Donald Flywell Malanga and Memory John Banda
This study aims to assess the impact of mobile phones on the livelihoods of women microenterprises in two selected districts of Malawi.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the impact of mobile phones on the livelihoods of women microenterprises in two selected districts of Malawi.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted an interpretive qualitative approach. The authors conducted six focus group discussions with 33 women microenterprise owners in two selected districts of Malawi. This study was guided by the sustainable livelihood approach as an analytical framework.
Findings
The findings confirmed that to some extent use of mobile phones by women microenterprises helped them realise their livelihood outcomes. These included improved access to information, improved communication, improved marketing, reduced transport costs and improved efficiency and productivity. However, optimum benefits were highly curtailed by a number of factors such as poor information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure, security issues, high cost of talk time and data bundle, lack of ICT literacy, low education and sociocultural factors.
Originality/value
The findings provide evidence on the role of mobile phone technology play in promoting the value for women participating in business activities in disadvantaged communities. Policymakers and other stakeholders can use the findings as a basis for prioritising the improvement of mobile technology infrastructure in rural communities tailor-made to women microenterprises.
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Obinna Chinedu Okezue, Madonna Uzoigwe, Livinus Ekene Ugwu, Jeneviv Nene John, Davidson Okwudili John and Ukamaka Gloria Mgbeojedo
This study aims to explore the level of independence among persons with disabilities (PWDs) towards their use of public buildings’ facilities, as well as assess the anxiety and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the level of independence among persons with disabilities (PWDs) towards their use of public buildings’ facilities, as well as assess the anxiety and relevant challenges regarding such use.
Design/methodology/approach
In a cross-sectional survey design, 91 consenting PWDs were recruited via purposive sampling at diverse locations and invited to complete self-report questionnaires on their use of public buildings’ facilities.
Findings
Only 19 PWDs (20.9%) were able to independently use such facilities. The participants’ level of anxiety, observed to be mostly severe (41.7%), was significantly associated with sex and affected body region (p < 0.05). Most PWDs identified “lack of amenities” (85.7%), “inconvenience” (78%) and “safety issues” (59.4%) as relevant challenges towards the use of public buildings’ facilities.
Research limitations/implications
This research emphasises the urgent need to universally improve PWDs’ level of independence towards the use of public buildings’ facilities alongside eradicating anxiety and challenges experienced towards such use. Accessibility ought to be promoted among PWDs, with specific attention given to women and those affected in multiple body regions; as such populations are prone to experiencing substantial anxiety. This approach should entail the provision of barrier-free facilities as well as ensuring their safe and convenient use by PWDs.
Originality/value
This study sought and provided key feedback from PWDs on the current built environment, which ought to be considered by relevant stakeholders to improve accessibility, promote well-being and contribute towards meeting the global goals of reducing inequality and making cities/communities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
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Nasir Azis, Muslim Amin, Syafruddin Chan and Cut Aprilia
The purpose of this study is to investigate how smart tourism technologies and memorable tourism experiences affect tourist satisfaction and tourist destination loyalty.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate how smart tourism technologies and memorable tourism experiences affect tourist satisfaction and tourist destination loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 600 questionnaires were distributed, 360 were returned (60% response rate) and a covariance-based structural equation modeling technique was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results of this study explain that smart tourism technologies and memorable tourism experiences play essential roles in enhancing tourist satisfaction and tourist destination loyalty.
Practical implications
This study specifies that tourists have pleasant memories and are satisfied at a tourist destination; as a result, they are more likely to revisit and recommend a tourist destination to their friends, family and other tourists. If a tourist has a negative experience with smart city info-structure facilities, a tourist might reach an overall conclusion to not revisit or recommend the location to other tourists.
Originality/value
This study provides empirical evidence to support the importance of smart tourism technologies and memorable tourism experiences in enhancing tourist satisfaction and tourist destination loyalty.
研究目的
本论文旨在研究智慧旅游科技和难忘的旅游体验如何影响游客满意度和游客对目的地的忠诚。
研究设计/方法/途径
共600份问卷发放, 并收回360份数据(回应率为60%), 本论文采样基于协方差的结构方程模型以测验假设。
研究结果
研究结果表明智慧旅游科技和难忘的旅游体验对增强游客满意度和游客对目的地的忠诚度起到至关重要的作用。
研究实践启示
本论文证实游客有着美好的旅游回忆与对旅游目的地满意, 因此, 他们更愿意重游以及向他们的朋友、家人、以及其他游客推荐这个目的地。如果游客对智慧城市信息基础建设有不好的体验, 那么他们则会决定不会重游或者推荐这个城市给其他游客。
研究原创性/价值
本论文为证实智慧旅游科技和难忘的旅游体验对加强游客满意度和游客对目的地忠诚度的至关重要的作用方面, 提供了强有力的实践证实。
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NEVER since the Industrial Revolution have there been so many radical changes in the manner of producing goods as we are witnessing today. Manufacturing is new in its concepts, in…
Abstract
NEVER since the Industrial Revolution have there been so many radical changes in the manner of producing goods as we are witnessing today. Manufacturing is new in its concepts, in technical and mechanical techniques and largely new in materials, methods and machines.
