Understanding the use of digital finance among older internet users in urban China: Evidence from an online convenience sample

Inclusive digital financial services should welcome older populations and make them beneficiaries of the digital and financial revolution. To understand older adults' experience of using digital financial tools, we conducted an online survey of 268 older internet users aged 60 or above from urban areas of 14 Chinese provinces after China's nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in 2021. Our results revealed that older internet surfers were active in digital financial activities and engaged most with activities that were highly compatible with their lifestyles. Active users significantly differed from inactive users in sociodemographics, confirming that a digital divide related to social stratification exists among older internet users. Digital finance active users were also distinguished from inactive users' attitudes and perceptions toward digital finance. Logistic regression results indicated that perceived usefulness, access to proper devices for digital finance, risk perceptions, and perceived exclusion if not using technology were associated with their adoption of these advanced tools. Older adults reported the perceived inconvenience of in-person financial services during the lockdown. They also expressed a willingness to participate in relevant training if provided. The findings of this study could help aging-related practitioners to understand older adults' engagement in digital finance and guide policy and project design in the area of financial inclusion of the aging population.

Impact of Teachers' Support Strategies on Students' Engagement of Online College English Class Experiences

During the covid-19 pandemic, students' online learning quality is imbued with teachers' support strategies while students' learning engagement is another great indicator underlies their learning experiences. Through a questionnaire survey of 500 freshmen who have had their college English class online in 2022 fall, an investigation using exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, stepwise regression analysis and parallel mediator model reveals the impact of teachers' support strategies (the six dimensions of challenge, authentic context, curiosity, autonomy, recognition and feedback) on the learners' online college English learning engagement (the four dimensions of cognitive engagement, behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, social engagement), thus particular concern is also given to the correlation with students' online learning experiences. It was found that even under diversified and comprehensive guiding strategies from teachers, university students' online college English learning engagement is at the medium level, among which the cognitive engagement should be devoted more. The experimental data also shows that teachers' support strategies have significant influence on learners' engagement, especially teachers' feedback and challenge setting will stimulate students to involve more in their study. In addition, both teachers' support strategies and students' learning engagement involves significant reflection of learning experiences accordingly. Based on this learning concept, related proposals see different degrees of prominence reflected in online instructional design, teachers' and students' feedback literacy, and technology-enabled innovative teaching practice are put forward, in order to effectively play the role of teacher scaffolding, learning experiences enrichment and students' engagement enhancement of online English learning. © 2023 IEEE.

Transformative service research approaches for visitor experiences in major sporting events

PurposeThis research conceptualises the hallmark event, Melbourne Cup in Australia, as a major sporting brand experience. While numerous studies have explored consumer engagement and experiences in major sporting events, few research studies highlight the negative issues, such as alcoholism, gambling and violence, that may affect consumer engagement and experience. This article addresses the challenges and opportunities of providing immersive and transformative experiences through transformative service research (TSR) approaches when such negative issues are swirling around.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is conceptual. It uses the example of Melbourne Cup to illuminate aspects of the conceptual framework.FindingsThe article unpacks a myriad of positive and negative immersive brand experiences and contributes a conceptual framework to understand the sporting brand experience phenomenon and shows how authentically responsible marketing approaches can improve the sport spectator experience.Research limitations/implicationsInsights from the extended TSR framework presents implications for various organisations that are involved with strategic destination marketing approaches. It guides key stakeholders to engage in dialogue and collaborate in order to improve the attendee transformative experience. Inviting collaborators will facilitate the exchange of ideas that will improve event organisation. Consistent approaches among hospitality service providers would improve alcohol service and create a safe environment for attendees. The TSR framework guides players of the experience to engage in meaningful dialogue with a common goal to improve consumer wellbeing. Education and training therefore are key elements in the consumer sporting brand experience.Practical implicationsThe adapted TSR framework offers insights to destination marketers such as sporting agencies, tour operators and sporting organisations/clubs. Marketers may promote bigger sporting events and organise tours via travel agencies and ignore key elements that may influence attendee decision. Destination marketing organisations (DMOs) can use the framework to promote effective planning and the key initiatives that the iconic event is involved with. The framework can be used as a guide to manage similar international events. Events of major or mega size and international reputation need specific frameworks that address crowd behaviours of similar sizes.Originality/valueAn extended transformative service approach is being conceptualised for major sporting brand experiences. Practical implications are also highlighted for DMOs when raising the profile of city brands.

