bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Overview of Learning Object Repositories
Authors: Tzikopoulos Argiris , Manouselis Nikos , Vuorikari Riina
Published: May 2011

Learning objects are systematically organised and classified in online databases, which are termed learning object repositories (LORs). Currently, a rich variety of LORs is operating online, offering access to wide collections of learning objects. These LORs cover various educational levels and topics, and are developed by using a variety of different technologies. They store learning objects and/or their associated metadata descriptions, as well as offer a range of services that may vary from advanced search and retrieval of learning objects to intellectual property rights (IPR) management. Until now, there has not been a comprehensive study of existing LORs that will give an outline of their overall characteristics. For this purpose, this chapter presents the initial results from a survey of 59 well-known repositories with learning resources. The most important characteristics of surveyed LORs are examined and useful conclusions about their current status of development are made. A discussion of future trends in the LORs field is also carried out.
American Sign Language Learning Objects for Instruction
Authors: Lehman Rosemary M. , Conceição Simone C.O.
Published: May 2011

Little consideration has been given to involving the deaf community in higher education teaching and learning as it relates to the use of instructional technology. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was mindful of this need and collaborated with Instructional Communications Systems, University of Wisconsin-Extension to work with instructors in the use of technology and develop American Sign Language (ASL) learning objects as components of ASL courses. The purpose of this chapter is to present a background on learning objects; the use of ASL learning objects in three higher education settings; recommendations for the use of learning objects for multiple higher education disciplines; and insights into future and emerging trends related to the use of learning objects in higher education.
Hard Fun
Authors: Wanless-Sobel Colette
Published: May 2011

Current pedagogical theory promotes deep learning environments in online instruction as well as authenticity. This chapter discusses the pedagogical framework, academic issues and logistics of a deep learning resource that is “hard fun,” to use a phrase of Seymour Papert, because it challenges and immerses students in real life learning environments through community problem solving. Success of the learning resource is largely due to the intrinsic motivation and cognitive engagement afforded through civic engagement, allowing students to pursue personally relevant knowledge in familiar milieus, their residential communities. Technology plays a role in increasing intellectual self-esteem and digital literacy by allowing students the opportunity to become bloggers and Web publishers.
Case Studies on Learners and Instructors in an E-Learning Ecosystems
Authors: Kumar Vive , Groeneboer Chris , Chu Stephanie , Jamieson-Noel Dianne , Xin Cindy
Published: May 2011

E-Learning aims to enrich learning by blending traditional and innovative learning models; conceptualizing courseware in multiple media; standardizing interoperable content representation; personalizing learning experiences to custom learning devices; integrating administrative functionalities with other academic units; and not the least, ensuring the quality of learning. Such a multifaceted ideology is construed as a learning ecosystem where knowledge is constructed, analyzed, and disseminated among members of the ecosystem. A learning ecosystem characterized by the interactions and the flow of information across activities related to learning. Such an E-Learning ecosystem would naturally include populations of learners, researchers, instructors, administrators, and technologists, among others, playing a variety of roles in an institutional setup. In this chapter, we present a number of case studies and their interrelations within an E-Learning ecosystem in higher education. The case studies are presented under two subsystems: learner subsystem and instructor subsystem.
An Ontological Representation of Competencies as Codified Knowledge
Authors: Sanchez-Alonso Salvador , Frosch-Wilke Dirk
Published: May 2011

In current organizations, the models of knowledge creation include specific processes and elements that drive the production of knowledge aimed at satisfying organizational objectives. The Knowledge Life Cycle (KLC) model of the Knowledge Management Consortium International (KMCI) provides a comprehensive framework for situating competencies as part of the organizational context. Recent work on the use of ontologies for the explicit description of competency-related terms and relations can be used as the basis for an study on the ontological representation of competencies as codified knowledge, situating those definitions in the KMCI lifecycle model. In this paper, we discuss about the similarities between the life cycle of KM and the processes in which competencies are identified and assessed. The concept of competency, as well as the standard definitions for this term that coexist nowadays, will then be connected to existing KLC models in order to provide a more comprehensive framework for competency management in a wider KM framework. This paper also depicts the framework’s integration into the KLC of the KMCI in the form of ontological definitions.
Integrated Semantic-Based Composition of Skills and Learning Needs in Knowledge-Intensive Organisations
Authors: Colucci Simona , Di Noia Tommaso , Di Sciascio Eugenio , Donini Francesco Maria , Ragone Azzurra
Published: May 2011

