bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information Technology Spending Association with Organizational Productivity and Performance
Authors: Navarrete Carlos J. , Pick James B.
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines the relationship between IT expenditure and bank profitability, efficiency, productivity, and performance for Mexican banks. The principal research method is correlation analysis between IT expenditure and four bank performance indices: a profitability index that combines bank profits, income, operational cost, and financial cost; a performance index that includes credit and bank income market share; a productivity index consisting of the number of employees, branches, and managers; and an efficiency index that includes banks’ operational cost and income. The unit of analysis is the firm. The data are from the 18 banks comprising the Mexican banking industry from 1982–1992, when Mexico’s banks were owned by the federal government. The study’s interpretations are supported by interviews with four bank CIOs and a CEO, in office during the period. The main findings are that bank IT expenditure ratio is positively correlated to bank performance and productivity indices, whereas IT expenditure is not correlated with bank efficiency or profitability indices. There are fluctuations in the strength of correlation during the 11-year period, which are explained. The chapter results not only reject the productivity paradox but also provide insights to explain the paradox and IT contribution to the firm performance.
Creating Business Value through E-Commerce
Authors: Gupta Jatinder N.D. , Sharma Sushil K.
Published: May 2011

Electronic commerce (E-Commerce) has been the world’s fastest growing industry and has made a big impact on businesses. The impact of e-commerce on industry, businesses and firms’ competitive advantage has been phenomenal. Various business models have evolved in last few years. But, despite of this, the business value returned by e-business environment is being viewed with increasing skepticism by researchers and practitioners. How does e-commerce framework enhance business value? What are the different factors where business value can be measured? These are the kinds of questions addressed in our chapter.
Web Initiatives and E-Commerce Strategy
Authors: Craig Ron
Published: May 2011

Two important forces are at work today in the Canadian and global economies. First is the traditional force of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Statistics Canada reports SMEs account for more than 60% of Canada’s private sector employment and 40% of gross domestic product. Second, Information Technology (IT) and the Internet continue to change the way businesses and individuals work, shop, and relax. In particular, the Internet and Electronic Commerce (EC) are heralded as a great opportunity for business, consumers, and governments. The impact on SMEs is somewhat uncertain and still emerging. Some argue the Internet levels the playing field, giving smaller firms greater opportunity to compete against larger firms. Others argue that, because SMEs generally have fewer resources available for IT or other initiatives, they could be left behind. In addition, because of their size, SMEs have minimal control or influence over such external forces.
A Validation Test of an Adaptation of the DeLone and McLean's Model in the Spanish EIS Field
Authors: Roldan Jose L. , Leal Antonio
Published: May 2011

This chapter offers a reflection about systems thinking, models and validation tests. In this way, starting from the recognized model of information systems success created by DeLone and McLean, the authors develop an adaptation in the executive information systems (EIS) area. Their research aim is to carry out a validation test of the adapted model applying the Partial Least Squares approach. The study is based on a survey involving 100 managers in 55 Spanish organizations. The results show this model has an adequate predictive power for most implied variables, demonstrating the existence of significant links among information systems success dimensions. The model helps to understand the influence of EIS on both individual and organizational impacts. Finally, as a consequence of the validation process, new ideas for the redesigning of the model are proposed.
Data Schema Integration in Web-Enabled Systems
Authors: Castano Silvana , De Antonellis Valeria , De Capitani di Vimercati Sabrina , Melchiori Michele
Published: May 2011

In the recent years, most enterprises have started to experience the use of the Web for work cooperation to improve efficiency and information interchange. As a consequence, enterprise information systems are being migrated onto the web, and methods and tools to effectively access data provided on the web in different formats from the autonomous heterogeneous data sources are required. In particular, integration tools are required to obtain a uniform data representation by abstracting from the formats in the origin data sources and thus to build a global information space suitable for query and access interface. The chapter will be devoted to discuss the characteristics of data schema integration in web-enabled, and to describe a comprehensive integration scheme for organizing heterogeneous information sources over the web, to enhance the capability of information interchange and interoperation among web-enabled systems.
Application Service Provider Aggregation Architecture
Authors: Bussler Christoph
Published: May 2011

Application service providers (ASPs) are a new type of service providers that make the whole spectrum from low-end applications like e-mail systems to high-end applications like enterprise resource planning (ERP) management systems available to customers over the Internet through browser-based user interfaces (application hosting). This relieves a customer from installing and managing the applications himself in his own data center. Instead, the customer pays a fee for accessing the application over the Internet. However, as soon as a customer uses several applications hosted by different ASPs, a management burden arises for the customer as well as an application integration problem, since the applications are hosted individually by several ASPs without any coordination or data exchange between them. The arising integration (aggregation) problems are discussed in this chapter. An ASP aggregation architecture is defined based on B2B integration servers that address these problems by supporting the seamless access and seamless integration of all hosted applications hiding the differences between the ASPs.
Web Retrieval of XML Documents
Authors: Catania Barbara , Ferrari Elena
Published: May 2011

