bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organizational Cognition in the Industrial Case Study
Authors: Nobre Farley Simon , Tobias Andrew M. , Walker David S.
Published: May 2010

This chapter is concerned with the implementation of The Capability Maturity Model in the organization of study. In this application, we define measures of organization process improvement and we propose correlations between them and organizational cognition. Among these measures are included organization process maturity, capability, and performance. Therefore, we define correlations between organizational cognition and organization process maturity, and also between organizational cognition and organization process capability and performance. From such correlations, we also define an association between organizational cognition and organizational learning. Hence, we outline new directions to the development of approaches to assess, to evaluate and to measure the degree of organizational cognition from appraisal methods of The Capability Maturity Model and of other organization process improvement models. Moreover, Chapter IX is complemented by Appendix I which summarizes concepts and characteristics about the five maturity levels of The Capability Maturity Model.
On the Use of Web Services in Content Adaptation
Authors: El-Khatib Khalil , Bochmann Gregor v. , El-Saddik Abdulmotaleb
Published: May 2010

The tremendous growth of the Internet has introduced a number of interoperability problems for distributed multimedia applications. These problems are related to the heterogeneity of client devices, network connectivity, content formats, and user’s preferences. The challenge is even bigger for multimedia content providers who are faced with the dilemma of finding the combination of different variants of a content to create, store, and send to their subscribers that maximize their satisfaction and hence entice them to come back. In this chapter, the authors will present a framework for trans-coding multimedia streams using an orchestration of Web-services. The framework takes into consideration the profile of communicating devices, network connectivity, exchanged content formats, context description, users’ preferences, and available adaptation services to find a chain of adaptation services that should be applied to the content to make it more satisfactory to clients. The framework was implemented as a core component for an architecture that supports personal and service mobility.
Conceptual Theory
Authors: Russ Meir , Fineman Robert , Jones Jeannette K.
Published: May 2010

This chapter will provide the reader with two definitions of knowledge, one at the individual level, the other at the organizational level. This will be followed by connecting the knowledge base of the organization to its sustainable competitive advantage by using a multiple-layer framework of organizational knowledge. Then, the chapter will discuss the frameworks of knowledge management vision, mission and goals for the organization. Temporary and functional gap analysis frameworks will follow. The chapter will end with a brief description of three tools developed by the authors.
Dynamic Channel Allocation in Cellular Communication Networks
Authors: Al-Bahadili Hussein , Abu Mallouh Arafat
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents a description and performance evaluation of an efficient Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI) Dynamic Channels Allocation (DCA) scheme. Therefore, it is referred to as DAI-DCA scheme. It can be used for channel allocation in high traffic cellular communication networks (CCNs), such as the global system for mobile communication (GSM). The scheme utilizes a well-known DAI algorithm, namely, the asynchronous weak-commitment (AWC) algorithm, in which a complete solution is established by extensive communication among a group of neighboring collaborative cells forming a pattern, where each cell in the pattern uses a unique set of channels. To minimize communication overhead among cells, a token-based mechanism was introduced. The scheme achieved excellent average allocation efficiencies of over 85% for a number of realistic operation scenarios.
Inequalities of Digital Skills and How to Overcome Them
Authors: van Dijk Jan , van Deursen Alexander
Published: May 2010

This chapter focuses on the differential possession of digital skills. Here, four types of Internet skills are distinguished: operational, formal, information, and strategic skills. These types are measured in a number of experimental performance tests among a cross-section of the Dutch population. The tests focus on the use of online government information. The main result of the experimental test is that the average Dutch population performs fairly well in operational and formal Internet skills but much worse in information and strategic skills. However, there are significant differences between people with different age and educational background; no gender differences have been observed. The final sections of this chapter deal with ways to overcome these differences of skill. Two main strategies are discussed: improving the information provision of government Web sites and improving the digital skills of citizens or users by all kinds of educational means.
Conceptualizing a Contextual Measurement for Digital Divide/s
Authors: Barzilai-Nahon Karine , Gomez Ricardo , Ambikar Rucha
Published: May 2010

Measurements for the digital divide/s have often engaged in simplified, single factor measurements that present partial and static conceptualization and, therefore, measurements of the digital divide/s. The following chapter encourages policy makers to choose appropriate tools and programs to measure digital divide/s according to three dimensions: (1) the purpose of the tool; (2) levels of observation; and (3) methods of approaching the data. Then it describes an integrated contextual iterative (ICI) approach suggested by the authors as an effective way to assess digital divide/s including perspectives of different stakeholders. The approach is illustrated with examples from a research project studying public access venues in 25 countries around the world.
Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Networks
Authors: Chan Calvin C.K.
Published: May 2010

Wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network has emerged as a promising solution to support a robust and large-scale next generation optical access network. It offers high-capacity data delivery and flexible bandwidth provisioning to all subscribers, so as to meet the ever-increasing bandwidth requirements as well as the quality of service requirements of the next generation broadband access networks. The maturity and reduced cost of the WDM components available in the market are also among the major driving forces to enhance the feasibility and practicality of commercial deployment. In this chapter, the author will provide a comprehensive discussion on the basic principles and network architectures for WDM-PONs, as well as their various enabling technologies. Different feasible approaches to support the two-way transmission will be discussed. It is believed that WDM-PON is an attractive solution to realize fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) applications.
Some Aspects of Implementing Always-On IT-Solutions and Standards in Banking Sector
Authors: Pejic Bach Mirjana , Draganic Martina
Published: May 2010

The growing competition in the banking sector, resulting in growing demands of the customers, requires from the banks a 24 hour availability of services. The technological development is accompanied by the increase in technologically sophisticated forms of fraud. The answer to these challenges is a more efficient use of information technology. The use of new technologies, besides the defense from unauthorized access into the bank’s information system, abuse of information technology, and damage that can be caused, represents the basis for the new service offer which has an important role in market positioning of the banks. An empirical research was conducted in order to determine the level of influence of the information technology to the payment transactions. The results suggest that the level of influence is important due to the enlargement of product range and communication channels with clients, expense reduction for the costumers and the bank, as well as the increase of the business security.
Wikibook Transformations and Disruptions
Authors: Bonk Curtis J. , Lee Mimi Miyoung , Kim Nari , Lin Meng-Fen Grace
Published: May 2010

A Wikibook is a transformative and disruptive technology that is finding increasing use in schools and higher education institutions. This new form of technology is inexpensive, accessible, and fairly responsive to the user. When engaged in a Wikibook project in an academic setting, learners are granted power to control the content and process of learning. Wikibooks are part of the Web 2.0 which can provide a powerful force in changing, and improving education. However, the authors’ multiple attempts to build Wikibooks in their own classes reveal that creating a successful Wikibook is not particularly easy. It is even more difficult when it entails more than one institution or class. Cross-institutional and internationally designed Wikibooks present many instructional challenges and dilemmas to learners and instructors. In addition, there are collaboration issues, technology issues, knowledge construction and sense of community issues, and general issues related to the Wikibook technology and the Wikibook design process itself. In response, in this chapter, the authors provide dozens of Wikibook collaboration ideas and suggestions based on our experiences.
Story Card Process Improvement Framework for Agile Requirements
Authors: Patel Chetankumar , Ramachandran Muthu
Published: May 2010

This chapter describes an ongoing process to define a suitable process improvement model for story cards based requirement engineering process and practices at agile software development environments. Key features of the SMM (Story card Maturity Model) process are: solves the problems related to the story cards like requirements conflicts, missing requirements, ambiguous requirements, define standard structure of story cards, to address non-functional requirements from exploration phase, and the use of a simplified and tailored assessment method for story cards based requirements engineering practices based on the CMM, which is poorly addressed at CMM. CMM does not cover how the quality of the requirements engineering process should be secured or what activities should be present for the requirements engineering process to achieve a certain maturity level. It is difficult to know what is not addressed or what could be done to improve the process. The authors also presents how can be the identified areas of improvement from assessment can be mapped with best knowledge based story cards practices for agile software development environments.
Tools and Techniques for Model Based Testing
Authors: Bhattacharya Swapan , Kanjilal Ananya , Sengupta Sabnam
Published: May 2010

Software testing has gained immense importance in the present competitive world of developing software more quickly, more efficiently and more accurately. Testing activity is carried out throughout the lifecycle of software development and not only towards the end of development. Time and effort required to correct errors, detected later is much more compared to those, which are detected earlier. This has direct impact on costs and has led to a splurge of research activities in this domain. Model-based testing has recently gained attention with the popularization of modeling itself. It refers to testing and test case generation based on a model that describes the behavior of the system. The OMG initiative MDA has revolutionized the way models would be used for software development. There are a number of modeling techniques in use today- some have formal syntax like Z, VDM while some are semi-formal like UML. We have made a comprehensive summary of a considerable number of research works on Model Based testing. First, the issues, challenges and problems of model based testing have been discussed. Then the different methods developed for testing or test case generation based on the models are summarized. Finally a list of model based testing tools used for testing has been collectively presented.
Software Components
Authors: Bader Adnan , Ramakrishnan Sita
Published: May 2010

