Robots are being employed more as mediators between therapists and children with autism. This paper proposes a robot-based therapeutic method that uses the NAO robot, a developed mobile application called AutisPlay, a tablet, and a control laptop. The proposed method is implemented in therapeutic sessions at a local autism center. In this research, a study involving nine children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is conducted. The researchers and autism therapists agreed on the targeted academic skills. The main goal of this work is to assess the use of robots and mobile applications in improving the academic skills of children with autism. The obtained experimental results are analyzed using statistical measures such as the percentage of correct responses, informal observations of students’ attention to the robot, reported academic progress, and enjoyment of the therapy sessions. Further, the therapeutic sessions are customized to each child's response to the robot and mobile application. The children showed different engagement levels and a variety of progress and achievements. The experimental results show three children acquired the indicating skills, while the remaining children show slow progress in their skill acquisition. Furthermore, seven students enjoyed the interaction with the NAO robot and AutisPlay mobile app during therapy sessions.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is normally assessed in clinical settings using neuropsychological tests and medical procedures such as neuroimaging techniques: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) among others. The latter procedures are expensive and unavailable in most nations, so early diagnosis of AD does not occur, which heavily increases the subsequent treatment costs for the patients. AIMS: This research aims to evaluate cognitive features related to dementia progression based on neuropsychological tests’ data that are related to the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) We utilise data related to two neuropsychological tests including the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), to assess advancement of the AD. METHODS: To achieve the aim, we develop a data process called Neuropsychological Feature Assessment via Feature Selection (NFAFS) to identify impactful features using Information Gain (IG) and Pearson Correlation to assess class-feature and feature-feature correlations Later we will model a minimal subset of neuropsychological features using machine learning techniques to derive classification models. RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS: Results obtained show key cognitive features of the MMSE are Time Orientation, Recall and Complex Attention, since they correlate with the progression class being ranked high in results of the feature selection techniques. For the CDR-SOB features, and aside from the memory feature it was difficult to identify other specific features that are signs of the dementia progression Clinicians can use specific features in a digital knowledge base to pay more attention to specific cognitive deficits related to Recall, Orientation and Complex Attention during dementia clinical evaluations in order to seek possible signs of the disease progression early.

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that characterises a range of people, from individuals who are not able to speak to others who have good verbal communications. The disorder affects the way people see, think, and behave, including their communications and social interactions. Identifying autistic traits, preferably in the early stages, is fundamental for clinicians in expediting referrals, and hence enabling patients to access to required healthcare services. This article investigates various ASD behavioral features in toddlers and proposes a data process using machine-learning techniques. The aims of this study were to identify early behavioral features that can help detect ASD in toddlers and to map these features to the neurodevelopment behavioral areas of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). To achieve these aims, the proposed data process assesses several behavioral features using feature selection techniques, then constructs a classification model based on the chosen features. The empirical results show that during the screening process of toddlers, cognitive features related to communications, social interactions, and repetitive behaviors were most relevant to ASD. For the machine-learning algorithms, the predictive accuracy of Bayesian network (Bayes Net) and logistic regression (LR) models derived from ASD behavioral data subsets were consistent pinpointing to the suitability of ML techniques in predicting ASD.

This research addresses the need for a mobile application to teach Arabic sign language to deaf children in the Arab world. Therefore, the team develops an educational android application to teach deaf children the Arabic sign language using gamification. Also, the research aims to investigate the impact of using a mobile application for Arabic sign language on children’s learning performance. To achieve its goals, the research entails two main stages. The first stage focuses on building the mobile application based on the literature review and searching the Google and Apple stores for similar applications. In the second stage, an experiment is conducted on 10 deaf children—the experimental group adopted the mobile application for the learning process, whereas the control group followed the traditional learning approach. A pre-test and post-test were conducted, and the results show that children who used the game-based mobile application performed better in their quiz.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder. Children diagnosed with this disorder have persistent deficits in their social-emotional reciprocity skills, nonverbal communication, and developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. Besides, autistic children usually have motor deficits that influence their imitation and gesture production ability. The present study aims to review and analyze the current research findings in using robot-based and virtual reality-based intervention to support the therapy of improving the social, communication, emotional, and academic deficits of children with autism. Experimental data from the surveyed works are analyzed regarding the target behaviors and how each technology, robot, or virtual reality, was used during therapy sessions to improve the targeted behaviors. Furthermore, this study explores the different therapeutic roles that robots and virtual reality were observed to play. Finally, this study shares perspectives on the affordances and challenges of applying these technologies.

