This study analyzes the role of innovation in the development of smart cities in Latin America. It focuses on how emerging technologies and sustainable strategies are being integrated into urban planning and urban development. In this sense, this study seeks to contribute to the smart city literature by answering the following research questions: (i) To what extent smart city innovative initiatives have been addressed in Latin America? and (ii) To what extent scholars have addressed sustainable innovation strategies in the smart city literature? To this end, this is the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of smart city research in Latin America, with a structured and systematized review of the available literature. This methodological approach allows cluster visualization and detailed analysis of inter-node relationships using the VOSViewer software. The research comprises 4 stages: (a) search criteria; (b) selection of documents; (c) software and data extraction; and (d) analysis of results and trends. Results indicate that studies on the Latin America region began to develop in 2012, with Brazil as a leader in this field and the tourism sector as the most relevant. Nevertheless, strong international collaboration was identified in co-authoring studies, underscoring a cooperative approach to solving common urban problems. The most active research area is technological innovation and sustainability, with focus on solutions for urban mobility, quality of life and smart governance. Finally, this work underlines the need to continue exploring the integration of technology in urban development, suggesting an agenda to guide future research to evaluate the sustainability and long-term impacts of smart city initiatives in Latin America. From the policy perspective, smart city initiatives need to be human-centered to boost smart solutions adoption and to guarantee long term local impacts.

This paper presents a practical approach to empowering software entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia through a unique course offered by the Software Engineering department at Prince Sultan University. The course, SE495 Emergent Topics in Software Engineering: Software Entrepreneurship, combines software engineering and entrepreneurship to equip students with the necessary skills to develop innovative software solutions that solve real-world problems. The course covers a range of topics, including platform development, market research, and pitching to investors, and features guest speakers from the industry. By the end of the course, students will have gained a deep understanding of the software development process and its intersection with entrepreneurship and will be able to develop a working prototype of a software solution that solves a real-world problem. The course’s practical approach ensures that students are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of the digital and software sectors and succeed in an ever-changing business landscape.

This paper is the third in a series focused on bridging the gap between secondary and higher education. Our primary objective is to develop a robust theoretical framework for an innovative e-business model called the Undergraduate Study Programme Search System (USPSS). This system considers multiple criteria to reduce the likelihood of exam failure or the need for multiple retakes, while maximizing the chances of successful program completion. Testing of the proposed algorithm demonstrated that the Stochastic Gradient Boosted Regression Trees method outperforms the current method used in Lithuania for admitting applicants to 47 educational programs. Specifically, it is more accurate than the Probabilistic Neural Network for 25 programs, the Ensemble of Regression Trees for 24 programs, the Single Regression Tree for 18 programs, the Random Forest Regression for 16 programs, the Bayesian Additive Regression Trees for 13 programs, and the Regression by Discretization for 10 programs.

This study analyzes the perception of university students regarding the use of virtual reality (VR) in higher education, focusing on their level of knowledge, usage, perceived advantages and disadvantages, as well as their willingness to use this technology in the future. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to provide a comprehensive view of the subject. The results indicate that while students have a basic understanding of VR, its use in the educational context is limited. A considerable number of students recognize VR’s potential to enhance the learning experience, particularly in terms of immersion and engagement. However, significant barriers to adoption were identified, such as technical issues, the high cost of equipment, and inadequate access to technological infrastructure. Additionally, there is a need for broader training for both students and faculty to ensure the effective use of this technology in academic environments. The semi-structured interviews confirmed that perceptions of VR vary depending on prior exposure to the technology and access to resources. Despite the challenges, most students appreciate VR’s potential to enrich learning, although its effective adoption will depend on overcoming the identified barriers. The study concludes that strategies must be implemented to facilitate the integration of VR into higher education, thus optimizing its impact on the teaching-learning process.

This study delves into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of aerobics through SWOT analysis. Aerobics offers a comprehensive workout, enhancing students’ physical fitness and promoting overall well-being. Nevertheless, challenges include a lack of awareness among students and potential issues such as insufficient sports skills. Opportunities arise in college physical education courses, serving as an excellent platform for fostering students’ holistic development. However, aerobics faces threats in teaching, such as time constraints and varying student interests. Addressing the actual teaching scenario, corresponding strategies are proposed. Firstly, there is a need to strengthen the promotion and education of aerobics. Secondly, employing a hierarchical, step-by-step teaching approach can elevate students’ motor skills. Additionally, designing engaging and challenging aerobics courses aligned with the characteristics of college physical education helps ignite students’ enthusiasm. Lastly, teachers should flexibly adjust content and methods to ensure effective calisthenics teaching. Through SWOT analysis and the discussion of teaching strategies, this paper aims to offer valuable insights for the aerobics teaching in college physical education classrooms. The goal is to promote students’ all-round development and enhance the overall quality of physical education.

This research presents an in-depth examination of the emotional effects of synchronous hybrid education on undergraduate university students at a pioneering private institution in educational innovation. The study had encompassed all courses that were delivered in a synchronous hybrid format, covering 16 courses and involving 241 students. Each student had been observed and recorded on two separate class sessions, with each recording lasting approximately 30 min. This comprehensive data collection had resulted in 409 recordings, each approximately 30 min in duration, translating to nearly an hour of observation per student across the classes, totaling close to 205 h of recordings. These recordings were subsequently processed using neuroscience software tools for advanced statistical analysis, effectively serving as a comprehensive survey of courses within this modality. The primary focus of the research was on the emotions experienced during both face-to-face and online classes and their subsequent influence on student behavior and well-being. The findings reveal higher emotional time ratios for positive emotions such as joy and surprise in face-to-face students. Notably, both groups exhibited comparable ratios for negative emotions like anger and sadness. The research underscores the emotional advantages of face-to-face interactions, which elicit stronger emotions, in contrast to online students who often feel detached and isolated.

Law Number 20 of 2003 on the National Education System states that citizens have the right to obtain basic education for children aged seven to fifteen years. In addition, it is also a commitment to the implementation of Grobogan district’s regional regulation No 5 of 2019 on education implementation, especially article 12 related to the obligation of local governments to ensure the implementation of basic education according to their authority. The purpose of this study is to determine the implementation of the basic education management program in Grobogan district; analyze the factors that support and hinder the implementation of the basic education management program in Grobogan district; formulate a model for implementing the basic education management program in Grobogan district. The method used in this research is qualitative. This method was used to analyse the phenomenon of policy implementation of the basic education management program in Grobogan district. The research site was in Grobogan district. The informants are policy actors who know a lot about the basic education program in Grobogan district. The results show that the implementation of the Grobogan district education office’s policy on basic education management consists of three areas, namely (1) equalization and expansion of access to education; (2) improvement of quality, relevance and competitiveness; (3) education governance and accountability. These three areas aim to achieve the national standards of education and the minimum service standards of education.