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The purpose of this study is to examine the continuance intentions of working professionals to pursue e-learning courses as a path for career advancement. The primary objective of this study is to ascertain the predictors of continued intentions of working professionals to pursue e-learning courses and examine if this is a trend in career development.

Perceived usefulness of e-learning, motivation and satisfaction are independent variables which are examined using a regression model as potential determinants of continued intentions to use various e-learning platforms. Data from 240 working professionals in different sectors was collected. In addition, satisfaction, motivation and perceived usefulness among the male and female respondents are compared using ANOVA.

The findings showed that motivation, satisfaction and perceived usefulness of e-learning are significant predictors and have a strong influence on the continued intentions of working professionals to pursue e-learning courses. In addition, the results showed that motivation levels while pursuing e-learning and satisfaction derived from them were higher for female professionals.

This study identifies the antecedents of the continued intentions of working professionals to pursue e-learning courses on the path of career advancement. The outcome of the study can be used by educators and e-content creators to make e-learning more engaging. Corporates can also use the results of this study to identify initiatives that can encourage the pursuit of e-learning.

This study provides an important insight exploring the antecedents of continued intentions of working professionals to pursue e-learning courses as a path of career advancement. The research contributes significantly to the understanding thought process of working professionals towards their careers.

The emergence of internet-based business models has given rise to online higher education institutions (OHEIs) that offer their undergraduate and graduate degree programs exclusively online with minimal physical presence. Research on OHEIs discusses the need for external legitimacy and resource acquisition, often ignoring the role of quality among these institutions. Hence, this study aims to investigate the role of digital quality of education on OHEIs’ survival.

Guided by four different inter-disciplinary theories, a conceptual framework is offered based on a comprehensive literature review.

The role of digital quality of education in improving the survival and strategic competitiveness of institutions in the US online higher education industry is highlighted.

This conceptual paper highlights how the digital quality of education becomes increasingly important over the life cycle of OHEIs.

The proposed framework suggests that despite the competition provided by traditional and well-entrenched players, OHEIs can improve their survival and competitiveness if they invest strategically in the digital quality of education.

This study offers an overarching conceptual framework developed through an integration of multiple theoretical perspectives and grounded in the US online higher education industry.

Based on self-determination theory (SDT), this study aims to investigate the motivational antecedents of faculty members’ continuance intention of using online teaching platforms. For this purpose, we introduced a model incorporating basic psychological needs satisfaction (BPNS) and different motivational mechanisms.

Using a survey study of 312 faculty members, we examined the model by structural equation modeling (SEM).

The SEM results revealed a positive correlation between BPNS and continuance intention. Additionally, we illustrate the importance of different types of extrinsic motivation. By presenting an alternative model, we demonstrate that the initial-use-identified regulation (one type of extrinsic motivation) has an association with continuance intention (CI). However, this association loses significance if BPNS is present within the model. Moreover, we determined that there is no significant relationship between initial-use external regulation (another type of extrinsic motivation) and faculty members' CI for online teaching. Lastly, the results revealed that pre-use amotivation and intrinsic motivation impact CI through initial-use BPNS.

The results suggest that decision-makers at educational institutions should consider that extrinsic motivation has different types with different impacts and that BPNS has a vital role in faculty members’ intention to continue using online teaching platforms.

This study is novel because it reveals some details of extrinsic motivation effects by offering a model that combines BPNS and different types of motivation in two stages. It is important and rare that we concentrate on the almost neglected issue of faculty members’ motivational perspectives in online teaching, while the literature mainly focuses on students’ perspectives.

Education to an international standard that can provide successful careers has arguably been the main drive of many parents to allocate scarce financial resources to the education of their progenies. Competition for high-calibre degrees has seen an explosion of opportunity in the private education sector. As many Global South countries do not have the equivalent control of standards provided in the United Kingdom (UK) by the Quality Assurance Agency, this can lead to dissatisfaction with the qualifications received in the Global South. This chapter aims to explore the factors influencing participation in higher education in the Global North versus the Global South, particularly where these relate to or vary by locality, and the relative influence these have on the propensity of the learners living in these areas to progress into higher education in local universities. The conceptual framework and methodology provided in this chapter show the differences between transnational education (TNE) as primarily a standalone or independent activity supported by a UK higher education institution (HEI)/provider versus being a collaborative effort between a UK host university and a South/Southeast Asian HEI university partner. The methodology provides a strategy for UK host institutions to best provide carefully aligned independent or collaborative partnerships with the partner country regulatory bodies. The chapter concludes with the author’s personal reflections and recommendations based on decades of collaborative and independent university provision of TNE. These reflections are focused on design-based courses in selected South/Southeast Asian HEI partnerships with the College of Architecture and Design at Birmingham City University.

Considering the potential of Collaborative International Online Learning (COIL) for cross-boundaries interacting and collaborating effectively, this study aims to explore the intercultural awareness of pre-service language teachers after participating in a COIL project.

Following a quantitative research approach and an exploratory cross-sectional method, the authors administered a 13-item questionnaire to unveil the perceptions of 64 future language teachers from Spain after their online experience with counterparts from the USA.

Participants consider that COIL may have enhanced their intercultural and global awareness and equipped them with valuable skills and knowledge for the future, being women more positive than men. Moreover, the results also suggest that those participants who have not traveled abroad consider COIL to be a good opportunity to compensate for the lack of knowledge or experience with other cultures resulting from not having had the opportunity to visit other countries.

COIL needs to be seen as a powerful tool to promote global learning, intercultural understanding and the development of skills among students that will be vital for success in today’s interconnected world. Nevertheless, universities and teacher training centers need to rethink the preparation of future teachers for the increasing demands to prepare students for the requirements of the global world, and to do so, they need to consider that COIL may offer them significant benefits.

