bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Generic is I(nformation) T(echnology)?
Authors: Miliszewska Iwona , Venables Anne , Tan Grace
Published: October 2017

Victoria University will introduce a generic Science Degree in 2009. Students in the degree will share a common first year and then choose a specialization, for instance biotechnology, chemistry, computing, food science, or environmental science. This paper reflects on the need for the development of enabling information technology (IT) skills among first-year students in the Degree. Many students already use IT to communicate, collaborate, work, and learn. However, they need to learn how to use technology intelligently, creatively, and ethically to accomplish intellectual pursuits; in addition, they should develop these skills at the beginning of their course, so as to optimize their learning throughout their studies and maximize educational outcomes. How could these skills be developed in students of a generic science degree? Are IT skills generic, too? The paper discusses the growing need for the development of advanced IT skills in science students; it shows the disparity between current university practice and the expectations of the world at large; it examines the generic nature and transferability of advanced IT skills; and, it proposes explicit incorporation of these skills into the curriculum of a generic science degree, including suggestions for effective implementation.
The Risk of Misinforming for Competing Messages
Authors: Christozov Dimitar , Chukova Stefanka , Mateev Plamen
Published: October 2017

This paper extends previous studies on quantifying the risk of misinforming by introducing models, which allow measuring the risk of misinforming in case of competing messages. These models are realistic representation of the market situation, where purchasing decisions are made based on the assessment of all available offers and selecting the one that meets at most the buyer's needs. The paper emphasizes the case of two competing products offered to a group of potential clients and studies the risk of misinforming and its effect on the purchase decisions. In addition, models for the evaluation of the risk of sellers are also proposed.
Perceptions of E-commerce Web Sites Across Two Generations
Authors: Smith Terry , Spiers Richard
Published: October 2017

Numerous studies have examined and predicted the usage of e-commerce Web sites using the Technology Acceptance Model and its primary constructs of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Smith (2008) conducted an empirical study of four e-commerce Web sites with participation from a unique and often understudied segment of the population - the senior generation. In addition, he called for additional research on the same e-commerce Web sites with participants from today's student population, a generation that has grown up with computers and the Internet. During the Spring 2008 semester, the authors duplicated Smith's research and conducted a field experiment with a purposeful sample of students enrolled in four courses in the School of Information Technology at Macon State College. Consistent with the conclusion by Smith, of significant worth is the test of the robustness of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) when applied to e-commerce adoption by both the senior generation and the net generation. The model’s predictive and explanatory capabilities still hold true. This is the only study we know of that compares two generations and their perceptions of e-commerce Web sites.
Ownership Influences on Vertical B2B E-marketplaces’ Survival
Authors: Zheng Weijun
Published: October 2017

A vertical electronic marketplace (EM) is an inter-organizational intermediary within a single industry that enables participating buyers and sellers to exchange information about price and product offerings and to cooperate on commodity exchange. Using a Relational View (RV) perspective, this paper develops theoretical arguments that explain the impact of ownership on the likelihood of vEM survival. With a survival analysis, this paper provides empirical support for the theoretical arguments using data collected on 159 vEMs across six industries. The paper found that EM ownerships with industry ties will have higher survival rates than those without.
Analysing Socio-Demographic Differences in Access and Use of ICTs in Nigeria Using the Capability Approach
Authors: Olatokun Wole
Published: October 2017

This paper presents disaggregated survey data on ICT ownership, access to public ICT facilities, capabilities and actual use of ICTs in two locations in a Nigerian municipality. The study analysed socio-demographic differences in access and use of ICTs using Sen’s capability approach. Survey research approach was adopted. The locations were a rural and an urban community. The population of the study comprised 500 respondents selected from the two locations. The two locations were intentionally selected with a view to ensuring rural versus urban data comparisons. A structured questionnaire was the data collection instrument adopted. Chi-square analysis was used to determine the significant factors affecting people’s access and use of ICTs. The result was cross tabulated against the socio-demographic characteristics of the people in the two locations. Findings revealed that there was a gender digital divide among the respondents in the two locations as well as rural-urban divide. It was also found that both male and female respondents in the two locations had access to all the ICT facilities surveyed, some in their homes and others in public places such as church, cyber cafe, working places, friend’s place, etc. However, most of the respondents in the rural community were reported to be able to use landline telephones more than cell phones. In the two locations, the respondents were capable of using radio and television very well. Female respondents in both locations were able to use landline telephones more than their male counterparts but the males were capable of using other facilities more than the female respondents. This was chiefly due to the fact that the male respondents in the two locations were more educated than the females. The young set of respondents was also capable of using ICTs more than the older people. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the government need to evolve policies aimed at bridging the digital divide particularly increasing ICT penetration in both rural and urban areas.
Canada - China Cultural Differences in E-learning: A Motivation Perspective
Authors: Saade Raafat , Nebebe Fassil , Mak Tak
Published: October 2017

