Successful Use of Knowledge-Based Systems for Collaboration in Higher Education

Knowledge-based systems are forms of computerized tools designed specially to help in many aspects specifically in collaboration activities. Despite the importance of these tools in generating, exchanging, and sharing the information and knowledge, many institutions, especially educational ones, are not interested in them, because of insufficient knowledge of the role of knowledge-based systems and their effectiveness in the academic events. The basic purposes of this paper are to find the role of knowledge-based systems collaboration tools (KBSCT) in higher educational institutions and to recognize in what way institution and student performance are affected by implementing KBSCT. The research questionnaires distributed to 100 participants, but only 67 were used and included in the frequency analysis. The results added a contribution in terms of identifying how the KBSCT effect on the higher educational institution and student's decisions.

COVID-19 Among African Americans: An Action Plan for Mitigating Disparities

As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded across the United States, troubling disparities in mortality have emerged between different racial groups, particularly African Americans and Whites. Media reports, a growing body of COVID-19-related literature, and long-standing knowledge of structural racism and its myriad effects on the African American community provide important lenses for understanding and addressing these disparities. However, troubling gaps in knowledge remain, as does a need to act. Using the best available evidence, we present risk- and place-based recommendations for how to effectively address these disparities in the areas of data collection, COVID-19 exposure and testing, health systems collaboration, human capital repurposing, and scarce resource allocation. Our recommendations are supported by an analysis of relevant bioethical principles and public health practices. Additionally, we provide information on the efforts of Chicago, Illinois’ mayoral Racial Equity Rapid Response Team to reduce these disparities in a major urban US setting. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print December 22, 2020: e1–e7. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305990 )

Problems and Prospects of Mixed Education at the University During the Digitalization Period

The author addresses the urgent problem of the synthesis of traditional and e-learning and considers one of the promising formats of study at a university - blended learning. The terminological analysis revealed analogues to this training: blend training, mix training, blended learning, hybrid learning, integrated or web-based advanced learning. Its essence is a reasonable combination of offline and online technologies, methods, interaction techniques and tools. The methodological basis of the study was a comprehensive, integrative-competency and professional approaches. Turning to numerous domestic and foreign studies, the author proves the inevitability and popularity of this form of education. One of the varieties of this approach is described - inverted learning. In blended learning in the digital age, along with traditional technologies, web services and platforms, social networks, instant messengers, distance learning systems, collaboration environments, smart contracts, etc. are actively used. The article outlines the advantages, problems and prospects of the blended learning concept. One of the acute problems is the online training of teachers. Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation V. Falkov urges urgent training of all teachers by 100%.

The challenges of project management in small and medium-sized enterprises: a literature review based on bibliometric software and content analysis

The purpose of this paper is to design an overview about Project Management (PM) in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) by analysing the evolution of publications and the main topics since 1996 to 2016 to motivate future research that helps SMEs to apply PM practices more efficiently. This study performed bibliometrics associated with content analysis of publications collected in scientific bases Web of Science and Scopus and in the periodic International Journal of Project Management. For that, the software VOSviewer, Nvivo, Minitab, and Excel were used in the analyses. The scan of 235 papers about Project Management in SMEs supported a literature overview. Furthermore, four thematic categories are highlighted: Project Management Practices, Planning and Control Systems, Collaboration, and Knowledge Management. Moreover, it was observed that SMEs requires a lighter PM methodology, focused on people and flexible. Besides that, the results show that the main challenges involve a lack of resources and qualified people and the high turnover. However, overcoming these issues, PM can benefit growth and innovation in SMEs. Therefore, this study presents a conceptual framework of benefits and challenges in Project Management in SMEs, reducing the research gap. Furthermore, recommendations for future research, mainly in Brazil, are given.

FLOOD HAZARD MAPPING USING GIS SPATIAL ANALYSIS FUNCTIONS IN BALEENDAH, BANDUNG, WEST JAVA

<em><span lang="IN">Flooding is the most devastating hydro-meteorological hazard in Baleendah. Therefore, communities in Baleendah needs more attention because they suffer the impacts every year. This paper focused on mapping flood hazard in the 1-km2 area in Baleendah. The study used spatial analysis functions in ArGIS. Also, an on-site survey was conducted to know the height of inundation by floods within the study area. The resulting flood hazard map shows that all communities are exposed to flood hazard with the total number of 5349 houses inundated by floods. The degree of inundation is divided into three (03) levels, low (0-0.5 m), moderate (0.5-1.5m), and high (above 1.5m). Positive attitude towards early actions and early warning systems, collaboration among disaster relief institutions and local government are recommended for reduction of flooding disaster risk.</span></em>

Implementing a Provider Partnership to Improve Substance Abuse and Child Welfare Outcomes in Urban High-Needs Parents

This Practice Note describes the implementation of a partnership between child welfare and substance use providers in New York City, with the aim of supporting cross-systems collaboration and improving outcomes for dually involved families. Specifically, this report focuses on improving both coordination and communication between a preventive child welfare service provider (Montefiore Family Treatment & Rehabilitation Program), an outpatient substance abuse treatment provider (Montefiore Division of Substance Abuse), and the local department of social services (New York City Administration for Children’s Services). This article identifies general challenges with collaboration, describes how this collaboration was created and implemented in New York City, and provides guidance for other entities that are attempting to create similar collaborations.