Children experience trauma more often than many early childhood educators realize. As many as 26% of children experience multiple trauma events such as abuse, neglect, parental…
Abstract
Children experience trauma more often than many early childhood educators realize. As many as 26% of children experience multiple trauma events such as abuse, neglect, parental substance abuse, parental incarceration, and so forth. Trauma impacts brain development in many negative ways that may have serious consequences on the child’s ability to learn, grow socially and emotionally, and develop physically. These brain changes also change how the child will play in the early childhood classroom, and information is given to help recognize the signs of trauma in children. The early childhood educator can make trauma-sensitive modifications in the classroom to assist the traumatized child’s ability to play out the problem. School counselors can be a resource for assisting early childhood teachers when working with traumatized children. A brief description of the importance of play therapy as a developmentally appropriate method to help traumatized young children is provided.
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Patrick Lo, Robert Sutherland, Wei-En Hsu and Russ Girsberger
While the steep increases in rates of incarceration seen in the United States in the late twentieth century have begun to level out, one form of incarceration has seen more…
Abstract
While the steep increases in rates of incarceration seen in the United States in the late twentieth century have begun to level out, one form of incarceration has seen more drastic reductions in rates of use in the 2010s: long-term solitary confinement. Across the United States, prisons that once isolated prisoners for decades at a time stand hauntingly empty. The solitary confinement reform movement provides an important lens for examining what happens when an entrenched punitive practice faces widespread and sustained criticism and reveals the multiple paradigms through which reform operates – through politics, litigation, or charismatic leadership.
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The millennial students are disengaged in the current classrooms. Hence, there is a definite need to evaluate and compare the current learning tools. The purpose of this paper is…
Abstract
Purpose
The millennial students are disengaged in the current classrooms. Hence, there is a definite need to evaluate and compare the current learning tools. The purpose of this paper is to assess the effects of three learning tools – listening, structured doodling and note-taking – on recall ability of students in the classroom. The authors have specifically compared the effect of Andrade’s (2010) and Boggs et al.’s (2017) structured doodling condition (i.e. shading in shapes) vis-à-vis note-taking and listening.
Design/methodology/approach
An experimental research design was used for the study where three groups of around 40 participants each were created. The participants were Indian students (72 males and 48 females) who were undergraduates at NMIMS University, Navi Mumbai. Each group experienced all the three learning methods that are listening, note-taking and structured doodling. It was a 3×3 mixed model design. Listening, note-taking and structured doodling were compared on recall ability. This was assessed using a questionnaire extracted from Boggs et al.’s (2017) study and a self-designed evaluation sheet.
Findings
Across all three groups, structured doodling and note-taking had a higher impact on recall ability than the traditional method. However, the difference in the impact of note-taking and doodling on recall ability was not practically very large. The current finding assumes higher significance in the Indian education set up as Indian students are accustomed to note-taking as a learning tool yet structured doodling had a statistically analogous effect on recall ability compared to a systematically documented note-taking. Hence, a future direction could be to assess the impact of a blended learning tool that utilizes both note-taking and doodling or note-taking through doodling.
Research limitations/implications
First, the authors did not capture doodling habits of the students. Second, the study limits itself to a small sample size of 120 management graduates. The study can be extended to other disciplines like science and technology and also on how the higher engagement learning tools can be utilized in the normal environs of a course in a classroom. A future direction of the study can be to engage students in an activity as long as a regular lecture of about 60 min. A fusion of learning tools that effectively combines note-taking and doodling can be suggested to enhance recall ability and classroom engagement.
Practical implications
Higher order learning tools characteristically require technologically advanced infrastructure setups. In developing economies like India, most educational institutes may not have access to technologically advanced classrooms; hence, the implementation of higher engagement learning tools becomes a huge challenge. The endeavor in this study has been to study the impact and effectiveness of learning tools like doodling and note-taking which do not inherently call for access to advanced technology.
Social implications
In today’s age of globalization, emerging economies like India are seen to be taking center stage. Thus, ensuring that Indian education system is geared up to train students to compete globally and in the same vein, these students have access to higher engagement learning tools – the absolute need of the hour. Hence, the current research aims to bridge the gap between global education innovations and Indian classroom teaching method implementation.
Originality/value
The research has assessed the effectiveness of three different learning tools, namely – listening, note-taking and structured doodling – in Indian higher education setup. The current research is in harmony with the current literature and would function as an adaptation and augmentation of Andrade’s (2010) and Boggs et al. (2017) studies. A very scanty research body on understanding the impact of learning tools on recall ability exists in the Indian education setup. Current research will act as a bridge between global path breaking education research and implementation of in-class teaching methods in Indian higher education.
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Abstract
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THAT THE NEWSPAPER industry has gone through a tremendous change has been obvious to all by the horrific scenes of violence shown on television over the past several months.