Web is characterized by a huge amount of very heterogeneous data sources, that differ both in media support and format representation. In this scenario, there is the need of an integrating approach for querying heterogeneous Web documents. To this purpose, XML can play an important role since it is becoming a standard for data representation and exchange over the Web. Due to its flexibility, XML is currently being used as an interface language over the Web, by which (part of) document sources are represented and exported. Under this assumption, the problem of querying heterogeneous sources can be reduced to the problem of querying XML data sources. In this chapter, we first survey the most relevant query languages for XML data proposed both by the scientific community and by standardization committees, e.g., W3C, mainly focusing on their expressive power. Then, we investigate how typical Information Retrieval concepts, such as ranking, similarity-based search, and profile-based search, can be applied to XML query languages. Commercial products based on the considered approaches are then briefly surveyed. Finally, we conclude the chapter by providing an overview of the most promising research trends in the fields.
Mediation in a Dynamic Context
Authors: Rey Christophe , Schneider Michel
Published: May 2011

Approach by mediation to make multiple sources interoperable was essentially investigated when one known or when one can extract a priori the schema of each source. This approach is not appropriate for an opened and evolutionary context where sources are not identified a priori, where sources can evolve all the time, where requests of the users do not take place in a frame fixed in advance. It is a question of identifying sources and of discovering their properties in a automatic or partially automatic way while requests are formulated. We suggest in this chapter a request oriented approach which does not require a preliminary integration of the entire schemas of the sources. Only elements related to the request are detected, extracted and integrated. We explicit the different steps of such an approach and we discuss how existing techniques and recent research results can contribute to their feasibility. We characterize also remaining open problems.
Entity Identification of Fuzzy Multidatabase Systems with Incompatible Keys
Authors: Ma Z. M. , Zhang W. J. , Ma W. Y. , Mili F.
Published: May 2011

Database schema integration is an important discipline for constructing heterogeneous multidatabase systems on one hand. On the other hand, fuzzy information has been introduced into relational databases and studied extensively. However, the issues of integrating local fuzzy relations are rarely addressed. In this chapter, we focus on schema integration of fuzzy multidatabase systems. In particular, we develop a method for identifying the entities in fuzzy multidatabase integration with incompatible keys.
Race, Class and Place
Authors: Pappas Gregory , Akhter Mohammod
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we discuss the importance of community in public health science and practice. Community is —first and foremost— place. The science of place and its implication for health has made major strides over the past decade. The first and second international conferences on health geographics marked an achievement in that development. The argument in this chapter draws out the implication of place and community for public health science and practice.
The Wireless Application Protocol
Authors: Barnes Stuart J.
Published: May 2011

Individually, the Internet and mobile telephony have witnessed extraordinary growth during the last decade. However, only recently have these two areas of technological development begun to converge. The result is the availability of wireless data communications on remote devices, enabling an array of applications tailored for consumer mobility. In this new era, one standard has been hailed as the entry platform for creating mobile Internet services – the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). Whether WAP will become a key platform is unclear, but it has provided an interesting starting point for the emergence of mobile data services. This paper explores the dynamics of the emerging market for WAP services, examining the role of the consumer, suppliers, substitutes, new entrants and rivalry among the players. The paper concludes by examining some of the key strategies for WAP service provision, making some predictions regarding the future of strategic Internet service delivery.
We Know Where You Are
Authors: O’Connor Patricia J. , Godar Susan H.
Published: May 2011

Privacy is the most significant and complex ethical issue facing LBS. While LBS is more than the combination of e-commerce and telemarketing, we use the ethical failures of those two media to show that consumers will seek legislative action to protect themselves from invasions of privacy using the new medium. The alternative is effective self-regulation by the industry; we conclude with a proposed model for such self-regulation, involving existing trade groups.
Spatial Decision Support Systems
Authors: Keenan Peter B.
Published: May 2011

Many types of challenging problems faced by decision makers have a geographic or spatial component. Spatial decision support systems (SDSS) can effectively support this class of problem. This represents a growing class of DMSS, taking advantage of the increasing capability of technology to deal with spatial data. SDSS is characterized by the use of significant amounts of public data external to the organizations that use it and the increasing availability of such spatial data facilities wider use of such systems. This chapter describes spatial systems, their history, their relationship to other systems, their mean areas of application and their future development.
Evolutionary Computation as a Paradigm for Engineering Emergent Behaviour in Multi-Agent Systems
Authors: Smith Robert E. , Bonacina Claudio
Published: May 2011