Holding and creating competences is one of the most strategic activities in organizations, especially in knowledge intensive ones. An organization dealing with a task to perform will firstly check for the required skills among the available personnel. If such a search process leads to discover lacking competencies, organizations may hire external personnel or encourage internal personnel to learn new competencies on the unavailable skills. The current availability of several, well-organized, e-learning modules, makes such possibility appealing and enonomically advantageous. A skill management system performing both the processes of searching among available skills and facilitating the creation of missing ones can hence be a noteworthy source of competitive advantage for a knowledge-intensive organization. We present here an approach and a system for such purpose, which exploits recent advances in semantic-based inference services and technologies.The proposed approach employs Description Logics formalism and reasoning services and is fully in the Semantic Web initiative mainstream.
Teaching ERP Concepts in a Capstone Course
Authors: Rajkumar T. M. , Sarma Mahesh
Published: May 2011

An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is a system that integrates all the different functionalities within an enterprise and which is used to manage the basic commercial func-tions in a business. Capstone courses are used to integrate materials from different disci-plines. This paper describes the use of business processes and ERP systems as a mechanism to provide the integration in the capstone course. The various modules taught in the class are described and issues with the modules are raised and discussed.
Teaching Human Resources Management Using SAP
Authors: Deshpande Satish P. , Targowski Andrew
Published: May 2011

Information technology has become a critical component for human resource (HR) profes-sionals. Human resource information systems (HRIS) have helped many HR departments automate routine processes, eliminate unnecessary work, and play a strategic role in driv-ing employee performance. Many IT ?rms are now forming alliances with universities to popularize their products. This chapter ?rst investigates the utility and the choice of vari-ous HRIS options available to an organization. Next, it evaluates the utility of universities forming alliances with enterprise resource planning (ERP) ?rms to enrich their business curricula. Finally, the experiences of a college of business at a large university in Midwestern United States with the implementation of IT in the Human resource management (HRM) curriculum are examined.
Putting Enterprise Systems in a Larger ICT Context - A Pedagogical Framework
Authors: Rienzo Thomas , Tarn J. Michael , Danenberg James
Published: May 2011

Many business schools are attempting to integrate their curricula with enterprise software, particularly enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. Although the introduction of ERP into the undergraduate academic curriculum offers students a potentially deeper under-standing of business processes, it cannot by itself provide for students a connection between the adoption of robust information systems and a paradigm shift in the way that business organizations operate in a global, information-centric environment. Connecting a new global economy with enterprise systems requires a course much broader than ERP that places enterprise systems in a much larger information-communication technology (ICT) context. This chapter presents a teaching model that provides that context, emphasizing the critical role of systems components and relationships, the central function of information in problem solving, and business perspectives of information from infrastructure to applications.
Teaching ERP Programming Using SAP ABAP/4
Authors: Han Bernard
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, a teaching pedagogy for ERP programming using SAP ABAP/4 is presented. While object-oriented (OO) programming techniques have received increasing attention in new ERP module development, learning and mastering of traditional ABAP/4 code will continue to play an important role especially in maintaining SAP R/3 systems for necessary extensions that are required to meet end-user needs of SAP adopters. The pedagogy presented is essentially a three-threaded teaching approach that involves a stepwise learning of ABAP/4, selective hands-on investigation of SAP R/3 modules, and an accumulative simulation of a simpli?ed R/3 module. A simple ABAP/4 program is also presented to highlight how an online report could be easily generated through using both internal tables and the sample database (?ight) available in SAP R/3. Limitations, suggestions, and future trend of ABAP/4 application development are also addressed with a concluding remark.
Enterprise Systems Education
Authors: Lin Frank , Coulson Tony
Published: May 2011

SAP and Oracle (including PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards) are the major enterprise systems vendors in the marketplace. Yet most of the universities within the USA, Canada, and Ger-many that have an enterprise system curriculum integrate SAP’s enterprise systems. As a result of the recent PeopleSoft merger, Oracle is becoming a major player in the education industry. Oracle enterprise systems are not only suitable for large and medium companies but also small companies. Oracle enterprise systems are appealing alternatives for institutions to consider in regard to integrating enterprise systems into their curricula. Thus, we are going to introduce this global application vendor’s Oracle Academic Initiative, Enterprise System and its related education — Oracle University’s practice. An alternative approach to delivering enterprise system education, developed through experience and literature, using Oracle E-business Suite in higher education is discussed.
Peer Review In Computer Sciences
Authors: Kern Vinícius Medina , dos Santos Pacheco Roberto Carlos , Saraiva Luciana Martins , Pernigotti Joyce Munarski
Published: May 2011

