Aim and Scope

The employability rate is significantly dropping in developing countries due to a lack of technology training in educational settings. Technology-driven workplaces also reported that recent graduates lacked employability skills and were unable to adopt the latest technological skills required in the digital job market. The aim of this study was to examine the direct effect of digital proficiency on employability skills of final-year undergraduates in public educational institutes of Lahore from social, psychological, and individual aspects by linking Social Constructivism theory with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This quantitative study used multistage random sampling to collect data from 560 undergraduates studying in 4 government universities of Lahore through 2 adaptive questionnaires, i.e., Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment Questionnaire (TPSA-C-21) and Basic Employability Skills Model. The reliability of both questionnaires was found satisfactory. The well-structured questionnaire instrument used a Likert Scale of 5 points extending from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree”. The statistical techniques implemented in this study were Mean to determine the extent of each variable, Pearson-r to investigate the link between digital proficiency and students’ employability skills, and Linear Regression Analysis to analyze how technology proficiency impacts the employability skills of university students. The study found that there was an overall positive and moderate relationship between these variables. However, the findings outlined a unique pattern which showed that some factors of technology proficiency had a stronger effect on specific types of employability skills. The study further indicated that these two constructs have a strong relationship, because technology proficiency explained 44% of the changes in employability skills. In general, this study contributes in understanding how technology proficiency influences respective areas of employability skills differently. It can also be used as a strategic tool for higher education institutes to develop an innovative curriculum that will help undergraduates to enhance their employability skills. Keywords: Technology Proficiency, Employability Skills, Social Constructivism, Technology Acceptance

This research examined the impact of information literacy (IL) on the learning outcomes (LOs) of undergraduate students from science and social science disciplines at six universities in Islamabad. A survey research design was employed for this study using a structured questionnaire. Students from six universities were selected using a stratified sampling technique for data collection. A total of 411 complete responses were received. The collected data were then analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The findings revealed that students considered themselves competent in basic IL skills. There was a positive correlation between IL skills and LOs among university students. Furthermore, students' IL skills had a direct, statistically significant influence on their LOs. The relationship was positive, indicating that stronger IL skills contribute to increasing LOs. The findings of this study can provide valuable insights for academic institutions, especially those involved in higher education. These results may encourage them to introduce IL instruction programs for students of science and social science disciplines, aiming to enhance their information skills. This study makes a valuable contribution to the existing body of IL literature, particularly its positive correlation with LOs, by addressing a notable gap through empirical examination. Keywords: Information Literacy, Learning Outcomes, IL Education, Artificial Intelligence, University Students, Pakistan

Assessment is a systematic way for making reasoning about the learning and development of students. Technology is crucial to the transition from traditional to technology-based learning. Open Distance University is a distance learning institute and has adopted an online examination system for international students. The purpose of the study was to explore the challenges faced by students and management during online examinations. The objectives of the study were ; to explore the challenges management of Open Distance University face during the planning, conducting, and evaluation of online examination for international students; to explore the challenges of international preparation, participation, and completion of online exams; to determine the technical issues faced by management and international students during online examination; to identify the strategies the management adopt to address the issues regarding international students. This study has provided insight into the challenges faced by international students in online examinations. The present study was carried out through a qualitative research approach. The total population of the study was 25, autumn 2024 (12) and spring 2025 (13). The participants selected for the study were 15 international students which were selected through purposive sampling techniques. Controller Examination, Deputy Controller Examination, superintendent, Invigilators, Director International Collaboration and Exchange Office, Deputy Director International collaboration and Exchange Office. The semi-structured interview was carried out by the participants. The researcher employed thematic analysis and generated codes and themes to analyze the data collected through semi structured interview for in depth understanding. The key findings of the study listed several challenges faced by international students and management in online examinations. These challenges where instructions were not clear for the quiz and final exam, environmental factors like noise, were created during final exam, during assignment and quiz submission, technical issues were created. In final exams, proctoring, privacy concern of students arouses, time zone issues for students from different regions, unavailability of resources in practical examination caused stress and anxiety in students and impacted the equity in evaluation and grading, and the lack of ongoing training for students and faculty was a great burden on them and caused waste of time. The strategies to mitigate these challenges were various communication channels, continuous training of students and faculty, different slots for time zone difference, option for viva or open book exam, options for submission of assignment or final exam sheets through email or WhatsApp. Keyword: online examination, international students, management, challenges.

The proposed research aims to explore the fear of missing out and materialism as predictors of digital hoarding among social media influencers. This study looked at how digital hoarding behavior was affected by fear of missing out and materialism. The research design used in this study was survey research design. Purposive sample of study social media influencers of (N = 250) with the age range of 18-45 was collected in which (Male = 101, Female = 149) were included. The Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOs) (Przybylski et al., 2013), materialism scale (Richins & Dawson, 1992), digital hoarding behavior scale (Neave et al., 2019) was used to measure the variables of the study. Correlation analysis showed that fear of missing out has a significant positive correlation with materialism with its sub-scales (success, centrality and happiness) and digital hoarding among influencers. Regression analysis revealed that fear of missing out and materialism has significant positive impact on digital hoarding behavior. Conclusion and implication of current study have been discussed further by focusing on the need for a proactive approach in addressing the challenges posed by fear of missing out, materialism and digital hoarding behavior. Keywords: fear of missing out, materialism, digital hoarding, social media,

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of Procedural and distributive justice on virtual project performance with the mediating role of employees' organizational commitment in digital work environments. The aim of the research is to highlight the decline in organizational commitment, which is caused by neglecting the importance of distributive and procedural justice in remote and hybrid work settings. It is predicted that organizational commitment can be restored and improved with the involvement of higher management by changing the direction of organizational policies, digital collaboration procedures, and justified distribution of resources and recognition. Resultantly, the productivity of virtual teams will increase, which in turn will improve the virtual project performance. Data for the said study was collected from IT and software development companies through a structured questionnaire from 200 personnel using online survey tools and virtual empirical research techniques. The data was compared across different virtual teams and found similarities in the response and their declining commitment to the organization due to perceived injustices in digital workflows. It is found from the result that virtual project performance can be positively influenced with the active participation of managers by enhancing the application of distributive and procedural justice in digital contexts, with the mediating role of organizational commitment. It is also found that the best results can only be achieved with higher management commitment to establishing fair digital practices, as it has a pivotal role in any virtual organization's success. The respondents are primarily from the IT sector in the Pakistani region, which can be tested in other industries and regions beyond Pakistan's territory. The personnel attitudes differ from industry-to-industry environment as well as from region to region. The result of the study can be useful for project managers and leaders in virtual settings for the achievement of positive project performance with organizational commitment through positive distributive and procedural justice application in digital work environments. KEYWORDS: Distributive justice, Procedural justice, Organizational commitment, Virtual Project Performance, Digital Work Environments