Browsing by Author "Weerasekara, M.K."
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- ItemA Case Study On Customizing The Microsoft Time Series Algorithm: Tourist Arrival Prediction(NSBM Green University, 2018-08-25) Nawzer, H.; Weerasekara, M.K.As far as tourism is concerned in Sri Lanka, it is considered as one of a lucrative industry for the country. On the other hand, in the modern computing era business intelligence plays a revolutionary role in uplifting the profits of business organizations. The research is about how the Microsoft Time Series algorithm can be improvised to predict the arrival of tourists. The algorithm employed for the tourists who arrived for Sri Lanka in past few decades. Furthermore, this study discusses the drawbacks of the existing Microsoft Time series algorithm concerning the consideration of the external factors which affects the prediction. Also, this study discusses some of the possible solutions to overcome that issue.
- ItemEmpowering Women Entrepreneurs in Digital Age: Online Community Approach(NSBM Green University, 2021-11-26) Pathirannehe, S.A.; Seneviratne, N.A.; Weerasekara, M.K.Women Entrepreneurs are a valuable resource that has an abundant potential to flourish in the digital age. Social media platforms are considered a prominent mode of today’s online businesses. However, according to recent statistics, only 10% of online businesses handled by women entrepreneurs have continued successfully for more than a year. As per literature, this was primarily influenced by the lack of technological and managerial skills required. Thus, this study focuses on designing and developing an online community-based platform to create a peer support mechanism to collaborate and learn how to use social media platforms for business purposes. The key focusing areas were the current usage of social media platforms in business, and perceived challenges, technology acceptance, and design insights on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) supported intervention to bridge the identified gaps. Since the study is primarily exploratory, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was used. Data was gathered from a representative sample of women entrepreneurs in the Colombo district. The results indicated that over 80% of the respondents use social media for different business purposes. The evaluations indicated that performance expectancy and effort expectancy significantly influence the intention of women entrepreneurs to use the ICT based solutions. Thus, a web-based prototype was proposed as a solution to develop online communities for women entrepreneurs to collaborate and learn. The findings of the study would contribute to the future design and development of ICT supported interventions to empower women toward successful business ventures.
- ItemFostering Mental Wellbeing among Undergraduates: Posssible Avenues(NSBM Green University, 2019-11-22) Perera, G.P.K.; Weerasekara, M.K.Psychological distress and mental disorders have become a major health hazard among university students. There is strong evidence indicating that undergraduates are at a very high-risk phenomenon, and this will continue to grow across student populations around the globe. Thus, the current study focuses on analysing an existing counselling process within a university context to identify the focus and efficacy of the process. Data were extracted using counselling reports published under the university’s Health and Wellbeing Unit from 2017 January to 2018 December. Results indicate that 881 counselling sessions have been conducted focusing on various psychological and non psychological issues. In all the cases, the traditional one-to-one counselling approach was used to elicit the required information from the client. It was evident that ‘personal issues’ are the most significant contributor to psychological issues amongst undergraduates. They have also received counselling service related to academic matters. However, findings emphasise that only few percentages of undergraduates seek for counsellors’ support while larger cohort who needs attention remain unobserved. The records elaborated that undergraduates are not willing to open up and share their thoughts. Thus, the current study focuses on identifying various novel avenues to better serve the population.
- ItemICT Supported Intervention to Manage Stress Among Undergraduates(NSBM Green University, 2021-11-26) Dissanayake, D.K.; Gamage, D.G.; Weerasekara, M.K.Stress has become a part of university students’ lives. Many studies have shown that stress is a severe issue that affects students’ mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. Stress can be beneficial to a certain extent, but high levels of stress result in adverse effects. Digital mental health intervention is a growing phenomenon that provides enormous possibilities for managing mental well-being. Thus, this study’s primary purpose was to gather design requirements for an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) supported intervention for undergraduate stress management. The study also investigates stress levels, stressors, coping strategies, and digital mental health intervention awareness. The target population is comprised of state and non-state university students in Sri Lanka. A survey distributed via social media platforms is used to gather data. The collected data was analysed using different statistical methods to attain the set objectives. According to the responses, the majority of respondents experienced moderate levels of stress. The GPA target, projects, assignments, and deadlines were found to be the everyday stressors. Respondents frequently used music, social media, and videos to cope with stress. The study identified a significant relationship between the degree of discipline and stress levels. It is worth noting that most respondents were not familiar with digital stress interventions for stress management. However, they were interested in using such interventions. Following the study’s findings, BeFREE mobile application was designed, incorporating six-core features and essential non-functional requirements.