In the multi-agent system (MAS) context, the theories and practices of evolutionary computation (EC) have new implications, particularly with regard to engineering and shaping system behaviors. Thus, it is important that we consider the embodiment of EC in “real” agents, that is, agents that involve the real restrictions of time and space within MASs. In this chapter, we address these issues in three ways. First, we relate the foundations of EC theory to MAS and consider how general interactions among agents fit within this theory. Second, we introduce a platform independent agent system to assure that our EC methods work within the generic, but realistic, constraints of agents. Finally, we introduce an agent-based system of EC objects. Concluding sections discuss implications and future directions.
Cooperation Between Agents to Evolve Complete Programs
Authors: Aler Ricardo , Camacho David , Moscardini Alfredo
Published: May 2011

In this paper, we present a multiagent system approach with the purpose of building computer programs. Each agent in the multiagent system will be in charge of evolving a part of the program, which in this case, can be the main body of the program or one of its different subroutines. There are two kinds of agents: the manager agent and the genetic programming (GP) agents. The former is in charge of starting the system and returning the results to the user. The GP agents include skills for evolving computer programs, based on the genetic programming paradigm. There are two sorts of GP agents: some can evolve the main body of the program and the others evolve its subroutines. Both kinds of agents cooperate by telling each other their best results found so far, so that the search for a good computer program is made more efficient. In this paper, this multiagent approach is presented and tested empirically.
XML-Digital Glue for the Modern World-Electronic Business Standards Fuelling Intra- and Inter-Enterprise Interoperability for Global Collaboration
Authors: Jung Frank
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides information about current XML-related standards for the electronic interchange of business documents. The reader is introduced to the principles of the major standards in this area, such as XML, DTDs, XML Schema, XSL, XSLT, XPath, XPointer, DOM, and SAX. Furthermore, it is discussed why XML is not only an ideal data interchange format, but is very likely to earn its merits as a very effective format for persistently storing XML-based documents required in the modern e-business world. Finally, the chapter provides a brief introduction to industry initiatives aimed at optimizing the standardized exchange of business documents, such as BizTalk, ebXML, and others.
Web Application Quality
Authors: Ricca Filippo , Tonella Paolo
Published: May 2011

The World Wide Web has become an interesting opportunity for companies to deliver services and products at distance. Correspondingly, the quality of Web applications, responsible for the related transactions, has become a crucial factor. It can be improved by properly modeling the application during its design, but if the whole life cycle is considered, the availability of a consistent model of the application is fundamental also during maintenance and testing. In this chapter, the problem of recovering a model of a Web application from the implementation is faced. Algorithms are provided to obtain it even in presence of a highly dynamic structure. Based upon such a model, several static analysis techniques, among which reaching definitions and slicing, are considered, as well as some restructuring techniques. White box testing exploits the model in that the related coverage levels are based on it, while statistical testing assumes that transitions in the model are labeled with the conditional probabilities of being traversed.
Basic Notions
Authors: Rafanelli Maurizio
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents the basic notions regarding multidimensional (aggregate) databases by referring to different definitions given for them in the literature. It illustrates the important concepts of micro, macro, and metadata; presents a formal definition of the aggregation process, discussing the concepts of dimension and dimension hierarchies; describes the multidimensional aggregate data structure, distinguishing between simple, complex, and composite structure; illustrates the different types of null values; and discusses differences and similarities which exist between multidimensional aggregate data (generally called statistical data because they are used mainly by statisticians) and the On-Line-Analytic Processing (OLAP) of multidimensional data represented by different data cubes, also discussing the different (symmetric and non-symmetric) treatment of dimensions and measures required by OLAP and aggregate multidimensional databases. Finally it discusses a graph model and a tabular model for this kind of data, and gives a set of definitions regarding the OLAP terminology.
Multidimensionality in Statistical, OLAP and Scientific Databases
Authors: Shoshani Arie
Published: May 2011