This work offers an interesting exploration of teachers’ attitudes toward COIL, providing insights into the potential of online collaboration for developing intercultural awareness.

Teachers are an adaptive group of professionals and in this chapter, we explore the ways that teachers can develop themselves as leaders, even in the absence of strong support or leadership. We explore the manner that these skill sets and strengths can be cultivated, providing lived examples of how the authors have developed themselves. The ways that teachers can follow in the footsteps of the authors is outlined in clearly defined steps. By drawing on previous literature, we provide seven strong claims of developing middle leadership knowledge and skill sets beyond your school. Much of this development and community development work that develops and sharpens leadership skills can be explored through online fora and social media tools. These tools allow skill development, professional learning, and exposure to a broad range of education stakeholders and groups; for future pathways in school leadership roles and leading beyond school gate.

This research investigates the effects of consumers' online information searching on their dining satisfaction in upscale restaurants during the pandemic. Customers frequently rely on online sources to gather information about upscale restaurants prior to their visits.

Data from 307 diners across the top ten popular upscale restaurants in Hong Kong were analysed by using SEM to explore the links between customers' needs, information search, restaurant attributes and customer satisfaction.

This study uncovers customers' online search behaviours and identifies restaurant attributes that are associated with customer satisfaction, which were not typically emphasised before the COVID-19 pandemic. Driven by their social and psychological needs, customers devoted more time to reading written comments by other consumers compared to visual images or self-descriptions from restaurants. Only service attribute significantly influenced customer satisfaction, while food and price attributes were not significant.

The findings of this study provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners, shedding light on the altered needs and preferences of consumers following the unprecedented health crisis.

This study contributes to the development of expectancy disconfirmation theory and needs theory through the investigation of consumers' online information searching behaviours and dining satisfaction in upscale restaurants during the pandemic. By identifying the most important attributes influencing customer satisfaction, this research can aid upscale restaurants in developing effective marketing strategies and enhancing customer experiences.

Though there is consensus that mindfulness induces mindful consumption (MC), empirical testing is needed to uncover the mechanism underlying temperance behaviour in the MC model proposed by Sheth et al. (2011). The role of mindful advertising in influencing MC needs deeper investigation. The purpose of this research paper is to bridge the gap.

The relationship between mindfulness and temperance in consumption was investigated using an online simulation. Mindful advertising by Patagonia, with a message to buy less yet demand organic, fair-trade and recycled products, was introduced as a moderator in experimental group one. The second group was exposed to an aspirational advertisement of Tommy Hilfiger, symbolic of consumption-driving communication.

Not buying any brands was the uppermost preference by the participants followed by Patagonia, which used a mindful advertisement. Tommy Hilfiger was a distant third despite using an aspirational advertisement. A predictive relationship between mindfulness and temperance in consumption remained elusive.

Consumer purchase decisions favouring mindfully advertised Patagonia make a strong business case for nurturing a mindful mindset and promoting mindful behaviour. The customer-centric sustainability strategy of caring for the people and the planet beforehand should take precedence over corporate social responsibility which is usually an afterthought.

Measuring mindfulness and MC, two constructs combined in one experimental design, using a simulation built around real-life marketing communication distinguishes this research paper.

In the digital age, public libraries are facing numerous challenges, and the Balochistan public libraries are no exception. This study aimed to identify current digital trends adopted by the public libraries in Balochistan and to find out about challenges and potential solutions regarding digital trends from library users.

A quantitative study was carried out and data were collected through the survey method, employing a structured questionnaire. The target population consisted of 17,953 users of 17 public libraries in Balochistan. A sample of 510 users both male and female was selected by using random sampling technique from the target population.

The analysis revealed that patrons of public libraries are dissatisfied with the services offered, as they now require access to new digital trends such as fast Internet, download facilities, unlimited content on numerous resources, Wi-Fi, online reference services, universal accessibility and user-friendly interfaces. Unfortunately, public libraries in Balochistan are still lagging in terms of development. The study recommended that public libraries in Balochistan should develop and implement digital services, increase access to digital resources, hire professional librarians, professional development and collaborate with other libraries.

The study’s findings can assist in improving public library services and granting patrons access to current information and resources in Balochisthan and other developing countries. This study’s originality stems from its use of a quantitative survey approach to gather data from 17 public libraries in Balochisthan and provide a comprehensive view of the digital challenges they face. The study’s focus on digital tendencies is relevant in today’s world, where technology is rapidly changing the way, we access and consume information.

This study aims to enhance the understanding of the current research landscape regarding the utilisation of telepresence robots (TPRs) in education.

The bibliometric and thematic analysis of research publications on TPRs was conducted using papers in the Scopus database up to 2023. The final analysis focused on 53 papers that adhered to the selection criteria. A qualitative analysis was performed on this set of papers.

The analysis found a rising trend in TPR publications, mostly from the USA as conference papers and journal articles. However, these publications lacked technology integration frameworks, acceptance models and specific learning design models. TPRs have proven effective in various learning environments, fostering accessible education, better communication, engagement and social presence. TPRs can bridge geographical gaps, facilitate knowledge sharing and promote collaboration. Obstacles to implementation include technical, physical, social and emotional challenges. Publications were grouped into four thematic categories: didactic methods of using TPRs, TPRs for educational inclusivity, TPR as a teacher mediator and challenges in using TPRs. Despite the significant potential of TPRs, their broader adoption in education is still facing challenges.

This research solely analysed research papers in the Scopus database, limiting TPR publications with the keywords “telepresence robots”, “learning”, “teaching” and “education”, excluding studies with different other keywords.

This study enhances understanding of TPR research in education, highlighting its pedagogical implications. It identifies a gap in the inclusion of technology integration frameworks, acceptance models and learning design models, indicating a need for further research and development.