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.
Social Media lijken, bij uitstek, media om te inspireren en te innoveren. Echter, in de eerste plaats zijn Social Media als Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Hyves en LinkedIn geschikt voor het onderhouden van relaties. De conversatie staat centraal. Politici kunnen zich open stellen voor dialoog met de burger. Des te meer reden om te onderzoeken in hoeverre Social Media impact hebben gehad op de verkiezingen van 2 maart 2011 in Overijssel. Dit is de derde in een reeks van onderzoeksrapportages van het onderzoek Social Media en verkiezingen van het lectoraat Media Technology Design van Saxion. Het betreft een longitudinaal onderzoek naar trends in Social Media en politiek, scenario’s van het mogelijke gebruik van Social Media in de politiek en de impact hiervan op de uitslagen van gemeenteraads-,Provinciale Staten- en Tweede Kamerverkiezingen. Voor dit onderzoek is de volgende onderzoeksvraag geformuleerd: “In welke mate is er (significante) invloed waarneembaar van het (actieve) gebruik van Social Media door verkiezingskandidaten op de hoeveelheid stemmen die een politieke kandidaat tijdens de Provinciale Statenverkiezingen in Overijssel krijgt”? De provinciale politici hebben in de aanloop naar de verkiezingen van 2 maart relatief weinig gebruik gemaakt van Social Media. Vergeleken met de Tweede Kamer verkiezingen zijn de SMI scores ontzettend laag te noemen. Op basis van deze meting is het niet duidelijk welke invloed of relatie uitgaat van Social Media. Er zijn geen significante verbanden gevonden. Er zijn over het algemeen weinig actieve Social Media gebruikers onder de kandidaten voor de provinciale staten in Overijssel. Aangezien tal van invloedsfactoren meespelen voor het behalen van voorkeurstemmen kunnen we niet zeggen of de politici die wel een relatief hoge SMI hebben ook daar voordeel van hebben gehad. Daarvoor hadden er in deze dataset meer actieve Social Media gebruikers moeten zijn. Kortom: de Social Media participatie is erg laag geweest bij deze verkiezingen. Daardoor heeft Social Media waarschijnlijk nauwelijks invloed gehad op de uitslag van de verkiezingen. Het geeft te denken dat volksvertegenwoordigers in de huidige samenleving zo weinig toegankelijk en actief zijn op Social Media.
MULTIFILE
Digital transformation has been recognized for its potential to contribute to sustainability goals. It requires companies to develop their Data Analytic Capability (DAC), defined as their ability to collect, manage and analyze data effectively. Despite the governmental efforts to promote digitalization, there seems to be a knowledge gap on how to proceed, with 37% of Dutch SMEs reporting a lack of knowledge, and 33% reporting a lack of support in developing DAC. Participants in the interviews that we organized preparing this proposal indicated a need for guidance on how to develop DAC within their organization given their unique context (e.g. age and experience of the workforce, presence of legacy systems, high daily workload, lack of knowledge of digitalization). While a lot of attention has been given to the technological aspects of DAC, the people, process, and organizational culture aspects are as important, requiring a comprehensive approach and thus a bundling of knowledge from different expertise. Therefore, the objective of this KIEM proposal is to identify organizational enablers and inhibitors of DAC through a series of interviews and case studies, and use these to formulate a preliminary roadmap to DAC. From a structure perspective, the objective of the KIEM proposal will be to explore and solidify the partnership between Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), Avans University of Applied Sciences (Avans), Logistics Community Brabant (LCB), van Berkel Logistics BV, Smink Group BV, and iValueImprovement BV. This partnership will be used to develop the preliminary roadmap and pre-test it using action methodology. The action research protocol and preliminary roadmap thereby developed in this KIEM project will form the basis for a subsequent RAAK proposal.
The transition to a circular, resource efficient construction sector is crucial to achieve climate neutrality in 2050. Construction stillaccounts for 50% of all extracted materials, is responsible for 3% of EU’s waste and for at least 12% of Green House Gas emissions.However, this transition is lagging, the impact of circular building materials is still limited.To accelerate the positive impact of circulair building materials Circular Trust Building has analyzed partners’ circular initiatives andidentified 4 related critical success factors for circularity, re-use of waste, and lower emissions:1. Level of integration2. Organized trust3. Shared learning4. Common goalsScaling these success factors requires new solutions, skills empowering stakeholders, and joint strategies and action plans. Circular TrustBuilding will do so using the innovative sociotechnical transition theory:1.Back casting: integrating stakeholders on common goals and analyzing together what’s needed, what’s available and who cancontribute what. The result is a joint strategy and xx regional action plans.2.Agile development of missing solutions such a Circular Building Trust Framework, Regional Circular Deals, connecting digitalplatforms matching supply and demand3.Increasing institutional capacity in (de-)construction, renovation, development and regulation: trained professionals move thetransition forward.Circular Trust Building will demonstrate these in xx pilots with local stakeholders. Each pilot will at least realize a 25% reduction of thematerial footprint of construction and renovation
Closer Connections aims to build a coherent, cross-academy, virtual- and augmented reality strategy to contribute to the European agenda: “a Europe fit for the digital age”. Closer Connections enables the SPRONG group DIGIREAL to strengthen its visibility and reputation on a European level to build strong alliances with European VR/AR coalitions and associations and apply for EU grants. In this project, a strategic paper on market assessment is developed to determine our position within this European agenda. This is followed by a roadmap for the future utilisation of our rare assets (XR-stage, photogrammetry, etc.), and raise awareness of the unique combination of excellent facilities, creative staff and talented students.