Component-based software engineering (CBSE) has rapidly gained currency over recent years. Software developed as components and as assemblies of components has realised the reuse slogan originally associated with object-oriented design. In this chapter we define what software components are along with their different characteristics and classifications. We also cover the widely debated definitions of software components to emphasise the fact that components possess different properties that can mean different things to different people. We discuss the impact of using components on the software development lifecycle and review a number of different approaches developed to procure and integrate components in software systems. Finally, the risks associated with using software components are discussed in detail with along with a trust model. Trends in CBSE research are discussed towards the end to explore some potential areas of future research.
Social Policy and Information Communication Technologies
Authors: Henman Paul
Published: May 2010

This chapter examines the contribution of information communication technology (ICT) to the operation of social and public policy. The governmentality analytic is introduced as a way in which to highlight how ICT is used by the state in governing populations. The chapter identifies four ways ICTs relate to social and public policy. First, social policy can be a response to ICT innovation and use. Second, ICT is used to implement and administer social policy. Third, ICT is used to develop and evaluate social policy. Fourth, the use of ICT can shape the very nature and substance of social policy. The chapter illustrates these theoretical and conceptual approaches by examining the extensive and innovative use of ICT in Australia’s national income security agency, Centrelink.
Statistical Methods
Authors: Cerrito Patricia
Published: May 2010

Ultimately, a patient severity index is used to compare patient outcomes across healthcare providers. If the outcome is mortality, logistic regression is used. If the outcome is cost, length of stay, or some other resource utilization, then linear regression is used. A provider is ranked based upon the differential between predicted outcome and actual outcome. The greater this differential, the higher the quality ranking. There are two ways to increase this differential. The first is to improve care to decrease actual mortality or length of stay. The second is to improve coding to increase the predicted mortality or length of stay. Ultimately, it is cheaper to increase the predicted values than it is to decrease the actual values. Many providers take this approach.
The Charleston Comorbidity Index
Authors: Cerrito Patricia
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, we consider the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). This index is published, and the weights used to define risk adjustment in the logistic regression model are clearly identified as well. (Sundararajan et al., 2004) Therefore, we are able to examine this index in detail, and to see if the index is meaningful in terms of adjusting risk based upon patient condition. We will suggest an alternative to the Charlson Index in Chapter 8 that gives improvements in terms of its relationship to outcomes.
Working from Claims Data
Authors: Cerrito Patricia
Published: May 2010

Claims data are more difficult to work with to extract the necessary information about patient conditions in relationship to costs. There can be multiple claims for the same patient episode from different sources. A physician visit after an inpatient claim can be followed up for the inpatient stay rather than to consider the inpatient stay as the start of a new patient episode or a new patient problem. Therefore, in addition to analyzing patient conditions as represented by ICD9 codes, we must also attempt to define an episode and to distinguish between new problems and follow up of old problems.
From User Requirements to Conceptual Design in Warehouse Design
Authors: Golfarelli Matteo
Published: May 2010

Conceptual design and requirement analysis are two of the key steps within the data warehouse design process. They are to a great extent responsible for the success of a data warehouse project since, during these two phases, the expressivity of the multidimensional schemata is completely defined. This chapter proposes a survey of the literature related to these design steps and points out pros and cons of the different techniques in order to help the reader to identify crucial choices and possible solutions more consciously. Particular attention will be devoted to emphasizing the relationships between the two steps describing how they can be jointly used fruitfully.
Classification with Incomplete Data
Authors: García-Laencina Pedro J. , Morales-Sánchez Juan , Verdú-Monedero Rafael , Larrey-Ruiz Jorge , Sancho-Gómez José-Luis , Figueiras-Vidal Aníbal R.
Published: May 2010

Many real-word classification scenarios suffer a common drawback: missing, or incomplete, data. The ability of missing data handling has become a fundamental requirement for pattern classification because the absence of certain values for relevant data attributes can seriously affect the accuracy of classification results. This chapter focuses on incomplete pattern classification. The research works on this topic currently grows wider and it is well known how useful and efficient are most of the solutions based on machine learning. This chapter analyzes the most popular and proper missing data techniques based on machine learning for solving pattern classification tasks, trying to highlight their advantages and disadvantages.
A Review of Recent Contribution in Agent-Based Health Care Modeling
Authors: Gill Simerjit , Paranjape Raman
Published: May 2010