There are relatively few empirical studies that examine cultural differences in students’ beliefs and use of web-based learning systems. Asian and Western countries have different systems of thought which are rooted in their respective national culture. Although there are a number of theories to explain individuals’ behavior within different cultures, there are few that focused on web-based learning differences. In this study, we investigate the motivational differences among Chinese and Canadian online learners. We enhance our body of knowledge in two respects: moderating and mediating effects of intrinsic motivation in the two groups and the use of the ‘cognitive system of thought’ theory to extract meaning from the results.
Perceptions of ICT Careers in German Schools: An Exploratory Study
Authors: von Hellens Liisa , Clayton Kaylene , Beekhuyzen Jenine , Nielsen Sue
Published: October 2017

This paper reports on an exploratory investigation of the perceptions of information and communication technology (ICT) as a field of study and work in German secondary schools. A total of 160 students from five secondary schools in Lower Saxony participated in the study in February 2007, and four teachers of the students were interviewed. The investigation is part of the research carried out by the authors within the Griffith University Women in Information Technology (WinIT) project, which has been studying the problem of low female participation since 1995. In this paper we discuss German school students’ (male and female) and their teachers’ views of ICT, its use at school and home, their influences in using technology, and their ideas about working with technology in the future. We drew on the challenges faced and opportunities available to teachers in the study to put this in context. We found that many senior secondary students have not decided what they want to do when they finish school, suggesting that the environment is ripe for them to receive relevant and useful information that may help them to choose to study tertiary ICT courses. By dispelling negative ICT perceptions and allowing students to make an informed choice as to whether to take up a career in ICT, we can hopefully encourage more students into this ever-growing and exciting industry.
A Novel Application Framework for Image Manipulation and Protection for Internet Applications
Authors: S. Vijayalakshmi , D. Prabu
Published: October 2017

This paper proposes and evaluates a new framework for website image manipulation and its protection using ASP.NET framework in watermarking technique. The proposed framework shows how to protect the valuable website images from the unauthorized users and to preserve web server’s bandwidth by preventing other unauthorized websites from directly linking to the images of the authorized web server. This framework effectively preserves the quality of the website image by embedding JPEG file metadata as EXIF tags in website images. This framework provides additional features to users, such as rotate, colors, and contrasts, and also reduces installation time required by supplementary software for image manipulation. The results show that ASP.NET framework in watermarking technique for Image manipulation and protection are encouraging.
Realizing Learning in the Workplace in an Undergraduate IT Program
Authors: Venables Anne , Tan Grace
Published: October 2017

Higher education programs need to prepare their graduates for the practical challenges they can expect to face upon entering the workforce. Students can be better prepared if their academic learning is reinforced through authentic workplace experience, where the link between theory and professional practice can be realized. Increasingly, such learning in the workplace is being seen as an integral part of the university curricula as evidenced through the implementation of the Learning the Workplace & Community (LiWC) Policy at Victoria University, Australia. This policy mandates a minimum of 25% content and assessment of all academic programs be related to work-integrated learning. Recognizing the need for authentic workplace experience in the IT undergraduate program, a review found that the existing work-related learning component accounted for only half the required 25% LiWC commitment. Currently, the LiWC component is an industry-based capstone project that spans two semesters in the final year of study. These projects allow students to work on real-life software development tasks where they experience the practical challenges of building software systems whilst appreciating the needs of a business client. In a search of the literature, campus-located industry projects were identified as one of the two most common work-related learning experiences in IT programs, the other being internships sited in the workplace. By retaining the current project-based component, it was decided to add an internship to the program to further bolster the student learning experience and graduate outcomes. This paper details the existing program structure and explores two possible implementations for the achievement of the LiWC policy. The first approach necessitates the addition of one academic year of cooperative education internship to be placed strategically between the current second and third years. Alternatively, the second proposal sacrifices several elective units to accommodate a final semester internship experience. The paper discusses both alternatives against various issues under consideration: staffing and administration, assessment, industry partnerships, professional accreditation and its impact upon differing cohorts of students.
Irish Nursing Students Perceptions of a Technology Enhanced Blended Approach to Teaching and Learning
Authors: Johnson Kevin , O Donnell Claire , Markey Kathleen , Lake Brian
Published: October 2017