Resilience strategies of Filipino irregular migrant domestic workers in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has brought a combination of health, socioeconomic and protection challenges to migrants everywhere, and a common view is that these effects have been harshest for those already in vulnerable situations before the pandemic. However, the lived experiences of Filipino irregular migrant domestic workers (IMDWs) in the Netherlands point to a range of impacts instead of a homogenous one. Drawing on interviews and participant observations, we analyse three specific pandemic consequences: income and financial remittance volatility, dual country or transnational precarity and physical and migration status immobility. We then analyse the resilience strategies deployed by IMDWs to navigate through such impacts. While our focus is on the microlevel, we also highlight the vital importance of the responses by the community on the mesolevel, and the government on the macrolevel. Following this relational approach, we put forward a conceptualisation of individual resilience as the capacity to navigate the negative impacts of a shock or crisis to maintain, adapt, or transform valued functionings. We argue that IMDWs cultivate resilience despite their precarious legal status;however, the effectiveness of strategies is contingent on personal circumstances as well as the sociopolitical context wherein they are deployed. The paper contributes to the literature by providing a more nuanced picture of the impacts of and responses to COVID-19 in relation to migrants with irregular status. The articulation of resilience in terms of valued functionings also paves the way for the advancement of the still nascent research agenda on migration and human development.

Playful Learning During the Reopening of Danish Schools After Covid 19 Closures

This article is based on qualitative and quantitative data collected from teachers and pupils in Danish schools in June 2020, as schools reopened following closures in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigates the transformations in school life that took place in this period in response to strict official guidelines to prevent the spread of infection, transformations both in school learning environments and in teaching activities. Using factor and cluster analyses and logistic regression, it explores the relation between teaching environment and pupils' emotional, social, and academic wellbeing, identifying correlations between key factors in the environment and the three dimensions of wellbeing. The study contributes both to understanding and dealing with the crisis in which education systems in the Nordic countries have found themselves in and adds relevant knowledge on themes of importance for education in the future.

COVID-19 Experiences and Coping Strategies: The Case of Differently Sized Businesses in South Africa

Businesses have experienced the impacts of COVID-19 differently due to their inherent characteristics and resilience capabilities. Understanding the varied experiences of businesses is an important ingredient for a well-informed policy and for future preparedness. The purpose of this study is to conduct a qualitative analysis of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on different businesses (small, medium, and large) and their coping strategies. The findings reveal different experiences among the businesses;the majority of small businesses were unable to change their business operation model due to logistics and infrastructure constraints, forcing most to temporarily close or pause operations, unlike the larger businesses that had a relatively inbuilt resilience structure. It is also interesting to report that government relief schemes were mainly utilized by larger businesses, arguably due to their formal nature and organized labour, whereas most smaller businesses were out of operation or relying on family support networks for survival. This study further identifies different approaches such as adjusting cost structures, temporary closures, transitioning to an online business (ICT) model, reskilling staff, and retrenchment as some coping strategies. Lessons learned and recommendations are provided at the end of this study.

The Role of ACEs and Discrimination on Mental Health: A Longitudinal Analysis Among College Students

Both adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and perceived discrimination have been found to impact mental health in adults, but less is understood about the ways they interact to affect anxiety and depression symptoms. In the spring and summer of 2020, there were large societal changes stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and social and racial justice movements in the United States. The current study aimed to characterize the interactive associations of ACE history and perceived discrimination with mental health in a sample of college students assessed prior to the pandemic in the fall of 2019 and then again in the fall of 2020. Results showed that in 2019, greater discrimination and more ACEs were associated with greater anxiety/depression symptoms. In 2020, a negative interactive effect of ACE history and discrimination on mental health was found, such that for individuals with low ACEs, greater discrimination was associated with significantly greater anxiety/depression symptoms. We also found that increases in perceived discrimination from 2019 to 2020 were significantly positively associated with increases in anxiety/depression symptoms over that same time period. The findings highlight the significant impacts that both ACEs history and perceived discrimination have on mental health and suggest that experiences of discrimination should be thought of as a critical, dynamic factor impacting college students' mental health. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Factors Related to Psychological Distress Among Nursing Students Volunteering in Covid-19 Frontline Prevention In Vietnam

The aim of the study to examine the level of psychological distress among nursing students volunteering in Covid-19 frontline prevention in Vietnam and related factors. Nursing students volunteering in frontline prevention presented emotional effects, including positive and negative effects on their psychological well-being. A cross-sectional study design was used and four hundred seventy-one students who volunteered for frontline prevention were randomly selected in the study using inclusion criteria. Data were collected from October to December 2021. A demographic questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory Questionnaire, and the Quality of life EQ-5D-5L were used to measure the variables. The data analysis was conducted by using descriptive statistics and linear regression. The research found that students presented a high risk of psychological distress. There was a significant correlation between problem-and emotional-coping strategies, quality of life, and psychological distress. Moreover, family support and psychological distress among nursing students had a strong relationship. Lecturers and high education institutions responsible for nursing students should pay more attention to developing psychological interventions in enhancing coping strategies and quality of life and various supports to reduce distress among nursing students fighting the epidemic.

The COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on UK Older People's Social Workers: A Mixed-Methods Study

In this article, we examined the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being, working conditions of social workers employed in UK older people's services and their intentions to leave the social work profession. Data came from a wider study of health and social care practitioners who completed online surveys at five different time points during the COVID-19 pandemic. The surveys contained both quantitative and qualitative questions. We analysed the responses of 426 social workers who worked in older people's services between May 2020 and July 2022 and found that: The well-being of older people's social workers declined as the pandemic progressed and remained low in comparison to UK population norms. Lower well-being scores were associated with greater intentions to leave the social work profession. In comparison to older people's social workers who were aged sixty plus years, those aged between twenty and forty years were more than seven times more likely to state their intentions to leave social work. Lastly, respondents voiced concerns over staffing levels and staff absences;feelings of being unsupported and isolated;increased pressures;and a blurring of home-work boundaries. The social work profession was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we examined the well-being, working conditions and intentions to leave the social work profession among a sample of UK older people's social workers. This was a cross-sectional mixed methods study analysing data from 426 social workers who worked in older people's services in the UK at five time points of the pandemic spanning 2020-2022. Data were collected using anonymous online surveys which included both quantitative and qualitative questions. The mental well-being of participants decreased as the pandemic progressed and this decline was associated with intentions to leave the profession. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed two major themes: Practice challenges and Staff well-being. The findings highlight the nature of stressors related to internal related practice demands, and external health and social care service stressors encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic and have implications for policy, practice and research in older people's social work.

Hybrid Learning: A Boon or Bane

The context of higher education is changing. The emerge of social, technical, and intellectual forces has pushed higher education to the point of a significant transformation (Garrison & Vaughn, 2008). Technology enhanced learning have raised concerns about the quality of education and learning environment. For the traditional classroom-based teaching and learning, the breakthrough came during the emerge of Covid-19 pandemic. Online learning, once a separated learning system, was fully integrated into teaching and learning to continue providing education amidst the lockdown. Post the reopening of higher education institutions, hybrid learning was widely implemented in almost all universities across the world, to accommodate students' diverse range of learning needs in the post pandemic era. This case study is intended to gain insights regarding the learning experiences, challenges, and benefits in hybrid learning from both the lecturers' and students' perspective. Based from the gathered qualitative data, results show that both students and lecturers have mixed reviews regarding hybrid learning experience. One of the main findings is that hybrid learning creates a more flexible, engaging learning environment compared to traditional face-To-face learning. Lecturers generally feel that hybrid learning has several pedagogical and technological challenges. However, issues concerning quality of lecture delivery and academic malpractice during online assessments has found to be a concern among lecturers and students. In overall, lecturers and students feel that hybrid learning needs to be evaluated from time to time to address the drawback for continuous improvement towards better quality of learning. © 2023 IEEE.

"I Won't Go Speechless": Design Exploration on a Real-Time Text-To-Speech Speaking Tool for Videoconferencing

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted many business activities to non-face-to-face activities, and videoconferencing has become a new paradigm. However, conference spaces isolated from surrounding interferences are not always readily available. People frequently participate in public places with unexpected crowds or acquaintances, such as cafés, living rooms, and shared offices. These environments have surrounding limitations that potentially cause challenges in speaking up during videoconferencing. To alleviate these issues and support the users in speaking-restrained spatial contexts, we propose a text-to-speech (TTS) speaking tool as a new speaking method to support active videoconferencing participation. We derived the possibility of a TTS speaking tool and investigated the empirical challenges and user expectations of a TTS speaking tool using a technology probe and participatory design methodology. Based on our findings, we discuss the need for a TTS speaking tool and suggest design considerations for its application in videoconferencing. © 2023 ACM.