This chapter reviews and summarizes eight selected paper in the area of agent-based healthcare systems. The objective of the summaries is to provide an overview of recent research work in the area and to examine the characteristics of agent-based healthcare applications. The chapter also briefly discusses reasons for adopting agent-based simulation and modeling over traditional modeling techniques.
Multi-Agent Systems in Developing Countries
Authors: Yergens Dean , Hiner Julie , Denzinger Joerg
Published: May 2010

Developing countries are faced with many problems and issues related to healthcare service delivery. Many factors contribute to this, such as a lack of adequate medical resources, a shortage of skilled medical professionals, increasing clinical demands due to infectious diseases, limited technological systems and an unreliable telecommunications and electrical infrastructure. However, the potential for multi-agent systems and multi-agent simulations to address some of these issues shows great promise. Multi-agent simulations have already been applied to modeling infectious diseases such as HIV and Avian Flu in the developing world. Furthermore, groups of smart agents, by their very design, can function autonomously and act as a distributed service, which greatly enables them to successfully operate in the kind of environments encountered in developing countries.
Changing the Metaphor
Authors: Lloyd Margaret , Duncan-Howell Jennifer
Published: May 2010

Belonging to an online community offers teachers the opportunity to exchange ideas, make connections with a wider peer group and form collaborative networks. The increasing popularity of teacher professional communities means that we need to understand how they work and determine the role they may play in teacher professional development. This chapter will map data from a doctoral study to a recentlydeveloped model of professional development to offer a new perspective of how online communities can add to a teacher’s personal and professional growth and, in so doing, add to the small number of studies in this field. This chapter will conclude with a call for a revision of the way we approach professional development in the 21st Century and suggest that old models and metaphors are hindering the adoption of more effective means of professional development for teachers.
Challenges of Online Teacher Professional Development Communities
Authors: Zygouris-Coe Vassiliki I. , Swan Bonnie
Published: May 2010

With so many educators needing either initial preparation or ongoing professional development to build and sustain expertise in their discipline, online professional development arises as a viable, effective, and timely vehicle for teacher training. Online learning technologies have the potential to transform the professional development of teachers; penetrate cultural, discipline, and other barriers; bring educators together to learn, share successes and challenges; and co-construct and transfer learning. This chapter presents examples of success and challenges associated with a large-scale U.S. statewide online teacher professional development community. It also makes the case for implementing a systematic approach to investigating the effectiveness of online teacher professional development communities through ongoing assessment and responsive evaluation.
Innovations in the Use of Technology and Teacher Professional Development
Authors: Scott Donald E. , Scott Shelleyann
Published: May 2010

This chapter explores the innovative uses of technology for teachers’ professional development as well as its impact in the classroom on learning and teaching. Two international case studies are included. The first outlines technological innovations in graduate programme delivery within the university context in Canada. The second case presents a multi-dimensional professional development initiative in Australia which has influenced teachers’ and students’ learning. Two models are described: the macrooriented “Webs of Enhanced Practice” that addresses the professional development of educators and experts; and the micro-oriented “Webs of Enhanced Learning” focusing on the learning occurring at the classroom level. These two models represent innovations in the use of technology as they conceptualise the eclectic use of multi-modal, varied technologies to advance the professional development of communities of learners.
Tech-Knowledge in Japanese Early Childhood Education
Authors: Ogawa Tetsuya , Izumi-Taylor Satomi
Published: May 2010

This chapter describes how Japanese early childhood education promotes children’s socialization through the use of technology and play in group-oriented environments. The chapter also presents the traditional Japanese view of the child and of early childhood education, Japanese strategies in developing children’s socialization skills, changes in the use of technology in the field of early childhood education, and recommendations for educators.
Virtual Co Learner
Authors: Georgiou Dimitrios , Botsios Sotirios , Tsoulouhas Georgios
Published: May 2010