- ItemICT Supported Interventions for Occupational Stress Management Theory to Practice(NSBM Green University, 2018-08-25) Weerasekara, M.K.Occupational stress has become a key source of stress among working population which has created numerous negative impacts on the community and of worldwide organizations, and they are expected to become a major health hazard in the forthcoming decades. During the investigation, the researcher will aim to identify the work- stress indicators and their impact on employee job performance. The study will also examine how employees cope with occupational stress whether the coping strategies are positive or negative. During the next round the researcher will design and develop ICT supported stress intervention toolkit for occupational stress management. ICT Supported health intervention is a phenomenon that has grown stronger in recent years. A large number of web and mobile-based health communities/applications has contributed to a shift: from formal healthcare providers being the only source of help for most patients to a situation in which patients take an active part in each other’s struggle for health and recovery. Also, for people with different lifestyle issues, the health communities have become widely used for advice and support. Through the interaction with others, patients and other people with health concerns can get help to access relevant resources, develop their ability to make personal decisions and exercise critical thinking. They get support to develop skills and abilities along with a more positive self-image. This is also referred to as ‘patient empowerment.’
- ItemImplementation of Brain Computer Interface for Stress Management(NSBM Green University, 2018-08-25) Weerasinghe, P.; Weerasekara, M.K.; Wickramaarachchi, W.A.S.M.This paper presents a stress identification system implementation, which contains an EEG Headset, a non invasive type of brain – to – machine interfacing on which the brainwave patterns such as attention, meditation, and eye blink is acquired directly on the person’s scalp. Electroencephalography (EEG) is also being examined at the time of detection where the Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta brain waves are considered. The system implementation consists of two main functional modules: stress detection unit and stress visualization unit. The stress detection unit based on the analysis of EEG waves using Neurosky Mindwave EEG headset. The captured waves are then transferred to the stress visualization unit where it displays the signals in the form of a virtual fish tank, programmed to change the swimming position of a fish according to the stress levels. The development of this type of system is not only convenient but also it is portable and affordable.
- ItemProvide Equal Access to Justice and Enhance Legal Awareness Through the Use of ICT(NSBM Green University, 2021-11-26) Jayasinghe, C.D.J.P.; Chanika, D.M.K.; Weerasekara, M.K.Access to justice is a fundamental human right that protects individuals from violating their rights. According to recent statistics, a significant number of Sri Lankans have been unable to obtain legal assistance and have given up on resolving their legal issues. The literature claims that this incident happens mainly due to a lack of legal education and limited access to legal resources. Such inefficiencies could cause inconveniences and incur unnecessary costs to citizens. Also, in most developing countries, there is a significant gap between citizens and the judiciary system. However, countries in the western hemisphere use multi-dimensional approaches to embed legal awareness into their daily lives. Thus, this study aims to introduce an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform to provide equal access to justice and increase legal awareness among Sri Lankan citizens. Data was gathered by using a survey, which is based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and semi-structured interviews. This research is largely exploratory, and data analysis was carried out using an open engagement strategy to determine the user requirements for the proposed ICT-based platform.
- ItemUse of ICT Supported Interventions for Occupational Stress Management: A Systematic Review of Published Studies(NSBM Green University, 2019-11-22) Weerasekara, M.K.; Thilakarathne, P. H.Problem: Occupational stress has become a key source of stress among the working population which has created numerous negative impacts on the community and of worldwide organizations, and they are expected to become a major health hazard in the forthcoming decades. Objective: This article aims at providing a systematic review and a descriptive evaluation of the interventions supported by ICT (Information and Communication Technology) for occupational stress management. Methods: A systematic review of three databases (Scopus, Web of Science and MEDLINE) was carried out using broad search queries and PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed to ensure a transparent and replicable process. Results: This article provides a quantitative and qualitative description of 20 studies about occupational stress interventions supported by ICT. The following factors were considered for the analysis: the form of the intervention, the focus of the intervention, and efficacy of the intervention. Conclusions: The systematic review demonstrated that ICT supported stress management interventions are effective in most of the situation. It is also highlighted that a clear gap appears to exist between work-stress theories and ICT applications available for occupational stress management.