Health informatics is becoming increasingly important for healthcare professionals and strategies to promote health informatics development are becoming increasingly popular in undergraduate professional programmes. With this in mind, a blended or hybrid learning approach was piloted with an undergraduate BSc nursing module in the university. The aim of this pilot was to design, develop, implement and evaluate the students’ perceived reactions to learning, teaching and assessment incorporating several online components. Blended learning is the combination of multiple approaches to learning such as a combination of technology-based materials and face-to-face sessions used together to deliver instruction. A branded version of Sakai (the university’s Learning Management System [LMS]) was used. The students interacted with the system on a weekly basis and their perceptions were codified with the aid of an online questionnaire based on the preferred COLLES format. Additionally, a touch screen based recording suite was availed of permitting the students to record themselves performing a task and later review the footage. The initial findings appear to provide a positive outlook towards the use of technology within the course and the potential for further expansion in the near future.
Informing Clients through Information Communication Technology in Health Care Systems
Authors: Vishwa Mohan Vangari , Zarea Gavgani Vahideh
Published: October 2017

Information Communication Technology (ICT) has revolutionized the world communication order. People can be informed in more effective, efficient and convenient ways. Access to media has percolated to the grassroots. In spite of all such remarkable developments, whether ICT facilitates Science communication is a billion dollar question. Though information is freely and widely available by virtue of ICT, yet, there are areas where Science communication through ICT still needs to be developed to deliver critical information to the needy. Objectives: The objectives of the study are to find out: whether patients and care givers have perception of their information needs? What sources of information they usually consult? What type of channels/media they possess to access the information? What sources the patients and care givers prefer to consult? Whether in the opinion of the patients and their care givers, the ICTs are effective in delivering the critical information. Methodology: An exploratory survey was conducted. A semi-structured interview was employed to collect data from a group of 188 patients and care givers in the hospitals and clinics in Hyderabad (India). Results and conclusion: The study determined the patients’ and care givers’ preferences for technologies in keeping informed. It also brought to light the limitations and usefulness of ICTs in Science communication in general and medical information in particular.
A Multi-Layered Approach to the Design of Intelligent Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IIDPS)
Authors: Awodele Oludele , Idowu Sunday , Anjorin Omotola , Joshua Vincent
Published: October 2017

Ignoring security threats can have serious consequences; therefore host machines in network must continually be monitored for intrusions since they are the final endpoint of any network. As a result, this paper presents an Intelligent Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IIDPS), which monitors a single host system from three different layers; files analyzer, system resource and connection layers. The approach introduced, a multi - layered approach, in which each layer harnesses both aspects of existing approach, signature and anomaly approaches, to achieve a better detection and prevention capabilities. The design of IIDPS consist of three basic components; the Executive which is an agent that runs in the background, iBaseline which is a database that stores the signatures of intrusions and the iManager which is a user Interface that serves as an intermediary between the IIDPS and the user. This work serves as a foundation upon which interested researchers can further build on to achieve better detection and prevention capabilities.
Aligning Efficacy Beliefs and Competence: A Framework for Developing Technical Knowledge
Authors: Inskeep Nancy , Hall Bettie
Published: October 2017

Common technical problems can overwhelm managers who lack basic technical experience. Many managers eschew technology projects due to their self-efficacy, or intrinsic beliefs about their ability to successfully solve specific tasks. Competitive organizations require managers who can not only take charge of problem situations involving technology without wasting limited resources, but also leverage those resources in a manner that enhances organizational learning and reinforces knowledge management. The authors present an iterative model as a starting point for analyzing such problems. The model recognizes business competencies as a foundation for acquiring technical knowledge by examining situations through the four, iterative lenses of Objectives, Technology, Implementation, and Support (OTIS), thereby increasing the managers’ organizational value, marketability, and career opportunities.
Concurrent Software Engineering Project
Authors: Stankovic Nenad , Tillo Tammam
Published: October 2017