Several experiences with peer review in computer science education have been reported in the literature. What is needed to turn it into a continued, regular educational approach? We try to answer that question beginning by presenting the skills required by computer science international curricula, as well as the skills exercised in peer review, an approach that can match those requirements. The practice of peer review in computer science education is reported, revealing very positive results, but with little sign of institutionalization and long-term application. The learning outcomes, the software available, the types of student work reviewed, and the different approaches are detailed. The issues of a methodological approach for continued, regular, large scale application are discussed.
Did We Become a Community? Multiple Methods for Identifying Community and Its Constituent Elements in Formal Online Learning Environments
Authors: Schwier Richard A. , Daniel Ben K.
Published: May 2011

To understand the nature of formal virtual learning communities in higher education, we are employing a variety of user-centred evaluation approaches to examine methods for determining whether a community exists, and if it does, to isolate and understand interactions among its constituent elements, and ultimately to build a model of formal virtual learning communities. This chapter presents the methods we are employing to answer these seemingly simple questions, including user perceptions of community (Sense of Community Index, Classroom Community Scale), interaction analysis (density, reciprocity,) content analysis (transcript analysis, interviews, focus groups), paired-comparison analysis (Thurstone scaling) and community modeling techniques (Bayesian Belief Network analysis).
Videoconferencing Communities
Authors: Newman Dianna L. , Barbanell Patricia , Falco John
Published: May 2011

Online communities have expanded to include a complex array of technologies that allow us to integrate multiple modes of interaction among participants. One such method of interaction is videoconferencing. As part of a multi-year national program, the authors developed and investigated multiple methods by which videoconferencing could be used to expand PK-12 educational communities such that students at geographically distanced sites have opportunities to interact with external resources. The authors identified four major types of videoconferencing communities and common patterns within each that help to support effective use of the process. The chapter examines the nature and structure of these videoconferencing communities, provides examples of successful use, summarizes key user variables that impact the process, and makes recommendations for methods that should be used when studying videoconferencing communities.
Online Communities of Practice as a Possible Model to Support the Development of a Portal for Science Teachers
Authors: Jelfs Anne , Harvey Jen , Jones Ann
Published: May 2011

This chapter looks at how the ideas discussed in the literature on online communities and communities of practice have been applied to the development of two European ‘blended’ communities: communities with both online and face-to-face components. The chapter discusses the development and support of two communities of science teachers located in Ireland and Bulgaria as a way to support the development of an online portal. We discuss the communities in relation to recognised criteria and features that may be conducive to the success of small communities and specifically online communities and how these relate to the different stages of resource development. Socio-technical findings indicate the need to blend the face-to-face meetings with electronic communications. The role of a key respected teacher/educator was also a pivotal feature in gaining the trust and respect of other participants at an initial stage.
Understanding Participation in Online Courses
Authors: Prammance Noppadol
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports the results of the case study of online interaction. Prior to conducting the case study, the author conducted a pre-study to understand how students and instructors view the problems they face in online courses. After that, the author used Hillman et al. and Moore’s four types of interaction and Henri’s analytical model as a framework to guide the investigation in order to understand the nature of interaction in an online course. The results of this study showed that combination three of the types of interaction and the analytical model help teaching and learning become more effective. Furthermore, this study provides recommendations and practices that would be helpful for online instructors to design and deliver online courses effectively.
Promotion of Self-Assessment for Learners in Online Discussion Using the Visualization Software
Authors: Mochizuki Toshio , Kato Hiroshi , Fujitani Satoru , Yaegashi Kazaru , Hisamatsu Shin-ichi , Nagata Tomoko , Nakahara Jun , Nishimori Toshihisa
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes a method of self-assessment for learners in a collaborative discussion. The authors propose this method of self-assessment in an online discussion and examine its effectiveness through the development and evaluation of a software program in order to visualize the discussion on a Bulletin Board System (BBS). The software, referred to as the “Bulletin board Enrollee Envisioner” (i-Bee), can visually display the co-occurrence relation between keywords and learners. Thus, i-Bee can display content-wise contributions made by each learner to the discussion. In addition, i-Bee can display the recent level of participation of each learner and the frequency of the learner’s use of each keyword. Through the evaluation, the authors revealed that i-Bee enables students to assess and reflect upon their discussion, understand the condition, and reorganize their commitment in a discussion that reflects their learning activity.
Long-Term Interaction
Authors: Haffner Christoph , Völkel Thorsten
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the application of concepts for long-term interaction to support long-term relationship in the interactive television (iTV) domain. While classical interaction concepts cover short-term interaction cycles only, theoretical models for long-term interaction and relationships deal with time periods exceeding the human short-term working memory. The user must be supported by memory cues to resume interrupted long-term interactions immediately. The iTV domain offers many long-term interaction scenarios in the context of establishing long-term relationships of recipients and broadcasters. The authors adopt concepts for long-term interaction towards iTV and develop a basic classification of long-term interaction. Three scenarios within the iTV domain illustrate the potential impact for the design of iTV applications.
Belgian Advertisers' Perceptions of Interactive Digital TV as a Marketing Communication Tool
Authors: Cauberghe Verolien , De Pelsmacker Patrick
Published: May 2011