Meaning in stressful experiences and coping across cultures

We report three studies to examine how culture may influence people's tendency to see meaning in stressful experiences (MISE), as well as their coping responses. Using a newly developed MISE scale with established measurement invariance across both cultures, we found that Chinese participants were more likely than Euro-Canadians to see meaning in stressful experiences (Studies 1 and 2), to adopt acceptance and positive reframing coping styles (Study 1), and to respond more positively to the COVID-19 pandemic (Study 2). To establish a causal link between MISE and coping, we primed MISE in Study 3 with Chinese participants and found an increase in resilient coping. The research highlights the important roles of culture and meaning making in coping. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

AsianCrit lens on Chinese international student multi-dimensional transitions and experiences in the US

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine Chinese international students' narrative stories, experiences and racial dynamics while studying in the United States to argue that Chinese international students navigate multi-dimensional transitions and experiences in different stages. This study uses an AsianCrit lens to address the gap in existing research focusing on Chinese international students' narratives and experiences.Design/methodology/approachNarrative inquiry with a social constructivist paradigm was used to provide an in-depth exploration of Chinese international students' navigation and negotiation in multi-dimensional experiences. Three phases of semi-structured interviews and journal entries were utilized to examine participants' experiences and struggles while studying in the United States. Descriptive coding, deductive coding and restorying were used to analyze and feather narrators' voices and stories for interpretation.FindingsThe findings in this qualitative study demonstrate that Chinese international students have unique backgrounds, and their backgrounds shape their multi-dimensional transitions and experiences in the present and the future. The findings address students' nuanced experiences in academic transitions and non-academic transitions with an AsianCrit lens.Practical implicationsThe study calls for higher education institutions to promote intercultural and international training for faculty and staff to better understand and support the unique needs of international students.Originality/valueUsing Multiple and Multi-dimensional Transitions theory with an AsianCrit lens helps make sense of the intersection of international student status, geopolitical tensions, racial dynamics and international student experiences.

Males' experiences of gender-based violence in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): A review of literature

Globally, gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a serious global health, human rights, and development issue. There is no standard definition of GBV, but it can be enacted under different forms such as physical violence, sexual violence, economic violence, psychological and emotional aggression (including coercive tactics) directed at someone because of their biological sex or gender identity. Most literature focuses on violence against females (both heterosexual and homosexual) and children, with little focus on males' perspectives. Most GBV narratives present males as perpetrators of violence. Recent statistics show that intimate partner violence (IPV) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased unemployment, substance abuse and reduced economic status. Recent country specific statistics are sparse but understanding the males' perceptions and experiences of GBV can assist with identifying appropriate interventions to deal with GBV. This critical review highlights critical knowledge gaps in the existing literature and a need for future research within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Remote care for chronic pain: A qualitative evaluation with managers, practitioners, and patients

The Covid-19 pandemic obliged many healthcare providers to transition rapidly to a remote-only model of care. Concerns have been expressed about patient access to remote services, their appropriateness for sensitive consultations and physical examinations. Pre-pandemic research into telemedicine showed evidence of its effectiveness, but patient, staff and service user perspectives on remote care approaches remain unclear. This study explored the experiences and perceptions of care among patients, practitioners and managers in a single United Kingdom chronic pain organisation whose services were delivered remotely (telephone and online) during the pandemic. Nineteen participants (seven patients, seven practitioners, five managers) took part in in-depth qualitative interviews, conducted via telephone or online. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Five service provider and four service user themes were generated. Service provider themes comprised "The change process," "Accessibility and efficiency," "Effective when remote: Contact, support and education," "Concerns about communication, connection and disembodied work," and "Supporting and sustaining the team." Patients' themes comprised "Preferences, expectations and acceptance of remote care," "Convenience and accessibility," "Sense of support" and "Delivery modality matters." The study provides evidence from the qualitative evaluation of a single remote only service of its benefits and limitations as perceived by stakeholders. Findings suggest that service providers could address limitations, and progress to a blended care package, based on for patient need and choice. Further attention could be paid to services delivered by telephone, and to staff communication skills, resources, time management and wellbeing needs.Copyright © Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Interpretive methods as a window into individual experiences and the pandemic

This chapter aligns with an interpretive qualitative research project. It discusses the development of this project, the site, the participants, the researchers, the data collection, and the data analysis. The chapter offers researchers and practitioners the opportunity to further conceptualize the importance of individuals' lived experiences, especially during tumultuous times. It demonstrates throughout the findings that the contextual variables are important in understanding how students, staff, and faculty experienced the organizational and societal changes that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March of 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Utah elected to close campus to all non-essential personnel and move all classes online when students returned from spring break. It acknowledges the mental health toll associated with conducting research during a pandemic. Members of the research team were forced to confront their own feelings about the pandemic while interpreting those of others. The researchers tries to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people in higher education, and as people in higher education who are impacted by the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The Effects of Information Layout, Display Mode, and Gender Difference on the User Interface Design of Mobile Shopping Applications