The paper investigates information and communication technology (ICT)-based and face-to-face interactions for knowledge sharing during the activities characterizing the innovation process rather than strategic or operative ones. It also discussed the benefits of working remotely in companies or in a network of companies, also due to the pandemic situation such as the one we are experiencing today. The research design is based on the exploitation of a case study in the aerospace sector. Qualitative data are collected with interviews, and a content analysis is applied for extracting data useful for exploring different kind of relationships. Three significant results are described about the role of face-to-face interactions in knowledge sharing; the interaction through ICT tools for communication; and the different types of support provided by ICT tools. The paper extends the state of the art with new evidence in the field of knowledge sharing and conversion for sustaining the innovation process. The findings are original since new insights for the analysis of relationships are provided. Furthermore, the research methodology is described in detail and can introduce managers and scientists in content analysis applications also for industrial exploitation.

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that is prevalence worldwide. Most autistic children have weak communication and social skills. This re-searches aims to develop and test a mobile application, named MyVoice, which supports local autistic children. The proposed design and features are discussed, and a prototype is evaluated and tested by two therapists and an autistic child. Experimental results indicate positive feedback in terms of ease of use, aesthetic, and simplicity. Parents of the autistic child are satisfied with different features such as the alert notification. Results also indicate that autistic children need about one week to easily interact with MyVoice.

The interest in Indoor position systems (IPSs) had been widely increased recently, due to technological advancement. IPSs provide users with location information of various objects inside big buildings, typically using a mobile device. Different wireless technologies are available to provide location service such RF, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Visible Light Communication (VLC), etc. IPSs mainly determine the position by analyzing sensory information which is collected by mobile device continuously on real time, unless the user turned off the service. Various services and security issues had been associated with IPSs. Secure positioning become more important and crucial to the success of the delivered service. Location service network that based on off-air signal measurement is susceptible to numerous attacks (e.g. wormhole, sinkhole and Sybil attacks). This paper aims to provide an integrated view of IPSs, technologies and associated security threats that face such positioning systems. The paper compares different wireless indoor position technologies, explore potential attacks, and evaluate IPS protection mechanism.

The paper investigates the role of different means of interactions to support innovative activities rather than strategic or operative activities for collaborating internally and externally in a firm. The research design is based on the exploitation of a case study in the aerospace sector. Qualitative data are collected with interviews and a content analysis is applied for extracting quantitative data useful for exploring the different relationships. Three significant results are described about the role of face-to-face interactions; the interaction through ICT tools for communication; and the different type of support provided by ICT tools in the company activities. The paper extends the state of the art with new evidences in the field of relationship management for sustaining innovation.

The use of gamification in education contexts is increasing at a rapid pace, particularly due to its huge potential in motivating and engaging students. This study used an online survey to define the factors that influence the adoption of education gamification in Abu Dhabi. As the results suggest, the need to replace outdated learning methods, the lack of knowledge and skills, and the level of faculty support of education gamification are some of the factors identified by students as having a significant influence on the adoption of education gamification in Abu Dhabi.

Successful implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technology has always been a subject of interest among researchers. Adoption of such system involves addressing critical success factors (CSF). Relevant literature offers limited understanding of this topic in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) context in particular. Hence, this study is undertaken to investigate what are the critical success factors for successful implementation of ERP; the results show positive association between National and Organizational factors, and successful implementation of ERP systems in the federal authorities of the UAE government.

Higher education institutions are adopting innovative solutions and tools to enhance their educational outcomes and attract more learners.Social network websites (SNSs) are example about such technologies, which attracted the attention of instructors as well as students.This research aims to understand the students' perceptions regarding using Social networking websites within their learning process.Also, to understand if student gender and nationality has influence on using SNSs.Data had been collected using an electronic questionnaire distributed among undergraduate students of two well-known universities'; Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University which is located in Riyadh-Saudi Arabia and the second one is University of Jordan which is located in Amman-Jordan.Statistical analysis had been applied to the collected data.The results shows difference between students answers when it's been compared on country basis.

Ubiquitous commerce provides great business opportunities for companies and personalized services for customers. Though, customers have some concerns that affect the adoption of this new technology. In the prior literature, many researchers have studied the user's concerns and issues regarding u-commerce adoption. However, there was no enough research on customers' acceptance of u-commerce. This paper proposes a framework to identify the factors that impact the customers' behavior towards u-commerce services in Saudi Arabia. It extends TAM with extra constructs such as: privacy, subjective norm and trust. We found out that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, privacy, trust and subjective norm have direct impact on the user's intention to use u-commerce services. This research contributes to existing literature by investigating the factors that influence customer's adoption of u-commerce in Saudi Arabia. The implications of the findings need to be considered before the implementation of u-commerce services on a mass scale.