This chapter investigates the knowledge, perceptions, and intentions of advertising professionals in Belgium toward the introduction and use of interactive digital television (IDTV) as a marketing communication tool. In total, 320 marketing professionals cooperated in a Web survey that was posted just before the commercial launch of IDTV in Belgium. The results show that their knowledge concerning the possibilities of advertising on IDTV is very limited, but their intentions to use IDTV in the future are relatively promising. Among the major perceived advantages of the medium are the possibility to provide more product information, two-way communication with the consumer, and the ability to target the audience more specifically. The major perceived disadvantages of the medium are the general lack experience of using it, the low adoption of IDTV by the end user, and the high cost for the advertiser.
Toward High-Level Visual Information Retrieval
Authors: Zhang Yu-Jin
Published: May 2011

Content-based visual information retrieval (CBVIR), as a new generation (with new concepts, techniques and mechanisms, etc.) of visual information retrieval, has attracted many interests from database community. The research starts by using low-level feature in more than a dozen years’ ago. The current focus has been shifted to capture high-level semantics of visual information. This chapter will convey the research from feature level to semantic level, by treating the problem of semantic gap, under the general framework of CBVIR. This high level research is the so called semantic-based visual information retrieval (SBVIR). This chapter first shows some statistics about the research publications on semantic-based retrieval in recent years, it then presents some existing approaches based on multi-level image retrieval and multi-level video retrieval. It also gives an overview on several current centers of attention, by summarizing certain results on subjects as image and video annotation, human-computer interaction, models and tools for semantic retrieval, and miscellaneous techniques in application. Before finishing, some future research directions, the domain knowledge and learning, relevance feedback and association feedback, as well as research at even high level, such as cognitive level, are pointed out.
The Imapct of Low-Level Features in Semantic-Based Image
Authors: Konstantinidis Konstantinos , Gasteratos Antonios , Andreadis Ioannis
Published: May 2011

Image Retrieval (IR) is generally known as a collection of techniques for retrieving images on the basis of features, either low-level (Content-based IR) or high-level (Semantic-based IR). Since Semantic-based features rely on low-level ones, in this chapter the reader is initially familiarized with the most widely used low-level features. An efficient way to present these features is by means of a statistical tool capable of bearing concrete information, such as the histogram. For use in IR, the histograms extracted from the previously mentioned features need to be compared by means of a metric. The most popular methods and distances are, thus, apposed. Finally, a number of IR systems using histograms are presented in a thorough manner and their experimental results are discussed. The steps in order to develop a custom IR system, along with modern techniques in image feature extraction are also presented.
Interaction Models and Relevance Feedback in Image Retrieval
Authors: Heesch Daniel , Ruger Stefan
Published: May 2011

Human-computer interaction is increasingly recognised to be an indispensable component of image retrieval systems. A typical form of interaction is that of relevance feedback whereby users supply relevance information on the retrieved images. This information can subsequently be used to optimise retrieval parameters. The first part of the chapter provides a comprehensive review of existing relevance feedback techniques and also discusses a number of limitations that can be addressed more successfully in a browsing framework. Browsing models form the focus of the second part of this chapter where we will evaluate the merit of hierarchical structures and networks for interactive image search. This exposition aims to provide enough detail to enable the practitioner to implement many of the techniques and to find numerous pointers to the relevant literature otherwise.
Semantic-Based Video Scene Retrieval Using Evolutionary Computing
Authors: Yoo Hun-Woo
Published: May 2011

A new emotion-based video scene retrieval method is proposed in this chapter. Five video features extracted from a video are represented in a genetic chromosome and target videos that user has in mind are retrieved by the interactive genetic algorithm through the feedback iteration. After the proposed algorithm selects the videos that contain the corresponding emotion from the initial population of videos, the feature vectors from them are regarded as chromosomes, and a genetic crossover is applied to those feature vectors. Next, new chromosomes after crossover and feature vectors in the database videos are compared based on a similarity function to obtain the most similar videos as solutions of the next generation. By iterating this process, a new population of videos that a user has in mind are retrieved. In order to show the validity of the proposed method, six example categories of “action,” “excitement,” “suspense,” “quietness,” “relaxation,” and “happiness” are used as emotions for experiments. This method of retrieval shows 70% of effectiveness on the average over 300 commercial videos.
A Hierarchial Classification Technique for Semantics-Based Image Retrieval
Authors: Kherfi Mohammed Lamine , Ziou Djemel
Published: May 2011