Concurrent engineering or overlapping activities is a business strategy for schedule compression on large development projects. Design parameters and tasks from every aspect of a product’s development process and their interdependencies are overlapped and worked on in parallel. Concurrent engineering suffers from negative effects such as excessive rework and increased social and communication complexity that negatively affect gains. In the university environment, however, these difficulties and negative effects, if controlled, can help in promoting our educational goals such that they should be exploited rather than avoided. Although linear (i.e., waterfall) has been the most often used model in teaching, time constraints and an opportunity-driven learning process should make the concurrent model suitable for student projects. This paper elaborates on these ideas and reports on our students’ experience.
Exhibiting the Effects of the Episodic Buffer on Learning with Serial and Parallel Presentations of Materials
Authors: Alkhalifa Eshaa
Published: October 2017

The effectiveness of an informing system is based upon several factors that include the perceptual limitations of the person receiving the information. This paper examines the perceptual limitation of the amount of information that may be processed by the human cognitive system when this information is displayed in parallel through multiple windows. The experiments show that a sequential presentation of information is more effective than a parallel one in information transfer of large amounts of information or highly complex information in cognitively demanding subjects like mathematics. These conclusions are informative to educational system designers of complex subjects.
Emotion-Aware Education and Research Systems
Authors: Jotsov Vladimir
Published: October 2017

An emotion-aware method KALEIDOSCOPE is presented in the paper. It consists of a visualization approach, a method for information transfer-by-sense and applied approaches to maintain a natural-style dialog. The combination is purposed to provoke and keep positive emotions in the user and to maintain his interest in the problem. The main goal of this paper is to show how different machine-done visualized patterns lead to student’s perceptions that can’t be represented or estimated by the machine and how this is helpful during the educational process. It is shown that dynamic information presentations are superior to static ones. Original evolving (dynamic) ontology applications have been introduced. It is shown that the creation and maintenance of such ontologies may be a rather complicated process. Essential principles of an educational process using KALEIDOSCOPE method are introduced. It is shown that high quality education systems are far away from monotonic presentation forms, and that they are rather close to contemporary research systems. Both education and research systems use a clear and thoroughly understandable dialog depending on user’s knowledge level. The considered education system is an active part of the human-computer dialog process. Instead of trying to estimate the user’s emotions we apply a set of logical data mining methods aiming at making the human-computed interaction emotion-aware. The educational part of the system is domain independent. Aiming to show domain independent approaches, the examples are introduced from Number Theory to language expressions and nonclassical logic applications. Applications are presented in the domain of Number Theory and IT information security systems.
Behavioural Aspects of ERP Implementation: A Conceptual Review
Authors: Mitra Prokreeti , Mishra Sasmita
Published: October 2017

Recently ERP implementation has seen increasing significance in different sectors. The research related to the implementation issues of ERP has also increased during the past decade. Particularly the behavioral aspects of ERP implementations have been researched in terms of identifying appropriate frameworks, critical success factors, perception and attitude of users and managers, the role of change agents, leadership, etc. This conceptual review summarizes some of the studies done on the above aspects and suggests further research areas. It is suggested that leadership competencies, learning attitude of the users, and organizational power dynamics can be potential areas of research in the context of ERP implementation.
Greek Nursery School Teachers’ Thoughts and Self-Efficacy on using ICT in Relation to Their School Unit Position: The Case of Kavala
Authors: Goumas Stefanos , Symeonidis Symeon , Salonidis Michail
Published: October 2017

The purpose of this research is the exploration of the opinions and level of self-efficacy in the usage of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) of teachers in Greek pre-schools in the learning process and administration of nurseries. By using the term “usage and utilisation of ICTs in the learning process” we mean the utilisation of the capabilities that new technologies offer in an educationally appropriate way so that the learning process yields positive results. By using the term “self-efficacy” we describe the strength of one’s belief in one’s own ability to use the capabilities he or she possess. In this way, the beliefs of the person in his or her ability to use a personal computer constitute the self-efficacy in computer usage. The research sample consists of 128 pre-school teachers that work in the prefecture of Kavala. Kavala’s prefecture is a representative example of an Education Authority since it consists of urban, suburban, and rural areas. The approach that is deemed to be the most appropriate for the exploration of such research questions is content analysis methodology and correlation analysis. The main findings of the study have shown statistically significant differences regarding the opinions and stances of the pre-school teachers for the introduction of the ICTs in the administration and the usage and utilisation of ICTs in the administration and preparation of teaching. Lastly, there were statistically significant differences between the opinions and stances of the pre-school teachers for the usage and utilisation of ICTs in the learning process. Instead, there were no statistically significant differences regarding the level of self-efficacy of the pre-school teachers in the usage and utilisation of the ICTs in the learning process. The research results could be used in the educational field as well as by Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs in order to take any corrective action, after the effort of Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, to integrate ICT in the learning process with training courses since 2006.
Design Science Research Championing Personal Knowledge Management System Development
Authors: Schmitt Ulrich
Published: October 2017