Adaptation and personalization of the information and instruction offered to the users in on-line e-learning environments are considered to be the turning point of recent research efforts. Collaborative learning may contribute to adaptive and personalized asynchronous e-learning. In this chapter authors intend to introduce the Virtual co Learner (VcL) that is a system designed on a basis of distributed architecture able to imitate the behavior of a learning companion who has suitable to the user’s cognitive and learning style and behavior. To this purpose an asynchronous adaptive collaborating e-learning system is proposed in the sense of reusing digitized material which deployed before by the users of computer supported collaborating learning systems. Matching real and simulated learners who have cognitive characteristics of the same type, one can find that learning procedure becomes more efficient and productive. Aiming to establish such VcL, one faces a number of questions. An important question is related to the user’s cognitive or learning characteristics diagnosis. Other questions are examined too.
Computer-Supported Collaboration in Language Learning
Authors: Zou Bin
Published: May 2010

Studies suggest that the computer can support collaborative learning between learners. This chapter discusses collaboration between language learners while using computer-based tasks. The researcher aims to look at in what ways students collaborate when completing tasks using computers during language learning, particularly in developing their listening and speaking skills. This chapter also explores the possibilities of monitoring and assessment for this collaborative language learning. The analysis is based on interview, observation and questionnaire data from both teachers and students at two UK university language centers. The findings indicate that collaboration in computer-based environments organized by teachers is useful for students to develop their language skills. Computer-supported collaboration increases students’ confidence and encourages them to maintain active learning, thus reduces the passive reliance on teachers’ feedback.
Potentials for Externalizing and Measuring of Tacit Knowledge within Knowledge Nodes in the Context of Knowledge Networks
Authors: Schumann Christian-Andreas , Tittmann Claudia
Published: May 2010

The currently developing knowledge society needs high quality knowledge bases with wide-spreading knowledge sources. Because of the complexity of knowledge, they organize in knowledge networks. In addition, the intellectual capital of organizational units influences more and more the market value of organizations and companies. Thus, it is a challenging question to look at how intellectual capital can be developed and measured from tacit knowledge, and which factors of trust, risk, and compliance influence this. This chapter will describe the approach of knowledge nodes, the small components of knowledge networks, and their processes and their influence onto the value of knowledge networks.
Impact of Organizational Culture on Knowledge Management in Higher Education
Authors: Biloslavo Roberto , Prevodnik Mojca
Published: May 2010

Knowledge management is a set of purposeful activities led by management in order to enable and support generation, storage, transfer and application of knowledge within an organization so as to create value and improve the organization’s effectiveness. The effectiveness of these activities is in a large part dependent on organizational culture, which can support or impede the two-way social process of learning and knowledge sharing between individuals, groups, organizations, and artifacts. This chapter discusses the fundamentals of organizational culture and knowledge management, their definitions, components, and processes. Specifically, the study presented is focused on how different types of organizational culture, as defined by the competing values framework, might be related to the iterative processes of knowledge generation, storage, transfer, and application in higher education.
Knowledge Cultures, Competitive Advantage and Staff Turnover in Hospitality in Australia's Northern Territory
Authors: Chalkiti Kalotina , Carson Dean
Published: May 2010

This chapter investigates the strategies used by hospitality businesses in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia to remain competitive in the face of high rates of staff turnover. The authors suggest it could be beneficial to foster a symbiotic relationship between staff and knowledge retention with an explicit focus on the social aspects of managing knowledge in a hospitality environment. The authors propose a knowledge mobilization or flow strategy to complement staff and knowledge retention strategies. Creating and sustaining a competitive advantage through knowledge management (KM) practices that recognize the industry’s specific context and allow it to compete for customers and staff in the global marketplace is imperative for the NT hospitality sector. The proposed strategy could make hospitality businesses more adaptable in the face of staff turnover and more flexible by fostering a context that nurtures the mobilization or flow of disparate and person specific knowledge. This chapter describes and critically reviews what is known about staff turnover in hospitality, the case study destination and its hospitality sector. Semi-structured interviews with 13 managers of hospitality businesses and representatives of industry organizations and the destination marketing organization (DMO) in the NT revealed current and desired strategies for managing turnover as well as how turnover affects relationships, knowledge management and idea generation.
Costs, Benefits, and Risks
Authors: Solli-Sæther Hans , Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2010

