This study looks at the main factors influencing mutual fund distributors’ (MFDs’) propensity to distribute funds using digital tools, seeking to assess the adoption of financial technology (FinTech) platforms by these firms and Individual in India. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from MFDs throughout India as a component of a descriptive research approach. Different statistical methods, such as reliability assessments, Confirmatory factor analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were utilized to evaluate the Research model validity and relationships between the constructs. The results suggest that price value, facilitating conditions, social influence, performance expectancy, and habit significantly affect behavioral intention, while effort expectancy and hedonic motivation have little effect. This study emphasizes the significance of contextual and practical factors for asset management firms, FinTech innovators, and policymakers seeking to improve digital integration and efficiency in mutual fund distribution.
This paper discusses how chatbots (in the case of ChatGPT) can be used to improve the fluency and accuracy of writing among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The quasi experimental design was used involving 400 intermediate level students in the Department of English Language and Literature, College of Languages and Humanities in Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted with equal division into an experimental and control group, with the former group being provided with ChatGPT as an auxiliary tool when working on writing exercises and the latter being taught in a traditional way, without AI assistance. The performance improvements were measured by using pre-test and post-test writing tasks. Quantitative data indicated significant improvement of both fluency and accuracy in the experimental group and the effect sizes were large which indicates a significant instructional improvement. Respondents of surveys expressed positive expectations of ChatGPT, having more confidence, less anxiety, and being motivated. The active idea generation, vocabulary development, and self-editing promoted by the integration of ChatGPT. The results open the perspective of the AI chatbots as a supportive tool to traditional teaching in case of ethical application and pedagogical instruction.
Osteosarcoma represents one of the most aggressive bone malignancies, predominantly affecting adolescents and young adults. Traditional diagnostic approaches rely heavily on radiological imaging and histopathological examination, which are time-intensive and subject to inter-observer variability. This research explores the integration of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) techniques with deep learning models to enhance osteosarcoma detection and diagnosis through medical image analysis. We developed a convolutional neural network architecture combined with gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) and Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) to provide transparent, clinically interpretable predictions. Our model was trained on 1847 radiographic images from multiple medical centers, achieving a classification accuracy of 94.3% with an AUC of 0.967. The XAI components successfully highlighted tumor regions with 89.7% concordance with expert radiologist annotations. This study demonstrates that explainable AI frameworks can bridge the gap between computational accuracy and clinical trust, offering radiologists a powerful assistive tool while maintaining diagnostic transparency. The findings suggest significant potential for reducing diagnostic time by approximately 40% while improving consistency in osteosarcoma identification across different clinical settings.
The rapid integration of Web 2.0 technologies and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming digital content production in e-learning environments, raising new questions about coherence, pedagogical intent, and design accountability. Within this evolving ecosystem, digital storytelling has emerged not merely as an engagement technique, but as a structural design strategy that organizes interaction, progression, and meaning-making across multimodal learning materials. This study adopts a qualitative, design-oriented approach grounded in artefact-based analysis to examine how digital storytelling is operationalized within contemporary content production platforms. Rather than focusing on learner outcomes or user perceptions, the study systematically analyzes publicly accessible Web 2.0, AI-supported, game-based, and immersive digital artefacts to identify recurring narrative design logics and affordances. Drawing on thematic analysis and theoretical synthesis, the study proposes the AI-Supported Digital Storytelling Design Model (AIDSTM), which conceptualizes storytelling across four interrelated dimensions: narrative generation, narrative structuring, narrative enactment, and narrative immersion. The model also introduces an optional governance layer to address provenance, ethical responsibility, and quality assurance in AI-supported content creation. The findings contribute design-oriented knowledge for e-learning by offering an analytical framework that supports intentional storytelling-based design, critical evaluation of digital tools, and informed integration of generative AI into online learning environments.
