT environment factor, market and finance factor and HEI factor to be the most important factors of successful TT. This study may help the policymakers in strategizing future initiatives to improve the rate of successful TT.

Sorting droplets into many outlets

Droplet microfluidics is a commercially successful technology, widely used in single cell sequencing and droplet PCR. Combining droplet making with droplet sorting has also been demonstrated, but so far found limited use, partly due to difficulties in scaling manufacture with injection molded plastics. We introduce a droplet sorting system with several new elements, including: 1) an electrode design combining metallic and ionic liquid parts, 2) a modular, multi-sorting fluidic design with features for keeping inter-droplet distances constant, 3) using timing parameters calculated from fluorescence or scatter signal triggers to precisely actuate dozens of sorting electrodes, 4) droplet collection techniques, including ability to collect a single droplet, and 5) a new emulsion breaking method to collect aqueous samples for downstream analysis. We use these technologies to build a fluorescence based cell sorter that sorts with high purity. We also show that these microfluidic designs can be translated into injection molded thermoplastic, suitable for industrial production. Finally, we tally the advantages and limitations of these devices.

Finding the Sweet Spot: The Intersection of Technology, Pedagogy, and Mathematics in Preservice Training

The purpose of this research was to look critically at successful technology integration in teacher preparation programs. Researchers used the Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework developed by Mishra and Koehler (2006) to provide a lens that quantitatively and qualitatively examines student knowledge. Data was collected for three years to see if the development of TPACK had increased in pre-service teachers. Results from the study found that the pre-service teachers developed pedagogical knowledge more than any other constructs, followed by content knowledge, and finally technological knowledge. This knowledge can help us learn how to instruct future teachers more seamlessly in methods for integrating technology into the K-12 classroom, without compromising the content or pedagogy. These three areas (TK, CK, and PK) can be developed independently, but in order for TPACK to truly evolve and successful learning to happen in the classroom, having overlap between these separate content knowledge constructs is imperative.

Assessment of Investment Plan and Financing Strategy for Hobbyist-Based Marketplace as a New Business from PT XYZ

PT XYZ is a successful technology enterprise, intends to open a new business line in e-commerce with unique selling propositions as a hobbyist-based marketplace. The marketplace, ABC, has built website and application generating event registration, communities, and articles. ABC still needs to reduce bugs and acquiring sellers to sell their products on. ABC needs to seek investments to fulfill the required financing at IDR 245,000,000 since PT XYZ needs to reallocate the money to another business. It firstly needs to determine the financial feasibility study of ABC with the capital budgeting method of NPV, IRR, and Payback Period. The amount of NPV at IDR 500,722,291.51, IRR at 13.32%, and PP at 4 years 2 months and 19 days are acceptable. The risk assessment with sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation determine the accounts that are risked by the assumption from the owners, the high risk are on Bike Selling quantity and COGS also Salary (Full-Time) with the probability of positive IRR at 97.80%. ABC wants to have financing schemes of 65%, 45%, and 25% equity where PT XYZ will give IDR 25,000,000 and intangible asset of IDR 61.600.000, this makes the 25% equity cannot be used, therefore it will be changed to 35.35% equity. With total share outstanding of 10.000 shares, the sales price of A, B, and C are IDR 46,199.55, IDR 43,803.40, and IDR 42,771.43 respectively. Capital structure analysis is needed to get the best value of ownership, yet, all alternatives can be used for attracting investors.