Mathews Nkhoma

Unpacking the revised Bloom’s taxonomy: developing case-based learning activities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose the use of case studies in teaching an undergraduate course of Internet for Business in class, based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy. The study provides the empirical evidence about the effect of case-based teaching method integrated the revised Bloom’s taxonomy on students’ incremental learning, measured by the four constructs: knowledge application, higher-order thinking, practice evaluation knowledge and knowledge improvement. Design/methodology/approach In this study, learning activities associated with the revised taxonomy-based learning strategy were proposed to support the development of higher-level cognitive skills. Revised application scale, higher-order thinking scale, practice evaluation knowledge scale and knowledge improvement scale were used to measure students’ perception of skills corresponding to their level of application, analysis, evaluation and creation, respectively. After completing each task pertinent to case studies, students were encouraged to complete the survey questionnaire. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships between constructs. Students participate in a course where case studies are employed as the main learning activities to promote higher-order thinking. Upon completing the course, they fill in a survey to evaluate the four constructs of incremental learning: level of knowledge application, higher-order thinking, practice evaluation knowledge and knowledge improvement. The relationships between the four constructs are then examined using SEM. Findings Analysis reveals that with the use of case-based learning activities, knowledge application creates a positive impact on higher-order thinking. Higher-order thinking has positive influence on practice evaluation knowledge. Eventually, practice evaluation knowledge produces a positive effect on knowledge improvement. The results show the desired effects of incremental learning. Research limitations/implications The case studies designed for teaching the Internet for Business course might not be suitable in terms of content for other courses, which limit the implication of the findings. Practical implications The key implication is that cognitive process is enhanced by using case studies where learning activities are designed, based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy. Originality/value The paper offers a comprehensive perspective on incremental learning where students’ knowledge of Internet for Business moves developmentally towards the higher-order cognitive process dimension of the revised Bloom’s taxonomy.

Facebook as a tool for learning purposes: Analysis of the determinants leading to improved students’ learning

The study described in this article aims to investigate the use of out-of-class communication between students and instructors using Facebook as a means of interaction for learning. How often/how much students use such an online social network and the clarification as to the reasons for online communication are the two exogenous variables used to measure the perceptions that students have about the impact of online social networking on their learning. How students perceive the quality of the content of student–instructor interaction on Facebook is treated as a mediating variable in the research model. How students perceive their performance is used as a proxy for their learning outcomes and is treated as the endogenous variable. A questionnaire was developed and used, and the analysis of the data gathered from the questionnaire was conducted using a measurement model and a structural model. The results of the study revealed that how often/how much students use an online social network and the reasons that they give for using online communication have a significant positive impact on how they perceive the quality of the content of student–instructor interaction on Facebook. In addition, the results demonstrated that the use of Facebook has a negative impact when it comes to the students’ perceptions of the quality of the content of student–instructor interaction on their perceived performance.

Global logistics city concept: a cluster-led strategy under the belt and road initiative

ABSTRACT This paper develops a cluster-led strategic policy framework to assess the strategic positioning of key global logistics cities in Asia, most of which are affected by the ‘Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative.’ One of the key challenges that the B&R Initiative is facing is underdeveloped logistics infrastructure in Asia, not to mention road congestion, dilapidated infrastructure, incessant supply chain disruptions, and capacity constraint, which imposes significant economic costs. Global logistics cities are evaluated on logistics infrastructure capacity and service responsiveness. This involves selecting the key global logistics cities, identifying key indicators, standardising and indexing, mapping dimensions of global logistics cities, and developing the cluster-led strategic policy framework. The results indicate the prevalence of a multi-tier system wherein Shanghai and Hong Kong have attained the maturity of a global logistics city, whilst Manila, Jakarta, and Bangalore are making slow but steady progress in that direction. In contrast, Dhaka, Phnom Penh, and Ho Chi Minh City are showing potential but require further enhancement through significant investment in infrastructure and service delivery improvement. The cluster-led strategic policy framework formulates actions and strategies through which emergent logistics networks can be strategically aligned and functionally integrated with B&R-oriented global trading hubs and transport corridors..