We present a new approach for improving image retrieval accuracy by integrating semantic concepts. First, images are represented according to different abstraction levels. At the lowest level, they are represented with visual features. At the upper level, they are represented with a set of very specific keywords. At the subsequent levels, they are represented with more general keywords. Second, visual content together with keywords are used to create a hierarchical index. A probabilistic classification approach is proposed, which allows to group similar images into the same class. Finally this index is exploited to define three retrieval mechanisms: the first is text-based, the second is content-based, and the third is a combination of both. Experiments show that our combination allows to nicely narrow the semantic gap encountered by most current image retrieval systems. Furthermore, we show that the proposed method helps reducing retrieval time and improving retrieval accuracy.
Automatic NLP for Competitive Intelligence
Authors: Aranha Christian , Passos Emmanuel
Published: May 2011

This chapter integrates elements from Natural Language Processing, Information Retrieval, Data Mining and Text Mining to support competitive intelligence. It shows how text mining algorithms can attend to three important functionalities of CI: Filtering, Event Alerts and Search. Each of them can be mapped as a different pipeline of NLP tasks. The chapter goes in-depth in NLP techniques like spelling correction, stemming, augmenting, normalization, entity recognition, entity classification, acronyms and co-reference process. Each of them must be used in a specific moment to do a specific job. All these jobs will be integrated in a whole system. These will be ‘assembled’ in a manner specific to each application. The reader’s better understanding of the theories of NLP provided herein will result in a better ´assembly´.
Conceptual Clustering of Textual Documents and Some Insights for Knowledge Discovery
Authors: Wives Leandro Krug , Moreira de Oliveira José Palazzo , Loh Stanley
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces a technique to cluster textual documents using concepts. Document clustering is a technique capable of organizing large amounts of documents in clusters of related information, which helps the localization of relevant information. Traditional document clustering techniques use words to represent the contents of the documents and the use of words may cause semantic mistakes. Concepts, instead, represent real world events and objects, and people employ them to express ideas, thoughts, opinions and intentions. Thus, concepts are more appropriate to represent the contents of a document and its use helps the comprehension of large document collections, since it is possible to summarize each cluster and rapidly identify its contents (i.e. concepts). To perform this task, the chapter presents a methodology to cluster documents using concepts and presents some practical experiments in a case study to demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves better results than the use of words.
A Hierarchical Online Classifier for Patent Categorization
Authors: Tikk Domonkos , Biro György , Törcsvári Attila
Published: May 2011

Abstract: Patent categorization (PC) is a typical application area of text categorization (TC). TC can be applied in different scenarios at the work of patent offices depending on at what stage the categorization is needed. This is a challenging field for TC algorithms, since the applications have to deal simultaneously with large number of categories (in the magnitude of 1000–10000) organized in hierarchy, large number of long documents with huge vocabularies at training, and they are required to work fast and accurate at on-the-fly categorization. In this paper we present a hierarchical online classifier, called HITEC, which meets the above requirements. The novelty of the method relies on the taxonomy dependent architecture of the classifier, the applied weight updating scheme, and on the relaxed category selection method. We evaluate the presented method on two large English patent application databases, the WIPO-alpha and the Espace A/B corpora. We also compare the presented method to other TC algorithms on these collections, and show that it outperforms them significantly.
Concept Effect Model
Authors: Hwang Gwo-Jen
Published: May 2011

With the recent rapid progress of network technology, researchers have attempted to adopt artificial intelligence and use computer networks to develop adaptive hypermedia systems. The idea of adaptive hypermedia is to adapt the course content for a particular learner based on the profile or records of the learner. Meanwhile, researchers have also attempted to develop more effective programs to evaluate the student learning problems, so that the adaptive hypermedia systems can adapt displayed information and dynamically support navigation accordingly. Conventional testing systems simply give students a score, and do not give them the opportunity to learn how to improve their learning performance. Students would benefit more if the test results could be analyzed and hence advice could be provided accordingly. Concept effect model is an effective approach to coping with this problem. In this Chapter, the model and its relevant work are introduced.
Future Directions of Multimedia Technologies in E-Learning
Authors: Shih Timothy K. , Li Qing , Hung Jason C.
Published: May 2011