Despite growing interest in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into language education, research on how EFL instructors adopt, experience, and sustain the use of AI-driven tools over time remains limited. This qualitative study explores Turkish EFL instructors' perceptions and uses of AI-driven tools through the lens of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The findings indicate that although most participants initially hesitated to integrate AI-driven tools, they gradually became active users, reflecting increased openness shaped by social influence and contextual factors consistent with the UTAUT framework. While instructors did not consistently adopt technological innovations, they demonstrated curiosity and eagerness to experiment with tools perceived as enhancing teaching performance. Performance expectancy and facilitating conditions, particularly access to technological resources, emerged as key factors influencing adoption. ChatGPT was identified as the most frequently used tool, followed by Grammarly and QuillBot, for material development, assessment, in-class activities, and feedback. At the same time, participants expressed concerns about overreliance and the lack of structured institutional training to support ethical and effective AI use. Overall, the study underscores the growing significance of AI integration in EFL education and highlights the need for sustained professional development to support responsible and pedagogically informed AI-driven practices.
The advent of digital media has enabled an array of techniques for converting 2D representations, whether static or dynamic, into 3D formats. Cultivating an interest in visual art has led to examples of painted surfaces or drawings being adapted as 3D models suitable for with the aid of scanning fixed images printed on paper. A more flexible option is available through software that builds a 3D framework ready for remodelling and tightening. Advances in technology offer seemingly endless opportunities to produce figures that may be classified as 3D. CAD programs permit the creation of objects that may ultimately be output as 3D print files. With sufficient experimental effort and skill, self-constructed models composed of 2D can be made available for projection, in particular free hand augmented techniques, i.e. from drawing pictorial notion the rendered frame can be transformed into simple 3D look, but still within 2D. Different ways are explored are now classified as "Augmented Reality" (AR). Digital photographs are one of the most used ways to recollect moments. Stereoscopic vision takes depth out of only single-side images. Even if a static move is not allowed, the image can still be classified as 3D, otherwise it is merely classified as a projection of 3D, the digital static image still retains the depth. Graphic design is now still dominantly 2D yet 3D modelling and its projection is highly requested, fast distribution of digital soft wares allow 2D layer to be reshaped easily into simple 3D objects while still maintaining its text.
The role of digital innovations in the microfinance sector has gained significant attention in recent years, particularly in empowering women in developing countries. This qualitative analysis explores the transformation of women's empowerment in Chennai through digital microfinance solutions. Chennai, as one of India's leading urban centers, has seen a rise in digital financial services that aim to provide access to capital, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial resources to women, especially from marginalized communities. This paper delves into the impacts of these innovations on financial inclusion, economic independence, and social mobility for women in Chennai. Through a comprehensive literature review, the paper examines how digital platforms in microfinance have enhanced women's participation in economic activities. Using both secondary data and primary data from surveys and interviews with microfinance beneficiaries in Chennai, the study identifies key factors influencing women's empowerment. It further explores the gaps and challenges in implementing digital microfinance solutions and offers recommendations for improving their effectiveness.
Finance provides a major contribution to countries economic growth. A deep understanding of the financial market helps to offer better financial returns in the future. The financial market generates more complications for predicting the complicated system dynamics. Different machine learning techniques are implemented to execute the financial market prediction and they didn’t provide better outcomes in financial returns. Predicting the stocks in the yearly phases brings huge profits to the stock market traders and helps to make better financial decisions. Different deep learning and machine learning techniques help to predict the accuracy of the stock market. The deep learning techniques effectively handled the enormous unsupervised and unstructured data. In order to achieve better results, the intelligent deep learning model is proposed for forecasting the financial crisis. Initially, the raw data are fetched from the benchmark datasets. Subsequently, the multi-objective-based feature selection process takes place, where the features are optimally selected by using the Updated Random Variable-based Coati Optimization Algorithm (URV-COA). Due to this selection, various constraints like correlation, relief score, and data variance are considered for formulation. Finally, the resultant features are subjected to the Residual Temporal Convolutional Network with a Novel Activation function (RTCN-NAF) for predicting the financial cost. Therefore, the experimentation for the proposed model is assessed by using the divergent metrics and compared with other traditional methodologies. On the contrary, the suggested work achieves better results that can prove the effectiveness of the prediction system.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the capacity of interactive didactic games to augment cognitive development in preschool-aged children and to establish a methodical approach for incorporating these games into early childhood education curricula. The research employs analysis and synthesis methodologies, in addition to induction, deduction, and modelling, to deconstruct and reassemble learning process components cognitively. Interactive games foster cognitive development through the provision of immediate feedback and stimulate learning through entertainment. Nevertheless, commercially accessible games frequently fail to provide suitable educational material. Educators can generate individualised games by employing multimedia tools by a three-part structure for lessons: preparatory, main, and concluding. These games should feature explicit guidelines, captivating narratives, succinct action sequences, specified instructional objectives, and interactivity that is suitable for the age group involved. Scientific accuracy, developmental appropriateness, language comprehension, intuitive navigation, and research/problem-solving abilities are among the proposed selection criteria. Benefits observed in comparison to conventional instruction include increased retention, sustained attention, and problem-solving incentives. By judiciously incorporating sanitary regulations, interactive didactics have the potential to augment child cognition, foster parent-teacher cooperation, and elevate educator prestige. Capitalising on children’s innate fascination with computers for educational purposes establishes a fundamental basis for scholastic achievement. Technology cannot, however, substitute for teacher-student interaction.