Online shopping has revolutionized our daily lives in the modern era. We can purchase needed goods on mobile shopping applications (apps) anytime and anywhere without leaving home. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have become increasingly dependent on various mobile shopping activities. However, the visual design of the shopping app interface often affects the user's interactive experience and the efficiency of browsing product information. In addition, gender differences are also worth being considered in the shopping interface design process. To achieve the goal, the research conducted a user study (N=40) of a 2× 2 x 2 mixed factorial design (i.e., information layout x display mode x gender difference). Each participant performed four tasks during the experiment. The authors measured the task completion time, collected the subjective responses from the SUS and the 7-point Likert scale questionnaire, and interviewed participants. The results revealed that: (1) females perform faster in lighter mode when searching for information location, while males perform faster in darker mode. (2) The information layout affects the user's visual search performance and subjective evaluation;females prefer the list style, but men prefer the matrix style. (3) Participants (both males and females) perceived matrix style as more popular than list style in dark mode;however, the result was reversed in light mode. The findings generated from the research can serve as a good reference for the development of user experience in the user interface design of mobile shopping apps. © 2013 IEEE.

The Role of Anti-racist Pedagogy and Practices in Professional Development Schools

The recent events of the COVID-19 pandemic, the revision of the National Association for Professional Development Schools' Nine Essentials to be more explicit in their anti-racism/social justice efforts, and the continued racially motivated attacks on Black and Indigenous People of Color, led to questioning and challenging Professional Development Schools (PDS) work because elements of social justice and equity were not always explicit. Literature supports that PDSs can be a site for helping pre-and in-service teachers develop an anti-racist stance. Embedded professional development, coursework, and field experiences in PDSs that enact culturally relevant, culturally sustaining, and equity-based pedagogies can help teachers breach the disconnect between theory and praxis, understand their own biases, disrupt deficit ways of thinking, and design learning experiences to meet the needs of P-12 learners. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Understanding individual experiences of COVID-19 to inform policy and practice in higher education: Helping students, staff, and faculty to thrive in times of crisis

Utilizing findings from more than 200 interviews with students, staff, and faculty at a US university, this volume explores the immediate and real-life impacts of COVID-19 on individuals to inform higher education policy and practice in times of crisis. Documenting the profound impacts that COVID-19 had on university operations and teaching, this book foregrounds a range of participant perspectives on key topics such as institutional leadership and loss of community, managing motivation and the move to online teaching and learning, and coping with the adverse mental health effects caused by the pandemic. Far from dwelling on the negative, the volume frames the lived experiences and implications of COVID-19 for higher education through a positive, progressive lens, and considers how institutions can best support individual and collective thriving during times of crisis. This book will benefit researchers, academics, and educators in higher education with an interest in the sociology of education, higher education management, and eLearning more broadly. Those specifically interested in student affairs practice, as well as the administration of higher education, will also benefit from this book. The chapters describe the experiences of students, staff, and faculty at the University of Utah as they adapted to the new COVID-19 reality in spring and summer 2020. The logistics of adjusting to online learning and working, the juggling act of managing their online learning and teaching while taking on responsibility for the learning of children in their homes, the reality of a struggling economy, and the social-political environment of a presidential election year and a burgeoning racial justice movement provide the backdrop for the experiences described in this monograph. This study has important implications for higher education leaders. It offers an in-depth and institutionally broad view of how different higher education stakeholders experienced the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Assessment Challenges Encountered by Teachers in the Implementation of Printed Modular Distance Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about unprecedented challenges in the field of education. Printed Modular Distance Learning (PMDL) was one of the most challenging modes of instruction in basic education, and the assessment stage posed specific difficulties for secondary school teachers in the Schools Division of Puerto Princesa City during the School Year 2020-2021. This research aimed to explore the real-life experiences of 15 secondary school teachers who taught via PMDL. Using a phenomenological study, the researcher conducted individual interviews with the teachers, who were chosen through purposive sampling. The study found that teachers encountered various challenges during the implementation of PMDL, with specific difficulties arising during the assessment stage. One of the significant problems reported by the participants was the submission of unanswered or incomplete modules by some students. Additionally, some learners had modules that were answered by their parents or other family members, while others copied answers directly from the internet or answer keys. The lack of names on modules and illegible handwriting also added to the challenges experienced by the teachers. Furthermore, the sheer volume of modules to be checked was a significant challenge for the participants. To ensure the quality and validity of module-based assessments, it is recommended that guidelines be provided to learners, monitoring and feedback mechanisms be put in place, and policies that prevent cheating be implemented. Educators should also have workload management strategies to ensure timely grading and feedback. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business & Education Research is the property of Future Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)