In the last chapter, we discuss how advanced multimedia technologies are used in distance learning systems, including multimedia authoring and presentation, Web-based learning, virtual environments, interactive video, and systems on mobile devices. On the other hand, we believe pedagogic theory should be incorporated into the design of distance learning systems to add learning efficiency. Thus, we point out some suggestions to the designers of future distance learning systems.
Security Analysis, Assessment, and Assurance
Authors: Kizza Joseph , Migga Kizza Florence
Published: May 2011

In the previous chapter, we discussed the important role security policies play in the security of networks, in particular, and in the information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, in general. The security policy should always be considered as the baseline security piece that dictates what other security mechanism are to be used and how. However, one must not forget that security policies are passive documents; they are lines of statements of what must be done and nothing more. A security policy will not physically stop a determined intruder, for example. To stop a determined intruder, or any other intruder for that matter, the security policy must be put into use. This chapter moves us into a new phase of the implementation of the security policies we discussed in the last chapter, starting with security assessment and analysis.
Digital Crime Investigation and Forensics
Authors: Kizza Joseph , Migga Kizza Florence
Published: May 2011

In Chapter XIV we discussed digital evidence and the process of collecting this evidence. In this chapter, we are going to focus on the investigative process. In fact, we are going to divide this process into two processes that are both related. The first process is known as computer forensics in which we investigate crime scenes that involve data on computers. We will look at the different parts of the computer and how digital evidence can be either hidden or extracted from the computer. In the second process, we consider the crime scene as not one computer but a network of computers. Our investigation then goes beyond one computer to include the infrastructure of the network and all points in the network where evidence can be either hidden or extracted. This second process we will refer to as network forensics.
Time Series Mining
Authors: Hsu Wynne , Lee Mong Li , Wang Junmei
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we will first give the background and review existing works in time series mining. The background material will include commonly used similarity measures and techniques for dimension reduction and data discretization. Then we will examine techniques to discover periodic and sequential patterns. This will lay the groundwork for the subsequent three chapters on mining dense periodic patterns, incremental sequence mining, and mining progressive patterns.
Mining Progressive Confident Rules in Sequence Databases
Authors: Hsu Wynne , Lee Mong Li , Wang Junmei
Published: May 2011

Real-life objects can be described by its attribute values. For example, a person has attributes such as gender, date of birth, education level, and job, and so forth. While the gender and date of birth of a person do not change, the education level and job may change with time. If we denote the set of attribute values of an object as its state, then the state of an object changes as the attribute values change with time. The states of an object at different time stamps form a state sequence.
Mining Spatio-Temporal Trees
Authors: Hsu Wynne , Lee Mong Li , Wang Junmei
Published: May 2011

We observe that many spatio-temporal trees patterns are both unordered and embedded. Unordered refers to the condition that the sequence between children of the same parent is not important (for example, the tree with bedroom1 as the left son and bedroom2 as the right son is the same as the tree with bedroom2 as the left son and bedroom 1 as the right son) while embedded suggests that it is not necessary to strictly keep the parent-child relations among nodes.
Problems with Social Software for E-Learning
Authors: Dron Jon
Published: May 2011

This book offers an exploration of the ways that a learning trajectory is determined, and, in particular, how an online learning environment can affect that trajectory. It provides suggestions about how, primarily through technologies that underlie what is vulgarly known as “Web 2.0,” networked learning environments should be constructed to give control to learners if they need it, as they need it, and when they need it.
Potential Futures of E-Learning
Authors: Dron Jon
Published: May 2011

This book offers an exploration of the ways that a learning trajectory is determined, and, in particular, how an online learning environment can affect that trajectory. It provides suggestions about how, primarily through technologies that underlie what is vulgarly known as “Web 2.0,” networked learning environments should be constructed to give control to learners if they need it, as they need it, and when they need it.
Isobord's Geographic Information System (GIS) Solution
Authors: Neufeld Derrick J. , Griffith Scott
Published: May 2011

Isobord, a start-up company that is setting up a new strawboard production plant in Manitoba, Canada, is facing critical operational problems that threaten its future. Isobord’s product is a high quality particleboard substitute that uses straw, rather than wood, as the main raw manufacturing material. To achieve viability, Isobord must develop processes to carefully coordinate and manage its straw baling, stacking and hauling operations. Through effective information systems, Isobord has the potential to reduce the amount of equipment it needs to purchase to meet straw harvest requirements. A small investment in optimization technology could yield considerable cost savings if the efficiency of capital equipment can be improved. A geographic information system (GIS)/relational database management system (RDBMS) solution is being explored, but budget and time constraints, as well as organizational inexperience, seriously threaten the project. An information technology decision must be made immediately if there is to be any hope of implementing technology to manage the first year’s straw harvest.
Deliberate and Emergent Changes on a Way Toward Document Management
Authors: Paivarinta Tero , Salminen Airi
Published: May 2011