Knowledge Management (KM) is governed by an ill-structured mishmash of complementing as well as conflicting interdisciplinary methodologies and based on physical and social technologies, which too often struggle to achieve their stakeholders’ objectives due to diverse scholarly contributions, repetitive polemic discourses, and misguided organizational KM system generations.
A novel Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) Concept and Prototype System currently under development take a fresh look and aim to support individuals’ academic and professional growth as well as their roles as contributors and beneficiaries of institutional and societal performance. A PKM System (PKMS), hence, is meant to aid life-long-learning, resourcefulness, creativity, and teamwork of knowledge workers. Such a scope offers appealing and viable opportunities for stakeholders in the educational, professional, and developmental context. A recent article employed the systems thinking techniques of the transdiscipline of Informing Science (IS) to align and validate the more specific models and methodologies central to the PKMS concept. In line with the interdisciplinary nature of the concept, further conference papers and journal articles have been disseminated and received feedback from a wide range of disciplines.
This follow-up article turns to the creative process at the heart of the concept and application introduced in the prior publications. Similar to the IS-benchmarking approach, the design thinking is validated against accepted general design science research guidelines. These guidelines are meant to supplement the reactive behavioral (natural) science paradigm with the proactive design science paradigm in order to support information technology (IT) researchers in creating innovative IT artefacts that extend human and social capabilities and meet desired outcomes. Rather than to justify the research paradigm of the PKMS project in an ad hoc and fragmented manner with each new paper, the objective is a dedicated article which presents the design science research perspectives comprehensively as evidence of their relevance, utility, rigor, and publishability in Information Systems research outlets. The URL links to all prior publications facilitate a kind of ‘Long Discussion Case’ to potentially assist IT researchers and entrepreneurs engaged in similar projects.
Building an Informing Business School: A Case Study of USF’s Muma College of Business
Authors: Gill Grandon , Mullarkey Matthew , E Mohr Joseph , Limayem Moez
Published: October 2017

As the complexity of a system grows, the challenge of informing the stakeholders of that system grows correspondingly. Nowhere is that challenge more daunting than in business education, where globalization, technological innovation, and increasingly complicated regulations continuously transform the business environment facing graduates and practitioners. Informing science theory proposes that different levels of complexity require different channels if effective informing is to be achieved. The paper first examines how two important sources of complexity—the diversity of clients and the ruggedness of the business landscape—are changing, and how these changes demand vastly more interactive informing channels if impact is to be achieved. Using an exploratory case study methodology, it then takes a detailed look at how one institution—the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business—has introduced a variety of new channels, many of which enable informing flows without necessarily directing them, to adapt to these environmental changes. It then considers both outcomes related to these individual informing channels and college-wide outcomes related to a broad and deep mosaic of informing flows. Finally, it considers the question of the resources required to support these new channels and the relationship between resource acquisition and channel introduction. The proposed framework for looking at business school informing channels can be applied by administrators, faculty members, and key stakeholders in understanding, evaluating, and planning programs and activities supporting informing in a complex environment. Ultimately, the informing business school framework may also provide a means for communicating impact to business school accrediting agencies (such as AACSB).
Contingent Faculty Perceptions of Organizational Support, Workplace Attitudes, and Teaching Evaluations at a Public Research University
Authors: Young  Cha Min , A Carrier Carol
Published: October 2017