Digital Eye Strain (DES) is a newly recognized healthcare problem. Therefore, this study assessed the frequency, intensity, and prevalence of DES, the usage of digital devices for online learning among nursing students enrolled in nursing courses in a governmental and a private university during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared the usage of digital devices before and after the pandemic, assessed its predictors, and interventions nursing students used to prevent or accommodate DES. A cross-sectional online survey was carried out. Between November and December 2022, data were collected with a purposive sample of 142 nursing students enrolled in nursing courses at a governmental and a private university in Jordan, with a response rate of 88.75%. Our sample didn’t have DES, but when it occurred, it was intense. The most frequent and intense symptoms were reported. The median of the mean score DES indicated that the prevalence of DES was 55.23% (occurred occasionally), and the prevalence of (severe) intensity was 52.11%. The mean daily hours spent using digital devices before and after the pandemic were 3.51 ± 1.96 and 4.51 ± 2.53, respectively; the majority spent 3–4 h. Besides using electronic devices for online learning, our nursing students spent 3.31 ± 1.87 on other activities. Before the pandemic, nursing students commonly used mobile phones. This usage decreased during the pandemic as they moved to computer desktops, laptops, and tablets. Being senior students and using equipment to help protect the eyes predicted the DES. Students used different interventions to prevent or accommodate DES. Based on the international trend, we can conclude that the DES increased during the pandemic; nursing students have spent more hours on digital devices, and over 55.00% have DES. They have frequent serious symptoms from DES, which should be managed immediately. To decrease the prevalence of DES, redesigning our educational system should be prioritized, considering that online learning along with DES will remain even after this pandemic end.
The use of social media is increasingly prevalent for many reasons and academic literature suggests that social media helps encourage physical activity. This research investigated how social media content affected the physical activity of students during the COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This descriptive cross-sectional study took place between February 2021 and May 2021 at three different academic institutions located in various states in India. A self-made questionnaire consisting of 10 close-ended and 3 open-ended questions was designed to assess students’ utilization of social media to gather knowledge of physical activities from different platforms. A web-based survey was used to collect data from 606 students (of whom 361 (59.57%) were male and 243 (40.10%) were female) from different courses and degree levels using criterion-based purposive sampling. Close-ended questions were analyzed using the percentage method and open-ended questions were analyzed with a collaborative data analysis approach which revealed three themes namely interest, self-care and impact. The results of this study indicate that students are taking help from social media to carry out their physical activities. The outcomes of this study will serve as the baseline information which is helpful in developing and validating methods that best capture the diverse needs of teachers and students within the context of online delivery of physical activities.
The development of e-learning in recent decades is one of the main policies of higher education administrators, but it requires the identification of development requirements and infrastructure. The aim of this study was to achieve two objectives: identifying the components of e-learning development (e-LDC) and validation of the eLDC tools. The study was conducted in 2020 on 156 faculty members of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The research utilized random sampling through email and e-questionnaires. The research tool employed was a valid questionnaire based on a four-dimensional model . The research tool was a valid questionnaire based on the four-dimensional model (Bolman and Deal, 2003) with 32 items in four components: human resource (9), structural (8), political (6) and symbolic (9). The validity of the instrument was confirmed by CVI = 0.914, CVR = 0.83 and Cronbach’s-alpha of 0.969. 18 (11.5%) were instructors, 80 (51.3%) were assistant professors, 39 (25%) were associate professors, and 19 (12.2%) were professors. In the factor analysis test, KMO = 0.944 and the significance of Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity with ( p < 0.0001) confirmed the adequacy of the sample and the appropriateness of the test. According to the Scree Polt diagram and the variance explained, the four factors are cultural, structural, political, and manpower, respectively, influencing the development of e-learning. The explained common value of all items was more than 0.5 and the fit of the questionnaire at the special point was 67.12%. The development of e-learning in the universities requires a comprehensive view on the provision of infrastructure and e-learning requirements. But cultural development and modification of faculty members’ beliefs in e-learning is the most important factor and can be effective in the development of other factors.