A unit of Fortum Service Ltd. operates and maintains the Rauhalahti power plant in Central Finland. In 1996-97, the unit launched a project pursuing coordinated organization-wide electronic document management (EDM). This case follows deliberate and emergent changes related to document management in the organization since the initiation of the project until February 2000. New information technologies were adopted, and responsibilities for continuous improvement of EDM were assigned. The continuous improvement was implemented as an extension of the ISO 9002 quality system earlier adopted for process improvement. The case shows that a shift from the paper-based era towards organization-wide EDM is a comprehensive change both affecting and affected by several components in the organization. EDM development in the organization was part of organization recursive dynamics where the quality system supported both planning for deliberate changes and reacting to emergent changes.
DataNaut Incorporated
Authors: Shaw Nancy C. , Fix Joan O’Reilly
Published: May 2011

This case was written for the 8th annual Kogod School of Business Case Competition at American University. It discusses a small, locally run company that faced several strategic decisions at the end of 1999: marketing its new high-tech products, securing sufficient venture capital financing, and creating a profit-sharing plan for current and future employees. The case involves an actual corporation (although some of the employee names have been changed) and the issues that confronted the management team at the end of 1999. Thecae includes a complete description of the company’s products, a glossary of terms, a list of Web sites summarizing existing radio market research, detailed operating expenses and pro-forma financial statements (numbers have been altered for confidentiality). This case combines new technology development, HR decisions, marketing and finance, which makes it a true cross-disciplinary case that can be used in several different courses
From Edison to MP3
Authors: Shayo Conrad , Guthrie Ruth
Published: May 2011

This case discusses the challenges facing the music recording industry through the eyes of two of its most influential trade associations: the RIAA and the IFPI. First, readers of the case will learn about (a) the history of the music recording industry and how new emerging and innovative technologies can impact individual organizations or entire industries and (b) the music industry value chain and its various stakeholders, for example, record labels, artists, composers, distributors, and retailers. Second, they will learn about (a) the strategic opportunities and business models being unleashed by the new emerging technologies, for example, MP3 and peer-to-peer networks, and (b)the challenges facing music industry trade associations, such as the RIAA and the IFPI in protecting copyright in a digital age, reconciling conflicting goals of its members, and implementing new business models.
Enabling Electronic Medicine at KiwiCare
Authors: Qirim Nabeel Al
Published: May 2011

Telemedicine emerges as a viable solution to New Zealand health providers in reaching out to rural patients, in offering medical services and conducting administrative meetings and training. No research exists about adoption of telemedicine in New Zealand. The purpose of this case study was to explain factors influencing adoption of telemedicine utilizing video conferencing technology (TMVC) within a New Zealand hospital known as KiwiCare. Since TMVC is part of IT, tackling it from within technological innovation literature may assist in providing an insight into its adoption within KiwiCare and into the literature. Findings indicate weak presence of critical assessment into technological innovation factors prior to the adoption decision, thereby leading to its weak utilization. Factors like complexity, compatibility and trialability were not assessed extensively by KiwiCare and would have hindered TMVC adoption. TMVC was mainly assessed according to its relative advantage and to its cost effectiveness along with other facilitating and accelerating factors. This is essential but should be alongside technological and other influencing factors highlighted in the literature.
Turning E-Commerce Theory into Action in Ireland
Authors: Yermish Ira , Bondanza Dale A.
Published: May 2011

This case explores entrepreneurial activity in the Republic of Ireland in the area of information technology (IT) consulting and is a hypothetical example of two young entrepreneurs seeking to capitalize their academic backgrounds into a business to provide consulting expertise to businesses looking to harness the power of the Internet.
Analyzing the Evolution of End User Information Technology Performance
Authors: Sacco John , Hackler Darrene
Published: May 2011

This case study examines end user information technology evolution from microcomputers to World Wide Web applications in a large county budget office over a fifteen-year period. The study evaluates end user information technology performance and comments on organizational, technical and social issues that accompany information technology implementation.
Developing Effective Computer Systems Supporting Knowledge-Intensive Work
Authors: Müller Martin , Pfeifer Rolf
Published: May 2011

