The study’s goal was to investigate the impact of e-learning determinants on student satisfaction and intention to use e-learning tools. The dependent and independent variables in this study were based on the technological acceptance model. The study examines three determinants, including usefulness, ease of use, and facilitating conditions, as independent variables, while student satisfaction and intention to use were used as dependent variables. Additionally, this study is unique by adding student satisfaction as a dependent variable and a mediator to examine the relationship between e-learning determinants and intention to use. A questionnaire was prepared and distributed to 324 undergraduate students from Jordan’s private universities on the basis of a convenience sample. The proposed hypotheses were investigated using the quantitative techniques of regression in SPSS and SEM in AMOS. The findings of this study revealed that student satisfaction and intention to use e-learning were positively impacted by e-learning determinants. It found that intention to use was positively impacted by student satisfaction. Furthermore, e-learning intention to use was found to be positively impacted by e-learning determinants via student satisfaction. Universities and other educational institutions are advised to identify the appropriate e-learning determinants that satisfy students’ demands and motivate them to use e-learning tools in light of the study’s findings. Private universities can accomplish their goals, stay ahead of the competition, and obtain a competitive advantage by properly understanding e-learning determinants, student satisfaction, and the application of successful e-learning solutions.

Introduction: Chatbots are increasingly utilized in education, offering real-time, personalized communication. While research has explored technical aspects of chatbots, user experience remains under-investigated. This study examines a model for evaluating user experience and satisfaction with chatbots in higher education. Methodology: A four-factor model (information quality, system quality, chatbot experience, user satisfaction) was proposed based on prior research. An alternative two-factor model emerged through exploratory factor analysis, focusing on “Chatbot Response Quality” and “User Experience and Satisfaction with the Chatbot.” Surveys were distributed to students and faculty at a university in Ecuador to collect data. Confirmatory factor analysis validated both models. Results: The two-factor model explained a significantly greater proportion of the data’s variance (55.2%) compared to the four-factor model (46.4%). Conclusion: This study suggests that a simpler model focusing on chatbot response quality and user experience is more effective for evaluating chatbots in education. Future research can explore methods to optimize these factors and improve the learning experience for students.

Infrastructure development is critical to delivering growth, reducing poverty and addressing broader development goals, as argued in the World Bank Report Transformation through Infrastructure (2012). This paper surveys the literature of the linkages between infrastructure investment and economic growth, discusses the role of infrastructure in the participation of global value chains and in supporting economic upgrades, highlights the challenges faced the least developed countries and provides policy recommendations. It suggests that addressing the bottlenecks in infrastructure is a necessary condition to provide a window of opportunity for an economy to develop following its comparative advantage. With the right conditions, good infrastructure can support an economy, particularly a less developed economy, to reap the benefit through the participation in the global value chains to upgrade the economic structure.

Industrial heritage is a legacy from the past that we live with today and pass on to future generations. The economic value of this heritage can be defined as the amount of welfare that it generates for society, and this value should not be ignored. However, current research based on economic analysis has mostly focused on qualitative statements instead of quantitative assessment. This study proposes an innovative methodology combining qualitative (field research) and quantitative (willingness to pay and contingent valuation) methods to assess the economic value of industrial heritage. The industrial heritage of Tangshan, China, was chosen as a case study, and the research found that museums and cultural creative parks are effective ways to conserve industrial heritage. The entrance fee can be used to represent the economic value of the heritage site. There was a positive correlation between the influence of economic value and the entrance fees residents would prefer to pay. The results indicate the locals would prefer lower entrance fees for the transformed heritage museums (The average current cost: $2.23). Locals were most concerned about the entrance fees for the Kailuan Coal Mine and Qixin Cement Plant Museums, which have both been renewed as urban landmarks for city tourism. Renewal methods have been applied to six industrial heritage sites in Tangshan; these sites have their own conservation and renewal practices based on city-level development or industrial attributes. Thus, when residents recognize the economic value of a heritage site, they are willing to pay a higher entrance fee. This research demonstrates the economic value of industrial heritage using a mixed methods approach and provides a basis for assessing the value of cultural heritage for urban tourism analysis.

Shipbuilding industry is characterized by high price competition, as well as tight deadlines for product design and production. The dominant positions in the civil shipbuilding market are occupied by the countries of Southeast Asia, and for a number of reasons, participants from other countries are uncompetitive. Thus, in order to ensure the sustainable development of companies in the global civil shipbuilding market, it is necessary to identify and analyze the main factors that provided the competitive advantages of industry leaders. Assessment of further directions of shipbuilding development is a necessary condition for the formation of competitive advantages of new market participants. The article analyzes the main directions of development of the world civil shipbuilding in the period after World War II, as well as prospects for the future. As a result of the analysis of the latest organizational management concepts, the concept of modular production in shipbuilding is proposed, and directions for further research are determined.

The present work conducts a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of a 150 MW_e Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) using Indian coal as the fuel source. The plant layout is modelled and simulated using the “Cycle-Tempo” software. In this study, an innovative approach is employed where the gasifier's bed material is heated by circulating hot water through pipes submerged within the bed. The analysis reveals that increasing the external heat supplied to the gasifier enhances the hydrogen (H₂) content in the syngas, improving both its heating value and cold gas efficiency. Additionally, this increase in external heat favourably impacts the Steam-Methane reforming reaction, boosting the H₂/CH₄ ratio. The thermodynamic results show that the plant achieves an energy efficiency of 44.17% and an exergy efficiency of 40.43%. The study also identifies the condenser as the primary source of energy loss, while the combustor experiences the greatest exergy loss.