This research examines contingent faculty’s perception of organizational support, workplace attitudes, and Student Ratings of Teaching (SRT) in a large public research university to investigate their employee-organization relationship. According to t-tests and regression analyses for samples of 2,229 faculty and instructional staff who answered the survey and had SRT data (tenured and tenure-track faculty: 1,708, 76.6% of total; contingent faculty: 521, 23.4% of total), employment relationship of contingent faculty in this institution was closer to a combined economic and social exchange model than to a pure economic exchange model or underinvestment model. Contingent faculty’s satisfaction with work, satisfaction with coworkers, perception of being supported at work, and affective organizational commitment were higher than tenured and tenure-track faculty at a statistically significant level. In addition, contingent faculty had higher SRT mean results in all areas of SRT items in medium-size (10-30) classes and in ‘class presentation,’ ‘feedback,’ ‘deeper understanding,’ and ‘interest stimulated’ in large-size (30-50) classes than Tenured and Tenure-track Faculty. These results not only refute the misconception that contingent faculty have too little time to provide students with feedback but also support that they provide students with good teaching, at least in medium-size and large-size classes. Whereas these results might be partially attributable to the relatively stable status of contingent faculty in this study (who work for more than 50 percent FTE), they indicate that, as a collective, contingent faculty also represent a significant contributor to the university, who are satisfied with their work, enjoy the community they are in, and are committed to their institution.
Evidence Based Management for Learning: An Experiment
Authors: Li Shang  Ly Samie , George Saadé Raafat
Published: October 2017

In this study we combine an immersive learning environment, an evidence based management method and the knowledge management SECI mindset to investigate students’ learning from scientific journal articles. The study entailed the use of a web-based peer to peer system (P2PS) that, gives an identified subject matter, engages students in extracting knowledge from a source, processes that knowledge to create new knowledge, assesses each other’s works, and then creates a test on the subject matter. We found that the immersive learning environment engaged students and improved their examination performance. However, comparing two groups, exposed versus not exposed to scientific journal article, both focused on keywords alone for the knowledge processing. This was not a desirable outcome from the knowledge management process and the tool. We believe this outcome is a result of engrained traditional learning and driven by our wish to make a change in educational practice, we propose our e-pedagogy methodology as a learning foundation for knowledge processing.
Experiences with Using Videos in Distance Education. A Pilot Study: A Course on Human-Computer Interaction
Authors: Koppelman Herman
Published: October 2017

The number of online resources available for teaching and learning in higher education has been growing enormously during the last decade. A recent development is the emergence of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and of Open Educational Resources (OER). The result is a huge number of videos that are available on line. Can these videos enrich learning? As a pilot study we added sixteen videos to an existing introductory course in Human-Computer Interaction. This course is mandatory in the Bachelor programs Computer Science and Information Science (second year). Watching the videos was optional for the students. The videos originated for the most part from the MOOC Human-Computer Interaction, produced by Stanford University. We offered this course to a pilot group of eight students. The educational context was problem-based learning in distance education. The videos were welcomed by all of the students and were found to be useful in their learning process. The students watched the videos intensively and appreciated them very well. A main reason for the students to be positive about the videos was that they liked to alternate reading texts and watching videos.
Doing the Organizational Tango: Symbiotic Relationship between Formal and Informal Organizational Structures for an Agile Organization
Authors: Malgorzata Ali Irena
Published: October 2017

This paper reports on research with a broad objective to examine the relationship between two organizational entities, the formally structured organization and informal organizational structures, in a changing operational environment, more specifically during military deployments. The paper draws on organizational and complexity paradigms; based on empirical evidence obtained through qualitative techniques, it describes mechanisms that enable a symbiotic relationship between these two organizational structures in a complex operational landscape. Substantive findings provide insights into the dynamics of the interactions between these structures and illuminate the relationship between three enabling factors – accountability, responsible autonomy, and command and control arrangements – that need to be considered to fully exploit the strengths inherent in both formal and informal structures. Based on these findings, a model for enhancement of organizational agility in response to changes in a complex operational environment is described. The model is predicated on feedback and mutual adjustment of the organization, institution and individual through sensemaking; it illustrates the dynamic nature of interactions that are required for such a response.
Effectiveness of Agile Implementation Methods in Business Intelligence Projects from End-User Perspective
Authors: Andrzej Kisielnicki Jerzy , Maria Misiak Anna
Published: October 2017

The global Business Intelligence (BI) market grew by 10% in 2013 according to the Gartner Report. BI has been the top implementation priority for organizations for many years now. Today organizations require better use of data and analytics to support their business decisions. Internet power and business trend changes have provided a broad term - Big Data. To be able to handle it and leverage a value of having access to Big Data, organizations have no other choice than to get proper systems implemented and working. However traditional methods are not efficient for changing business needs. Long time between project start and go-live causes a gap between initial solution blueprint and actual user requirements in the end of the project. This article presents the latest market trends in BI systems implementation by comparing Agile with traditional methods. It presents a case study provided in a large telecommunications company (20K employees) and the results of a pilot research provided in the three large companies telecommunications, digital and insurance. Both studies prove that Agile methods might be more effective in BI projects from an end-user perspective and give first results and added value in a much shorter time compared to a traditional approach. Organizations often do not have a clear vision of BI requirements. Thus users ask for changes just before a BI product readiness, which Agile ensures in contradiction to traditional methods.
The Flipped Classroom: Two Learning Modes that Foster Two Learning Outcomes
Authors: M. W. Ng Eugenia
Published: October 2017