Youth representations of school on social media offer critical glimpses of student conceptions of their roles and agency within the institution. Current research on youth public performances on social media applications such as TikTok describe them primarily as reflections of how social media use acts on youth and, less often, as ways that youth can develop agency through social media. Much less examined is how youth use social media to practice resistance to dominant narratives. Using literary scholar Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of the carnivalesque as a lens into youth social media performances in and about school, this investigation asks to what extent do public social media videos in and about school allow for youth practice of resistance to dominant narratives of control. Focusing on two different samples of TikTok videos taken in school, the first a time sample of seven videos and the second a close reading of six videos of a hashtag-based search, this analysis examines humor and parody as a space of resistance in youth expression and emphasizes the need to consider how educators and systems create and uphold official hierarchies that necessitate a vibrant second world of youth-created play.
Connected Learning Environment (CLE) was pictured as a potent tool to implement inclusive education because it supports widened access to learning that is socially rooted. However, the fact that a series of events that warrant its usage have shown that different uninvestigated factors associated with learners may serve as a clog to its potential in fostering inclusive learning created an impetus for this study. An autoethnographic study was conducted, two experienced teachers from mainstream, integrated, and special schools were interviewed and the data collected were subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The result revealed that the holistic adoption of 4IR/5IR education technology may heighten the exclusion of learners of various categories due to socio-economic background, lack of learning support, and inherent intellectual disabilities among special students. Hence, the usage of 4IR/5IR education technology at the secondary level needs to be accommodated with more nuances as it tends to amplify educational exclusion.
The aim of the current study was to develop an application for mobile devices that can improve the organization and documentation of clinical teaching in dental schools. The app should include a calendar to organize treatments, an overview of all treatments including the treatment stages, a digital waiting-list for the teacher’s assessment, and a standardized recording of all assessment results. Students and members of a Medical Faculty and a Faculty of Computer Science and Business Information Systems jointly developed the app. Twenty-three students tested the usability after 4 weeks. Next, the new app was tried and tested by n = 79 forth-year students who used it for 2 months during their clinical course. Fifth-year students of the same clinical course who did not use the app constituted the control group. Afterwards, the app was standard implemented in both integrated clinical courses and evaluated after 1 year by the same students both in winter and summer semester. After usability test, the majority of students (81%, n = 18) said they would recommend the app and gave it a mean overall score of 2.0 ± 0.6. Next, course organization and assessment was evaluated by n = 75 fourth-year students (95%) who used the app and by n = 40 control students (74%) who did not use the app. Students who used the app reported significantly better organization of treatment ( p = .002), documentation of treatment ( p = .001), waiting for the teacher’s assessment ( p = .038), overview of treatment sessions ( p = .040), and transparency of grading and assessment ( p = .012). After 12 months, the now fifth-year students still gave very good ratings for the organization of the treatment and the transparency of the grading in both evaluations, so that no significant changes were detectable (organization p = .959 and the rating p = .751). The newly created app improves the organization and evaluation of clinical education and even after 1 year of service, the students still perceive the consistently high advantages of digitization.
In the new normal after the pandemic, universities are planning how long-term online teaching should be designed. However, there are limited studies on preparing teachers for online teaching in the new normal during and after COVID-19 from perspectives of teaching centers in higher education institutions. Therefore, to answer the following question: how teaching centers should facilitate change among stakeholders to better prepare teaching staff for online teaching in the new normal or for future emergencies, this study analyzed online teaching support programmes launched by teaching centers during the pandemic. In specific, the study interviewed directors and e-learning coordinators of the teaching centers in seven universities in East Asia on their teacher support programs during the pandemic, and then analyzed their programs according to their adopted human process interventions, technostructural interventions, and strategic change interventions. Results show that universities were observed to adapt to the pandemic in generally similar measures, although there are differences according to the structure of the university. The reception of the actions was reported to be generally positive.
