Zander, S., Montag, M., Wetzel, S., & Bertel, S. (2020). A gender issue? - How touch-based interactions with dynamic spatial objects support performance and motivation of secondary school students. Computers & Education, 143, 103677. http://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103677
Abstract
Mobile devices are seen to incorporate characteristics which can support learning and problem solving in general and specific abilities, such as spatial ones (e.g. mental rotation). Central relevant characteristics of these devices are the availability of multiple representations (e.g. dynamic and static) and the direct interaction via touch, pointing and tracing with displayed information. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of direct interactive, dynamic interactions with spatial tasks on mobile devices as compared to purely static, non-interactive versions of the same tasks. We expected that dynamic, interactive tasks support mental processes while solving spatial tasks would be especially helpful for learners with difficulties in mental rotation and low expectancies regarding their spatial abilities. Therefore, the second focus of the study was to examine whether the expected beneficial effects of dynamic interactions were equally beneficial for both genders. This was motivated by previous studies that revealed gender differences in performance and motivational beliefs regarding spatial tasks to the disadvantage of females. We used a mixed within-between subject design with presentation format (static vs. dynamic) and gender (female vs. male) as factors and success rate, mental effort, intrinsic motivation, and frustration as dependent variables. The study was conducted in four classes (7th grade, N = 46) in two secondary schools. To test gender related pre-assumptions, spatial abilities and motivation were assessed before solving the actual rotation tasks. A MANOVA with single-comparison follow-up tests revealed increased success rates and decreased mental effort for both genders in the dynamic condition, whereas beneficial effects for intrinsic motivation and frustration were restricted to female students. Process data for rotation behavior was registered for dynamic tasks: an analysis hinted at more exploratory ways of solving spatial tasks for females and at more goal-oriented approaches for male students.
Thomsen, F. (2020). Ein Simulationsmodell zur Identifikation von Diffusionskoeffizienten anhand charakteristischer Kenngrößen aus Sinterexperimenten. Technische Fakultät. Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel.
Warasthe, R., Schulz, F., Enneking, R., & Brandenburg, M. (2020). Sustainability Prerequisites and Practices in Textile and Apparel Supply Chains. Sustainability, 12. http://doi.org/10.3390/su12239960
Abstract
The proposed study deals with sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in the textile and apparel (T&A) industry. We analyze prerequisites and practices of supply chain (SC) sustainability in a multiple case study of the German and Ethiopian T&A industry. Our analysis is based on ten semi-structured interviews conducted with the managers of seven companies in the Ethiopian T&A production and the German fair fashion retail industries. The contribution of expert knowledge helps in identifying SC sustainability prerequisites and practices. The chosen cases of production in Ethiopia and retail in Germany highlight the complexity of T&A SCs while representing both the suppliers’ and retailers’ perspectives, which is rare in the related literature. As a major research contribution, the study adapts a framework for SC sustainability in the chemical industry and transfers it to T&A SCs. Moreover, practitioners from the T&A industry find useful insights into relevant practices and their prerequisites, which helps in improving SC sustainability in this sector. The study reveals that management orientation and interest groups such as customers represent the most important prerequisites for sustainability. Manufacturers rely more on internal practices such as monitoring, while retailers focus on external sustainability practices, such as supplier development. In a comparative approach, similarities and differences between T&A SCs and the chemical industry are identified.
Siebert, J. U., Brandenburg, M., & Siebert, J. (2020). Defining and Aligning Supply Chain Objectives Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 48, 72–85. http://doi.org/10.1109/EMR.2020.3032369
Odenwald, J., Bertel, S., & Echtler, F. (2020). Tabletop Teleporter: Evaluating the Immersiveness of Remote Board Gaming. In Proceedings of the 9TH ACM International Symposium on Pervasive Displays (S. 79–86). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery. http://doi.org/10.1145/3393712.3395337
Abstract
Communication with remote persons over a video link is common today, e.g. to connect with family members abroad, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, social activities such as board games are rarely shared in this way, as common video chat software does not support this scenario well. However, interactive tabletops provide inherent support for natural tangible interaction with items on the tabletop surface.We present the Tabletop Teleporter, a setup designed to merge two remote locations into a single shared interaction space. We evaluate the system using a board game, focusing on the perceived immersion and connectedness of participants. Our evaluation shows that most measures for the social quality of a remotely shared game are not significantly different from one played with co-located participants, and that players prefer our setup over a pure videochat scenario.