[The final form of this paper was published in the journal Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology.] The study involved student teachers enrolled in early childhood teaching at a teacher training institute in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Seventy-four students participated in flipped classroom activities during their first semester of study. Students were told to learn from online videos related to using image editing software in their own time and pace prior to the next class. When they met in class, they were asked to apply their recently acquired editing knowledge to edit an image of their own choice related to the theme of their group project. At the end of the activity, students were asked to complete an online questionnaire. It was found that students had rated all five questions relating to generic skills highly, with self-study skills rated the highest. They particularly enjoyed the flexibility of learning on their own time and pace as a benefit of the flipped classroom. Data collected from students’ project pages show they had used average of 3.22 editing features for the theme images for their project. Most groups had inserted text fol-lowed by using the filter function. It is possible that these two functions are more noticeable than other editing functions. In conclusion, students were able to apply their self-learnt knowledge in a real-life situation and they had also developed their generic skills via the flipped classroom pedagogy.
University Procurement Officers’ Use of Technology When Seeking Information
Authors: Bouhnik Dan , Giat Yahel , Zarruk Issachar
Published: October 2017

The transition from printed to electronic sources of information has resulted in a profound change to the way procurement officers seek information. Furthermore, in the past decade there have been additional technological revolutions that are expected to further affect the procurement process. In this paper, we conduct a survey among forty nine university procurement officers in Israel to examine to what extent procurement officers have adapted to smartphones and tablets by testing how frequently officers use notebooks, smartphones, and tablets for work-related and leisure purposes. We find that while officers prefer electronic sources of information over printed sources of information, officers have not yet adapted to the later technological advances (i.e., smartphones and tablets). Notebooks are more frequently used than either smartphones or tablets for work-related and leisure purposes. One explanation behind this result is that officers are not skilled in using smartphone and tablets applications. This implies that training officers in the use of these devices may improve their performance.
Digital Learning Literacies – A Validation Study
Authors: Kurtz Gila , Peled Yehuda
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a validation research of seven Digital Learning Domains (DLDs) and sixty-five performance statements (PSs) as perceived by students with experience in learning via ICT. The preliminary findings suggest a statistical firmness of the inventory. The seven DLDs identified are Social Responsibility, Team-based Learning, Information Research and Retrieval, Information Management, Information Validation, Processing and Presentation of Information, and Digital Integrity. The 65 PSs will enable a teacher to identify the level of competency the learner has in each DLD, thus identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses that must be addressed in order to facilitate learning in the current era.
As can be concluded from the findings, most of the participants evaluate themselves as digitally literate with regard to the basic information research and retrieval skills, validation and information management. But when it comes to PSs that require complex decision making or higher order thinking strategies, it seems that a large number of participants lack these skills. Also, social responsibility and digital integrity domains are perceived as known by the participants but not very well taken in terms of pro-active action to enforce appropriate digital behavior, or avoiding illegally obtained music or movies.
Digital Learning Literacies – A Validation Study
Authors: Kurtz Gila , Peled Yehuda
Published: October 2017

[The final form of this paper was published in the journal Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology.]
This paper presents a validation research of seven Digital Learning Domains (DLDs) and sixty-five performance statements (PSs) as perceived by students with experience in learning via ICT. The preliminary findings suggest a statistical firmness of the inventory. The seven DLDs identified are Social Responsibility, Team-based Learning, Information Research and Retrieval, Information Management, Information Validation, Processing and Presentation of Information, and Digital Integrity. The 65 PSs will enable a teacher to identify the level of competency the learner has in each DLD, thus identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses that must be addressed in order to facilitate learning in the current era.
As can be concluded from the findings, most of the participants evaluate themselves as digitally literate with regard to the basic information research and retrieval skills, validation and information management. But when it comes to PSs that require complex decision making or higher order thinking strategies, it seems that a large number of participants lack these skills. Also, social responsibility and digital integrity domains are perceived as known by the participants but not very well taken in terms of pro-active action to enforce appropriate digital behavior, or avoiding illegally obtained music or movies.
Are We Ready to Go Live with Our Team Projects?
Authors: Whatley Janice
Published: October 2017