The case to be discussed is a joint project between the university of Zurich and “SwissPaper,” a large paper mill in Switzerland. The paper mill had recently undergone deep structural changes after an investigation of by of the world’s leading management consulting companies. Our project is mainly concerned with support of energy management by means of computer technology. There were essentially three goals. The first one was to minimize energy consumption while keeping it at a constant level. The second goal was the exploration of a scientific hypothesis, namely that expert behavior cannot be adequately explained in terms of “information processing,” but is more adequately seen as “situated action.” The latter emphasizes the actual organizational and social circumstances. The objective of Situated Design — a particular project methodology that we have been developing in our group at the university over the last few years — is to support “situated action” by means of computer technology, rather than to formalize human expertise. Applying and refining this methodology is the third major goal of the project. In this paper we will discuss our experiences with Situated Design at Swiss Paper.
Information Systems and Technology Outsourcing
Authors: Rose Jeremy
Published: May 2011

This case concerns an information systems and technology (IS/IT) action research intervention into a train operating company in the newly privatized rail industry in the United Kingdom. Having operated for many years as a nationalized industry under government control, but outside the strictly commercial sector, the new company found itself in the position of having many of its important IS/IT systems being run by separate companies — it was outsourced without ever having made an outsourcing decision. The project involved information management in the maintenance wing of the company. After the event, analysis of the problem situation revealed the extent of the company’s IS/IT management difficulties. Many of these problems were directly attributable to privatization and the outsourcing arrangements imposed upon the new company. The lessons from the case cast serious doubts upon the long-term benefits of outsourcing key systems and are believed to represent a significant learning vehicle relating to IS/IT adoption and exploitation.
Enterprise Information Portals
Authors: Wojtkowski Wita , Major Marshall
Published: May 2011

The focus of this case study is a successful regional law firm (an information intensive enterprise) that integrates information technology to improve the timeliness and quality of their work product. The firm uses information technology as an efficient and productive tool allowing them more time to understand their clients’ needs and envision where their businesses will be tomorrow. Their information services professionals evaluate new technologies with an eye toward improving delivery of legal services: the goal is to build an atmosphere where complex business is handled with ease. In this case we explore the issues related to the implementation of an enterprise portal. The issues are both technological and behavioral.
The Politics of Information Management
Authors: Petrides Lisa , Khanuja-Dhall Sharon , Reguerin Pablo
Published: May 2011

This case details one institution’s attempts, at a departmental level, to develop an information system for planning and decision making. It looks at the department’s effort to manage and track students and to design a management tool that would help departmental faculty to function more effectively. It examines the challenges faced in managing information and the behaviors that drive new information management processes with the increased use of technology.
The Australasian Food Products Co-Op
Authors: Lehmann Hans
Published: May 2011

This case tells the story of a Food Products Co-op from “Australasia” and their attempt to create a global information system. The Co-op is among the 20 largest food enterprises in the world, and international information systems (IIS) have taken on increasing importance as the organization expanded rapidly during the 1980s and even more so as the enterprise refined their global operations in the last decade. Set in the six years since 1995, the story demonstrates the many pitfalls in the process of evolving an IIS as it follows the Co-op’s global business development. Two key findings stood out among the many lessons that can be drawn from the case: first, the notion of an “information system migration” following the development of the Global Business Strategy of the multi-national enterprise through various stages; second, the failure of the IIS to adapt to the organization’s strategy changes set up a field of antagonistic forces, in which business resistance summarily killed all attempts by the information technology department to install a standard global information system.
Better Army Housing Management Through Information Technology
Authors: Forgionne Guisseppi A.
Published: May 2011

The Department of the Army must provide its personnel with acceptable housing at minimum cost within the vicinity of military installations. To achieve these housing objectives, the Army often must enter into agreements for the long-term construction of on post housing or the leasing of existing off post housing. A decision technology system, called the Housing Analysis Decision Technology System (HADTS), has been developed to support the construction or leasing management process. The HADTS architecture is based on a combination of database, econometric, heuristic programming, mapping, and decision support techniques. Its deployment has enabled the Department of the Army to realize significant economic, management, and political benefits. Future enhancements, motivated by the challenges from the current system, promise to increase the power of HADTS and to further improve the Army’s ability to manage its housing assets.
Emergency
Authors: Dalcher Darren
Published: May 2011

This case study charts the story of the problematic implementation of a computerised despatch system for the Metropolitan Ambulance Service (MAS) in Melbourne, Australia. The system itself is now operational; however, the legal and political implications are still subject to the deliberations of inquiry boards, and police investigations. The value of the case study is in highlighting some of the pitfalls and implications of failing to consider the financial pressures and resource constraints that define the (medical)despatch environment.