Managing costs successfully requires more than traditional cost accounting. It requires an understanding of cost-influencing factors based on cost-explaining theories, such as production and transaction economics, hidden costs, and contract termination costs. Managing IT outsourcing successfully implies that costs are not judged in isolation. Rather costs are compared to benefits, before judgments on cost level and development occur. In this chapter, we discuss production and transaction economics, hidden costs and contract termination costs, and we will also take a look at benefits and risk behavior.
Knowledge Transfer
Authors: Solli-Sæther Hans , Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2010

moved to and exchanged with an external organization (Bahli & Rivard, 2005). Therefore, changes in the knowledge transfer requirements are viewed as the single most important challenge to knowledge management and knowledge management systems in an outsourcing arrangement. A relevant approach to outsourcing relationships from the knowledge management literature includes intellectual capital management, as presented in the beginning of this chapter. Then, we continue presenting how knowledge transfer might influence outsourcing success. Finally, clients’ and vendors’ need for knowledge transfer and knowledge exchange in IT outsourcing relationships is discussed.
A Geostatistically Based Probabilistic Risk Assessment Approach
Authors: Cherubini Claudia
Published: May 2010

Most data required for cleanup risk assessment are intrinsically characterized by a high degree of variability and uncertainty. Moreover, typical features of environmental datasets are the occurrence of extreme values like a few random ‘hot spots’ of large concentrations within a background of data below the detection limit. In the field of environmental pollution risk assessment constitutes a support method for decisions inherent the necessity to carry out a procedure of remediation of an area. Therefore it would be adequate to provide the analysis with elements that allow to take into account the nature of the data themselves, particularly their uncertainty. In this context, this chapter focuses on the application of an uncertainty modeling approach based on geostatistics for the parameters which enter as input in the probabilistic procedure of risk assessment. Compared with a traditional approach, the applied method provides the possibility to quantify and integrate the uncertainty and variability of input parameters in the determination of risk. Moreover, it has proved to be successful in catching and describing in a synthetic way the relations and tendencies that are intrinsic in the data set, characteristics that are neglected by a traditional classical approach.
Virtual Travel Community
Authors: Chung Jin Young , Buhalis Dimitrios
Published: May 2010

With the rapid development of Web 2.0 influence in tourism, this chapter aims to examine the current state of virtual travel community (VTC) studies, and to offer an additional perspective of VTC, beyond the conventional research trends. The notion of virtual community includes a group of people who tend to build relationships with one another via computer-mediated communication, regardless of geographical distances (Rheingold, 1991). However, current VTC knowledge has primarily focused on consumer behaviour from the travellers’ side (e.g., information search, decision-making process, sharing experience with other travellers), and little attempt has been made to examine the use of VTC for connecting travellers in the generating region to the locals in the destination region. Emerging information communication technologies (ICTs) and the use of technology in tourism e-tourism- make it much easier to communicate between people in both regions. This chapter brings empirical evidence from one virtual community – CouchSurfing.com – and demonstrates that the opportunity to build relationships between potential travellers and locals has increased dramatically through innovative technology services. Further research is recommended through the use of alternative methodologies, such as netnography or social network analysis. This chapter provides both policy and managerial implications by exploring how technology and VTC can support the bridging the gap between locals and prospective visitors.
Model-Based User Interface Generation for Mobile Tourism Applications and Services
Authors: Adigun M. O. , Ipadeola A. O. , Olugbara O. O.
Published: May 2010

The purpose of this chapter is to describe a model-based approach for automatic generation of usercentric interfaces for an individual mobile tourist. The generation of user-centric interfaces can provide a tourist with self-customized interfaces for efficient accessibility to mobile applications and services. The authors’ polymorphic logical description (PLD) model is an interface description created at design time to address the diverse needs and preferences of users in a mobile computing environment. A PLD consists of three important modeling elements, namely, polymorphic task modeling (PTM), polymorphic abstract modeling (PAM) and polymorphic concrete modeling (PCM). A toolkit was developed based on the model-based PLD approach to user interface design. The toolkit achieves user-centric and multidevice interface generation with a high degree of dynamism and flexibility. The evaluation results of user satisfaction of the toolkit and usability of the generated interfaces are provided.
Community of Inquiry in Adult Online Learning
Authors: Akyol Zehra , Garrison D. Randy
Published: May 2010

The adult education literature emphasizes community building in order to increase effectiveness and success of online teaching and learning. In this chapter the Community of Inquiry Framework that was developed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000) has been introduced as a promising theory for adult learning in online environments. The chapter discusses the potential of the CoI framework to create effective adult online learning communities by utilizing the research findings from an online course. Overall, the research findings showed that students had positive attitudes toward the community developed in the course and that their perception of constituting elements of the community of inquiry was significantly related to perceived learning and satisfaction.
Information Literacy in the Digital Age
Authors: Kidd Terry T. , Keengwe Jared
Published: May 2010