Measuring the Impact of Out-of-Class Communication through Instant Messaging.

Purpose Despite the growing body of literature demonstrating the role of communication in educational settings, there are limited up-to-date studies exploring the use of an instant messaging (IM) tool and its impacts on students’ learning outcomes, especially in the tertiary education in Vietnam. This study approached IM as an out-of-class communication (OCC) approach in computer-mediated communication. The purpose of this paper is to investigate students’ perceived quality of information received and its influence on their perceived performance proficiency as a result of their lecturers’ clarification of their enquiries through an online instant message application, namely Remind (www.remind.com/). Design/methodology/approach The target groups were first-year business students in an international university in Vietnam. The analysis of the data gathered from the questionnaire was carried out using a measurement model and a structural equation model. Findings The findings indicate that using OCC technology creates social bonding between students and lecturers by allowing students to clarify the ambiguity of concepts learnt in class and create a sense of connection with their lecturers which leads to better student engagement and hence improved learning outcomes. Originality/value The authors highlight the evidence of effective usage of IM tool by university students as a meaningful communication tool and the need to integrate technology into all educational settings.

Using case method to enrich students’ learning outcomes

There is a need to examine the effect of using discussion cases to enrich students’ learning outcomes. A research framework was created to study this multidimensional relationship, via the instruments of interactivity, students’ time devotion and students’ engagement in order to find which factors could improve learning outcomes, including positive group interaction and individual learning performance. The findings from three cohorts of undergraduate students of the same course indicated that interactivity with peers and with the lecturers during the case discussion in classes improved emotional engagement, which in turn positively influenced positive group interaction and individual learning performance. The study also found that students’ emotional engagement was a significant factor in enriching outcomes. Although there was a lack of direct impact of interactivity on learning outcomes, there were many reasons attributed to it. The time that students devoted to the task, as a result of interactivity with the lecturer, was a significant predictor of emotional academic engagement, but it did not predict desirable learning outcomes.

Design and evaluation of a low-cost street-level image capturing vehicle for south-east Asia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a low-cost, highly mobile system for performing street-level imaging. Street-level imaging and geo-location-based services are rapidly growing in both popularity and coverage. Google Street View and Bing StreetSide are two of the free, online services which allow users to search location-based information on interactive maps. In addition, these services also provide software developers and researchers a rich source of street-level images for different purposes – from identifying traffic routes to augmented reality applications. Currently, coverage for Street View and StreetSide is limited to more affluent Western countries with sparse coverage throughout south-east Asia and Africa. In this paper, we present a low-cost system to perform street-level imaging targeted towards the congested, motorcycle-dominant south-east Asian countries. The proposed system uses a catadioptric imaging system to capture 360-degree panoramic images which are geo-located using a...

Quang Trung software city - the largest Vietnamese software park

What would be technical issues and human resource management challenges for this software park when it was planned for expansion?

Effects of Team Collaboration on Sharing Information Security Advice: Insights from Network Analysis

Active sharing of information security advice among the employees has undeniable implications for developing a sustainable security environment. This research examines this topic from the network perspective, and focuses on the work relationships that promote sharing security advice. Exponential random graph modeling technique was employed to evaluate the relationship between team collaborative activities and sharing security advice. The findings revealed that those who share security advice also tend to give work-and IT-related knowledge. Moreover, employees who have similar tenure tend to exchange security advice with each other more. Furthermore, the network of sharing security advice is transitive and has a tendency to form separate clusters. Security managers are suggested to take into account the research findings to identify key employees who frequently share security advice in the workplace and devise appropriate strategies to manage them.

Osaka flower coffee shop: transaction processing systems

The time to make decision is now. However, I am still not sure if I should implement TPS into our business; would it successfully put a stop to the problem I have? Or would it just be a waste of money?

Kinik-Thai: material requirement planning system

Implementing MRP sounds like a good decision but would it really solve my business problems?