Project work forms a large part in work undertaken by graduates when they enter the workforce, so projects are used in higher education to prepare students for their working lives and to enable students to apply creativity in their studies as they present a solution to a problem, using technical skills they have learned in different units of study. Projects, both at work and in higher education, may be completed in teams, thus providing experience and the opportunity to develop team working skills. The team projects presented in this paper have been provided by external organisations, so that students work in a team on a real life problem, but with the support of their tutors, in the university setting. In this way the projects more closely resemble the sorts of problems they might encounter in the workplace, giving an experience that cannot be gained by working on tutor devised problems, because the teams have to communicate with an external client to analyse and solve an authentic problem.
Over the three years that the Live Projects have been running, feedback indicates that the students gain employability skills from the projects, and the organisations involved develop links with the university and benefit from output from the projects. A number of suggestions for improving the administration of the Live Projects were suggested, such as providing clients with information on timescales and providing students with more guidance on managing the projects.
Making Sense of Participant Experiences: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Midwifery Research
Authors: J Charlick Samantha , Pincombe Jan , McKellar Lois , Fielder Andrea
Published: October 2017

Selecting the most appropriate methodology for research as a doctoral student is one of the most important yet difficult decisions. Not only should the methodology suit the research question, it is important that it resonates with the philosophy of one’s discipline and produces needed results that will contribute to knowledge. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is an approach to qualitative enquiry. IPA seeks to explore how individuals make sense of their major life experiences and is committed to the detailed study of each particular case before moving to broader claims. In the field of midwifery, midwives work with women throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the early postnatal period, offering individualized care based on the unique needs of each woman. IPA aligns with this women-centered philosophy as it offers a methodological approach that considers the individual in a local context. By capturing context specific situations, IPA allows broad-based knowledge to be contextualized within a social and cultural context, producing relevant findings. Thus the access to IPA studies will enable midwives to better care for women and their families through understanding the experiences and perceptions of those in their scope of practice.

This paper presents the theoretical framework leading to practical guidelines on how to con-duct a doctoral-level IPA study, as experienced by the first author. It also addresses the advantages and challenges around utilizing IPA, illustrated through examples from the doc-toral student’s study on the journey of exclusive breastfeeding in Australia.
“I Don’t Think I’m Prepared”: Perceptions of U.S. Higher Education Doctoral Students on International Research Preparation
Authors: W. Yao Christina , M Vital Louise
Published: October 2017

Although internationalization is often touted as a priority in higher education, little attention is given to infusing international perspectives into the formalities of doctoral education. Further, limited attention is given towards doctoral student training for conducting international research. This qualitative study provides insight on how 21 U.S. doctoral students in higher education programs perceive their preparation as emerging international researchers. Implications for practice include fostering cross-departmental collaborations and supporting co-curricular international opportunities.
Warranty of Misinforming as an Option in Product Utilization Process
Authors: Grozdanov Christozov Dimitar , Chukova Stefanka , S. Mateev Plamen
Published: October 2017

The following definition of “option” is given in Wikipedia - “In finance, an option is a contract which gives the buyer (the owner or holder) the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset or instrument at a specified strike price on or before a specified date, depending on the form of the option.”. Option as a risk management (mitigation) tool is broadly used in finance and trades. At the same time it introduces asymmetry in the sense that, probabilistically, it limits the level of loses (i.e., the price of option) and allows for unlimited gains. In the market of sophisticate devices (as smart phones, tablets, etc.), where technologies are rapidly advancing, customers usually do not have the experience to use all features of the device at the time of purchasing. Due to the lack of appropriate expertise, the risk of misinforming leading to not purchasing the "right" device is high, but given enough time to learn the capabilities of the device and map them to the problems faced could provide the client with substantial long term benefits. Warranty of misinforming is the mechanism to provide the client with the opportunity to explore the device and master its features with a limited risk of loses. Thus, the warranty of misinforming could be considered as an option - the customers buys it (at a fixed cost) and may gain (theoretically) unlimited benefit by realizing (within the warranty) that the device can be used to solve variety of problems not considered at the purchase time. The paper investigates the learning function of warranty of misinforming, when used as an option.