The current debate within the realm of information sciences focuses on a new threat to society – the threat of an information and technologically illiterate population. This chapter focuses on a critical discussion of information literacy and the fallout of academic achievement amongst adult learners. The chapter takes into consideration the current research on information literacy, a historical perspective on information literacy, current best practices in supporting information literacy in the digital age, and as well as an active action plan on combating this new threat. Central to this discussion, the author evaluates the current literature on information literacy and best practices highlighting research from years 1998-2005.
The Role of Individual Learner Differences and Success in the Online Learning Environments
Authors: Colorado Jozenia T. , Howell Dusti
Published: May 2010

“Education over the Internet will be the next big killer application,” says John Chambers, President and CEO of Cisco Systems. He also states that online learning will be much bigger than the last killer application of the Internet — e-mail (Friedman, 1999). The recent surge in online learning has opened up the eyes of many educators to the growing possibilities of online learning and teaching. As these online offerings continue to grow, the educational impact will have far reaching implications for schools, teachers and students. In order to better understand the effectiveness of the online environment as an instructional delivery medium, research needs to be conducted focusing on factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the learning environment. In particular, individual learner differences are an important variable when evaluating online learning success. This chapter will discuss various individual learner differences and how they relate to student success in the online learning environment.
Factors Leading to a Quality E-Learning Experience
Authors: Lewis David , Chen Edward
Published: May 2010

The Internet became available to the general public in the mid 1990’s. At that time, a few institutions starting using the net as a vehicle for providing course credit. Since this early time, the number of institutions offering classes and full degrees online has grown exponentially. At one northeastern institution, the growth has been from 4 courses in 1996 to over 500 courses today. At the same time, most institutions now have updated their classrooms with ever more sophisticated technical capabilities, such as access to the Web for presentations, synchronous videos, and clickers for taking class polls. Others use technology as an add-on to the class room creating hybrid, blended, or e-learning experiences. In the late 90’s classes were primarily text based, using either in house developed web pages, and later using self contained course management shells such as WebCT and Blackboard, which required the users to create content, but the linkages and communication tools were self contained. Some authors have developed taxonomies to look at quality [media richness, student interaction, etc.], but not enough has been done to compare online learning and e-learning to traditional classroom based learning. The contribution of this paper will be to report on the findings of previous studies relating to the assessment of online course delivery and the online component of blended learning classes. The results of the research findings should provide significant contributions to the performance improvement of e-learning.
Anytime/Anywhere Online Learning
Authors: Morris Terry A.
Published: May 2010

Even with the convenience of anytime/anywhere online learning, adult learners still encounter barriers and challenges. This chapter explores the growth of online education in higher education and the participation of adult learners. The chapter introduces K. Patricia Cross’ research about the situational, dispositional, and institutional barriers faced by adult learners in the 1980s. The relevancy of these barriers to today’s adult distance learners is examined. Characteristics of adult learners are discussed. New barriers for learners introduced by online education are explored, including social interaction barriers, technology barriers, student-support barriers, pedagogy barriers, and accessibility barriers. Suggestions for removing and/or reducing these barriers are discussed, including providing technical support services, offering online orientations, pre-assessing student readiness, providing professional development opportunities for faculty which model andragogy and online course methodology, and designing online courses to support learning preferences of adult learners. Recommendations are made for future research.
The Evolution and Influence of Social Presence Theory on Online Learning
Authors: Lowenthal Patrick R.
Published: May 2010

The theory of social presence is perhaps the most popular construct used to describe and understand how people socially interact in online learning environments. However, despite its intuitive appeal, researchers and practitioners alike often define and conceptualize this popular construct differently. In fact, it is often hard to distinguish between whether someone is talking about social interaction, immediacy, intimacy, emotion, and/or connectedness when they talk about social presence. Therefore, this chapter outlines the evolution of the construct of social presence in an effort to understand better its relationship to online learning.
Pedagogical Mediator as the Strategic Competence at University Professors Building in Constructionist Online Environment
Authors: Rezende Flávia Amaral
Published: May 2010

