OBJECTIVE: Loneliness and social isolation are pressing issues that can seriously impact the mental health and well-being of older adults. Interacting with nature can stimulate a feeling of connectedness. However, for older adults, access to nature is often troublesome because of physical limitations and mobility restrictions.METHODS: In the present mixed-method study, 37 older adults (62-99 years old) with varying care needs and mobility restrictions watched a video presenting a walkthrough of a simulated digital nature landscape.RESULTS: Quantitative results show a significant increase in social connectedness scores and enhanced peacefulness after experiencing a digital nature. Qualitative results stress the importance of variations in nature scenery and highlight the influence of contextual and person-related factors including nature experiences throughout the life span and mobility constraints that older adults may face.CONCLUSION: These findings testify to the potential of using digital nature as a complementary strategy when interactions with outdoor nature become increasingly difficult due to old age.
The digital age has brought significant changes in the way organizations operate and compete. As a result of rapid technology development, many organizations are undergoing a digital transformation to stay relevant and competitive in the marketplace. This literature review aims to find future research topics by providing an overview of the current state of research on organizations in digital transformation (ODT), especially on malleable organization design and HRM aspects. The article begins by defining digital transformation (DT), and then examines how organizations change during DT, before delving into the perspectives of malleable organization design and HRM. Finally, it concludes by identifying gaps in the literature and suggesting a research agenda for future. Overall, organizational factors that need more investigation are highlighted to tackle complexities of ODT for further research.
Within the context of the information society, access to computers and the internet has been considered to be a new fault line in social exclusion. This has resulted in numerous initiatives on e-inclusion. There is however a second development, that of evidence-based practice, the approach that wants results of effectiveness studies to be an important inspiration for practice. Where these developments intersect, we find the issue of whether e-inclusion interventions are effective, of whether they reach their aim. It is common to label projects as "good practice", but do we have an assessment framework to justify using labels such as "good" or "best"? Does providing excluded citizens with access to computers and internet indeed help them to become socially included? And can we distinguish different types of initiatives and assess them according to their effectiveness?
Digital innovations in the field of immersive Augmented Reality (AR) can be a solution to offer adults who are mentally, physically or financially unable to attend sporting events such as premier league football a stadium and match experience. This allows them to continue to connect with their social networks. In the intended project, AR content will be further developed with the aim of evoking the stadium experience of home matches as much as possible. The extent to which AR enriches the experience is then tested in an experiment, in which the experience of a football match with and without AR enrichment is measured in a stadium setting and in a home setting. The experience is measured with physiological signals. In addition, a subjective experience measure is also being developed and benchmarked (the experience impact score). Societal issueInclusion and health: The joint experience of (top) sports competitions forms a platform for vulnerable adults, with a limited social capital, to build up and maintain the social networks that are so necessary for them. AR to fight against social isolation and loneliness.
Inclusief User Experience (UX)-ontwerpen is het creëren van digitale diensten die toegankelijk zijn voor zoveel mogelijk mensen, ongeacht hun fysieke of mentale beperkingen, gezondheidsproblemen, leeftijd, achtergrond of gebruikscontext. Niet alleen is er de afgelopen jaren steeds meer aandacht voor digitale inclusie en toegankelijkheid, er komen ook nieuwe wetten die de digitale inclusie en toegankelijkheid verplicht stellen. Toch zijn digitale inclusie en toegankelijkheid vaak slechts een bijzaak in het ontwerpproces. Meestal wordt een digitale dienst in eerste instantie ontworpen en ontwikkeld voor een gemiddelde gebruiker en pas daarna uitgebreid met toegankelijkheidsfuncties voor andere gebruikersgroepen. Er zijn veel normen, richtlijnen en methoden voor toegankelijk en inclusief ontwerpen, maar vereisen vaak tijdrovend gebruikers- en contextonderzoek, specialistische kennis en veranderingen in de ontwerpprocesorganisatie. UX-ontwerpbureaus en UX-ontwerpopleidingen ontberen beproefde best-practices om een inclusief ontwerp van digitale diensten te kunnen garanderen. Daardoor kunnen ze te weinig inspelen op maatschappelijke behoeften en zijn ze niet voldoende voorbereid op de aanstaande wetgeving. Met het voorgestelde onderzoek willen we een beter begrip ontwikkelen van factoren die de ontwerpers en ontwerpprocessen belemmeren bij het creëren van toegankelijke en inclusieve UX-ontwerpen. Daarmee willen we ook de basis leggen voor verder praktisch onderzoek naar welke combinaties van tools, methoden en ontwerpbenaderingen het beste werken voor het bereiken van inclusieve ontwerpresultaten in alledaagse ontwerppraktijkomstandigheden. Het project is opgedeeld in drie fasen. Het eerste deel van het project is een verkennend onderzoek binnen UX-ontwerponderwijs. De tweede fase omvat onderzoek naar processen van betrokken UX-ontwerpbureaus en vergelijking van procesobstakels in ontwerponderwijs en professionele ontwerpprocessen. In de derde fase worden de resultaten van fase één en twee vertaald naar richtlijnen, tool- en methode-ideeën en gezamenlijke vervolgonderzoeksagenda. De resultaten worden uiteindelijk ook benut voor verbetering en actualisatie van de curricula van digitale (ontwerp)opleidingen, zoals Communication and Multimedia Design (CMD), teneinde meer inclusieve ontwerpers op te leiden.
The projectThe overarching goal of DIGNITY, DIGital traNsport In and for socieTY, is to foster a sustainable, integrated and user-friendly digital travel eco-system that improves accessibility and social inclusion, along with the travel experience and daily life of all citizens. The project delves into the digital transport eco-system to grasp the full range of factors that might lead to disparities in the uptake of digitalised mobility solutions by different user groups in Europe. Analysing the digital transition from both a user and provider’s perspective, DIGNITY looks at the challenges brought about by digitalisation, to then design, test and validate the DIGNITY approach, a novel concept that seeks to become the ‘ABCs for a digital inclusive travel system’. The approach combines proven inclusive design methodologies with the principles of foresight analysis to examine how a structured involvement of all actors – local institutions, market players, interest groups and end users – can help bridge the digital gap by co-creating more inclusive mobility solutions and by formulating user-centred policy frameworks.The objectivesThe idea is to support public and private mobility providers in conceiving mainstream digital products or services that are accessible to and usable by as many people as possible, regardless of their income, social situation or age; and to help policy makers formulate long-term strategies that promote innovation in transport while responding to global social, demographic and economic changes, including the challenges of poverty and migration.The missionBy focusing on and involving end-users throughout the process of designing policies, products, or services, it is possible to reduce social exclusion while boosting new business models and social innovation. The end result that DIGNITY is aiming for is an innovative decision support tool that can help local and regional decision-makers formulate digitally inclusive policies and strategies, and digital providers design more inclusive products and services.The approachThe DIGNITY approach combines analysis with concrete actions to make digital mobility services inclusive over the long term. The approach connects users’ needs and requirements with the provision of mobility services, and at the same time connects those services to the institutional framework. It is a multi-phase process that first seeks to understand and bridge the digital gap, and then to test, evaluate and fine-tune the approach, so that it can be applied in other contexts even after the project’s end.Partners: ISINNOVA (Italy), Mobiel 21 (Belgium), Universitat Politechnica deCatalunya Spain), IZT (Germany), University of Cambridge (UK), Factualconsulting (Spain), Barcelona Regional Agencia (Spain), City of Tilburg(Netherlands), Nextbike (Germany), City of Ancona (Italy), MyCicero (Italy),Conerobus (Italy), Vlaams Gewest (Belgium)