Web.2 technologies allow people to be the producer of information and this will increase the information in a network. Discussion Boards (forums) are Web.2 technology that enable student to interact, collaborate and exchange knowledge in different online courses. The main objective of this research study is to investigate the impact of Discussion Boards on students’ grades and satisfaction with the learning environment. The study compared two groups of similar students studying similar topic and compared the results after 6 weeks experiment. Results showed that there is a positive impact on students’ grades and student’s satisfaction. Moreover, additional investigations were made to deeply understand the other related impacts that arose during the research study.

People take their mobile phones everywhere they go. In Saudi Arabia, the mobile penetration is very high and students use their phones for different reasons in the classroom. The use of mobile devices in classroom triggers an alert of the impact it might have on students’ learning. This study investigates the association between the use of mobile phones during classroom and the learners’ performance and satisfaction. Results showed that students get distracted, and that this diversion of their attention is reflected in their academic success. However, this is not applicable for all. Some students received high scores even though they declared using mobile phones in classroom, which triggers a request for a deeper study.

Nowadays, Information Technology (IT) plays an important role in efficiency and effectiveness of the organizational performance. As an IT application, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is considered one of the most important IT applications because it enables the organizations to connect and interact with its administrative units in order to manage data and organize internal procedures. Many institutions use ERP systems, most notably Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). However, many projects fail or exceed scheduling and budget constraints; the rate of failure in HEIs sector is higher than in other sectors. With HEIs’ recent movement to implement ERP systems and the lack of research studies examining successful implementation in HEIs, this paper provides a critical literature review with a special focus on Saudi Arabia. Further, it defines Critical Success Factors (CSFs) contributing to the success of ERP implementation in HEIs. This paper is part of a larger research effort aiming to provide guidelines and useful findings that help HEIs to manage the challenges for ERP systems and define CSFs that will help practitioners to implement them in the Saudi context.

Mobile applications are rapidly growing in importance and can be used for various purposes. They had been used widely in education. One of the educational purposes for which mobile applications can be used is learning the right way to read and pronounce the verses of the Holy Quran. There are many applications that translate the Quran into several languages. In addition, there are applications that help usersto read the Quran, and search for a particular word or phrase in the text as well as listening to verses of the Holy Quran. This research aims to study the relationships of behavioral factors and perceived usefulness of using the mobile application “Say Quran” for learning Quran on students’ perceived performance, satisfaction and behavior. In this research a group of 118 students of the Computer Sciences and Information Systems College at Al Imam Muhammed Bin Saud Islamic University who are studying the Holy Quran course had been asked to use the application to help them on studying the Quran, then a survey had been distributed in order to collect the data. The results from this study provide evidence that there is a positive relationship between mobile application “Say Quran” and students’ perceived performance, satisfaction and behavior while engaged in studying the Holy Quran.

The creation of a collaborative learning environment necessitates learners to learn together. Collaborative learning becomes influential when it occurs from the perspective of communities of practice. This study aims to provide an instrument that can measure the extent to which learning practices in a country are consistent with Wenger's model of communities of practice based on student perspective. This study emphasises the applicability of creating a virtual collaborative learning environment in Saudi Arabian universities. Data were collected through web-based questionnaires distributed to undergraduate students at Al Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU).

Nowadays, Information Technology (IT) plays an important role in efficiency and effectiveness of the organizational performance.As an IT application, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is considered one of the most important IT applications because it enables the organizations to connect and interact with its administrative units in order to manage data and organize internal procedures.Many institutions use ERP systems, most notably Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).However, many projects fail or exceed scheduling and budget constraints; the rate of failure in HEIs sector is higher than in other sectors.With HEIs' recent movement to implement ERP systems and the lack of research studies examining successful implementation in HEIs, this paper provides a critical literature review with a special focus on Saudi Arabia.Further, it defines Critical Success Factors (CSFs) contributing to the success of ERP implementation in HEIs.This paper is part of a larger research effort aiming to provide guidelines and useful findings that help HEIs to manage the challenges for ERP systems and define CSFs that will help practitioners to implement them in the Saudi context.

The community of practice is an internet application that nourishes knowledge management and innovation. Implementing the community of practice in education can enhance the learning process and make it an enjoyable, exiting and lifelong experience. In this paper, the researchers intend to create a conceptual model for the successful implementation of community of practice in Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through evaluate the literature review about the educational community of practice. Then, a prototype is developed followed by a survey to collect feed-backs about the experiment. Using the Chi-Square statistical method of qualitative analysis associated with the Design Science Methodology of research, the research is fulfilled. The results illustrated the conceptual model of the effective implementation of the community of practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, that define the seven factors to be considered which are network density, culture perceptions, distributed production, knowledge complexity and richness, government enforcement, IT specialist role, and senior members role.