The rapid dissemination and integration of the World Wide Web (also known as Internet), and its related technologies, has resulted in major growth of the educational field through the Internet in such areas as e-learning and e-training. In August 2002, the Ministry of Education established the rules for distance education courses at the university level (Portaria nº 2.253) allowing up 20% of the total course hours to be administered through distance education. At the same time, the Comitê de Educação a Distância from the Distance Education Secretary – SEED/MEC published the Distance Education Quality Indicators, which presents pedagogical guidelines that are clearly constructionist, consistent with those adopted by the Brazilian informatics in education program developed during the 1980’s and 90’s. However an important question remains: how to prepare university professors to be able to function in highly interactive constructionist learning environments? How to develop competencies as planning, designing and implementing such constructionist courses? This research has simultaneously investigated two aspects: developing, implementing and evaluating the characteristics of a constructionist environment and, at the same time,the use of this environment as part of an introductory on-line course to prepare a group of professors from Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (Brazil) to be able to function as mediators in the constructionist online learning environment. The findings indicate that it is possible to create a constructionist learning environment and to prepare university professors through online courses based upon Inverted Symmetry concepts and upon the in-service course based on the estar-junto-virtual (“virtual being together”) approach, to build what we called In-vIsIble reflectIve network, thus allowing the professors to assume news roles not only in the online environment but in the face-to-face education situation as well. This course is the first step for continuous long life learning to be a “ciber teacher”.
Mixed Research and Online Learning
Authors: Lowenthal Patrick R. , Leech Nancy L.
Published: May 2010

As online education continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the nuances of online learning. However, to date, research on online learning has largely been characterized as being low quality. To increase the quality and promote rigor in online education research, researchers are beginning to argue for the importance of using mixed research. Yet, to date, very little mixed research has been conducted in the area of online learning. Further, the little “mixed” research that has been conducted suffers from a host of problems. Researchers need to be aware of the complexities of conducting mixed research and some of the issues that can be overlooked. This chapter focuses on some important steps and key considerations that researchers of online learning must make when conducting mixed research, in hopes to increase the rigor and quality of online learning research studies.
Digital Games for Online Adult Education
Authors: Demirbilek Muhammet
Published: May 2010

Digital games are a strong motivating and engaging factor in adult learning. When students are engaged in the learning process, they learn and retain more. Engagement can come though emotion, relaxation, and especially through fun. This chapter provides guidance to online adult educators searching for ways to use digital games more effectively in their practice and give an overview of pedagogical approaches to digital games in online training and learning. In addition, benefits and pitfalls associated with using digital games in online adult education and general attributes of digital games are provided. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the potential of digital games in online Adult education. Therefore, it will be a useful reference for teachers with an interest in the use of digital game based learning for online Adult teaching and training. It is expected that this chapter helps educators make the most effective use of the electronic games available today, offering expert guidance on digital games to serve the needs of all Adult learners.
The Hidden Literacies of Massively Multiplayer Online Games
Authors: Schrader P. G. , Lawless K. A.
Published: May 2010

Given the multitude of available options, citizens of a globalized, knowledge-based society must have the ability to locate, evaluate, and apply information across sources. Further, the manner in which information is consumed around the globe has become increasingly multimodal. Unfortunately, students are rarely presented with formal opportunities to engage in and with multiliteracies. As a result, there are very few opportunities for researchers to understand the nature of skills necessary to function in a multiliterate world. In serving this purpose, this chapter examines the multiliteracies associated with Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). Specifically, it will examine the nature and affordances of the associated technologies as they pertain to the multiliteracies of consumption and production. A call for additional research with direct ties to education is also addressed.
Enterprise Modelling in Support of Organisation Design and Change
Authors: Ajaefobi Joseph , Rahimifard Aysin , Weston Richard
Published: May 2010

Enterprises (business organisations) are increasingly operating under uncertain conditions arising from: governments that introduce new regulations; a market place which is shaped by ongoing change in customer requirements; change in capital markets that orient overall market directions; an advancing base of technology; and increasing competition which can arise from a growing number of sources (Monfared, 2000). Consequently, organisations are expected to change rapidly in response to emerging requirements. Classical theories and more recently ‘method-based’ organisation (re)design and change approaches have been proposed and tried with varying degrees of successes. This chapter contribution discusses the role of enterprise and simulation modelling in support of organisation (re)design and change. The capabilities and constraints of some widely acknowledged public domain enterprise modelling frameworks and methods are reviewed. A modelling approach which integrates the use of enterprise modelling (EM), causal loop modelling (CLM), and simulation modelling (SM) is described. The approach enables the generation of coherent and semantically rich models of organisations. The integrated modelling approach has been applied and tested in a number of manufacturing enterprises (MEs) and one case study application is described.