The widespread acknowledgment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a fundamental component of educational strategies is a key context for understanding the findings of our study, which focused on the use of technology by educators in higher education, particularly in the health professions domain. This study examines technology usage patterns and factors influencing active implementation of technology among health professions educators. A cross-sectional survey involving 202 educators from six institutions in Morocco reveals their high confidence in their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), notably in Pedagogical and Content domains. The study highlights a prevalence of passive digital learning activities over active approaches. Educators actively employing technology display enhanced TPACK, emphasizing the significance of TPACK development for effective technology integration in teaching practices. Among those with a good level of active technology use, a majority (102 out of 119) have a high TPACK level, and 54 out of 83 of those categorised as low-level participants have a low TPACK level. The findings contribute valuable insights with both theoretical and practical implications for educators in the health professions, emphasizing the significance of aligning technology use with effective instructional practices in this specialized field. Further research should be pursued with diverse methodological approaches to gain a deeper comprehension of the technology integration process in the health profession domain.
YouTube has been widely considered as a pedagogical tool over the last few decades. Recent findings from research portray YouTube videos as an instructional part of learning that contributes to best practices in teaching. Much of the studies have focused on usage by teachers and students at the tertiary level without much attention given to basic school teachers. Using an exploratory qualitative case study design and the ICT Pedagogical Beliefs Classification framework, we explored teachers’ usage of YouTube as a pedagogical tool. We drew on the experiences of 18 teachers in 3 private schools in Ghana to find out how Youtube was used in instruction. Four dominant ways of usage were identified. YouTube was used as a teaching tool, a means of enhancing specific topics, a means of learning new and varied ways of teaching, and as a means of developing teachers’ professional competence. Findings showed that whilst some of the ways of usage align with constructivist methods of teaching others still fall within traditional and teacher centred approaches to teaching. We argue that for teachers to enact meaningful pedagogies with technology through a more student-centred model, their knowledge and skills need to be developed alongside the reshaping of their motives and reasons and subsequently the ways in which they use technology for teaching. We recommend the planning and reinforcement of innovative instructional design of technological integration for teachers through informed policy and the use of training interventions to build new skills geared towards constructive and creative teaching suited to developing a net generation of students.
Due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19, educational institutes around the world, including India, were forced to close their doors and transition to an online mode of education. The purpose of this study was to analyse the perception and preference towards online learning among students of Aligarh Muslim University in India during this pandemic. Additionally, this study examines the level of awareness regarding various online learning platforms introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC). A quantitative survey method was applied to achieve the goal of this study. An online questionnaire (Google form) was circulated among students via WhatsApp groups. A total of 234 students responded from different departments, analysis of the data was done with the help of SPSS. The findings of the study revealed that more than 90 percent of respondents preferred online learning to manage their course curriculum during the pandemic, as there were no other alternatives available. The study found that most of the respondents were familiar with various online learning platforms introduced by the UGC. However, a significant number of respondents reported issues with online learning, such as technological constraints, an inappropriate learning environment, various health issues, one-way communication, etc. These findings may be useful in constructing education policies and plans for online learning to make it more effective for students.
Hybrid learning is currently practiced in Iran’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), especially throughout the country’s business schools. Given the importance of Communication Apprehension (CA) as an inhibiting factor in student participation in online classrooms, this study aims to investigate CA in online classes among MBA students studying at the seven most prestigious Iranian business schools concerning their individual differences (the Big Five personality traits and demographic variables, namely, gender, year of study, and work experience). In this quantitative study, data was gathered through an online survey and analyzed using LISREL 8.80. The results indicate that extraversion and agreeableness negatively predict Communication Participation Avoidance (CPA) and Low Level of Communication Confidence (LCC) in an online class. While “neuroticism” predicts LCC and CPA positively and significantly, “conscientiousness” and “openness to experience” do not predict CA dimensions. The results demonstrate that the mean scores of LCC are higher for female students compared with male ones. The results of ANOVA tests also reveal that LCC is higher among first-year students. Finally, the accumulation of work experience reduces CA.