The term “multidimensional databases” refers to data that can be viewed conceptually in a multidimensional space, where each dimension represents some attributes of the data. Viewing data in this form is natural for many applications, yet the concepts are not treated in a uniform way in the database literature. In this chapter, we show the commonality of concepts between three database areas: statistical, OLAP, and scientific databases. We show that these domains have two main structural concepts: the cross-product space of the dimensions, and the classification hierarchy structure associated with each dimension. In the first part of this chapter we describe how these structures are sed to represent data in statistical and OLAP databases and how summarization operators can be applied to them. Further, we discuss how these structures can be extended to represent related information using federated database concepts. In the second part of the chapter we show that these concepts are common to many scientific database applications. In particular, we discuss the importance of supporting classification structures and the difficulty in representing them as tables in relational databases. We also discuss data structures to support multidimensional databases, emphasizing space-time representation, clustering in multidimensional space, indexing in multidimensional space, and supporting classification structures. We conclude by arguing that the concepts of multidimensionality and classification structures as well as the operation over them should be elevated to “first class” object types. These object types should be visible by the application user explicitly in the conceptual schemas as well as exposing them in the user interfaces.
Business Systems Interfaces and IDCM Opportunities
Authors: Asprey Len , Middleton Michael
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we conclude the appraisal of the characteristics of IDCM systems that we commenced in Chapter 4. This chapter begins by reviewing IDCM opportunities in the context of their capability to interface with business operational and administrative systems. We relate these to document and Web content management in order to illustrate how IDCM can support other lines of business systems and their applications. We then review some document management applications in business and government enterprises and associate these with Web publishing and content management in order to demonstrate the types of solutions that are feasible. There is a wide range of opportunities for deployment of IDCM within most business and government enterprises, and we will examine some examples of applications in different environments. We emphasize throughout this chapter how IDCM can be deployed to support commercial and government planning initiatives, support regulatory and legal compliance, underpin continuous process improvement initiatives, and provide the foundation for exploiting enterprise knowledge. Our objectives then are as follows: • Discuss how IDCM repository management systems (document and Web content) can interface with core business operational and administrative systems. • Discuss some specific document and content management solutions that may be applied in an integrated manner for managing important business documents and vital records. • Provide an overview of some opportunities for IDCM useful for specific document and content management applications in a range of vertical industry sectors. • Discuss the application of general document management functionality for workgroups and wider enterprise deployment. Within the vertical market applications part of the chapter, we make reference to several case studies relating to different market sectors. These are cases for which there are references given in the general literature. Many more examples of specific case studies are provided by a number of the vendors listed in Appendix 4. The reader is referred to their Web sites for additional examples.
Policy Framework for IDCM
Authors: Asprey Len , Middleton Michael
Published: May 2011

This chapter deals with the development of a policy framework that enables an enterprise to articulate its policy for managing documents and content, the general principles that support the policy, and the strategies for effective implementation of the policy. The development of a policy framework is not dependent on an investment in IDCM. The policy framework can be developed to apply improved practices for managing documents using existing tools (e.g., network file systems and physical filing systems), although the benefits offered by a managed repository would not be forthcoming. However, the development of an information management policy is a recommended prerequisite to the specification of requirements for an IDCM because of the following: • The policy document typically articulates principles that provide a contextual foundation for the process of requirements analysis and determination and the preparation of a Requirements Specification for an IDCM system. • The policy generally defines strategies that require action plans to be developed and implemented by roles with assigned responsibilities. The requirements analysis and determination tasks associated with IDCM may depend upon the successful conclusion of some strategies and actions. • The policy may reduce the risk of slippage in the project schedule during requirements analysis and determination and during the preparation of the Requirements Specification. We believe that the IDCM policy framework should be developed, communicated, and accepted within the enterprise prior to commencing the Requirements Specification(s), which we will discuss in Chapter 10. We also believe that IDCM policy must be positioned within the overall context of an enterprise’s information policy framework, which we shall discuss later in this chapter. Our objectives in this chapter, therefore, are to express contributing factors to a document policy, and to do this within the broader framework of an enterprise information policy which we see as a desirable authority that frames document policy.
Requirements Analysis and Definition Framework
Authors: Asprey Len , Middleton Michael
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses a framework that enterprises can use for structuring the requirements analysis and definition stage of an IDCM. The framework provides guidance on analytical processes and specifications necessary to capture the overall requirements for an IDCM solution. The need for objective analysis and articulation of requirements is a relevant strategy that enterprises can adopt to reduce the risks of acquiring an IDCM solution that does not meet requirements. Our objectives in this chapter are to do the following: • Review the requirements analysis and definition stage within the context of the IDCM planning life-cycle. • Discuss the importance of requirements analysis and definition. • Review the requirements analysis and definition process. • Review the techniques and tools that support requirements analysis and definition. • Consider the types of specifications necessary for adequate definition of an enterprise’s requirements for an IDCM solution.
User Requirements
Authors: Asprey Len , Middleton Michael
Published: May 2011

In the last chapter, we discussed an integrative approach to developing requirements for information systems, applying Sommerville’s framework of user and systems requirements documentation. We now extend that discussion to consider an approach that might be useful when planning activities for analyzing user requirements for an IDCM endeavor. The information derived from the analysis of user requirements will be a key component of the requirements specification. Our objectives are as follows: • Discuss the role of the user requirements analysis in the context of IDCM; • Discuss the analysis and definition of strategic requirements for IDCM systems within the context of enterprise business planning; • Discuss the specification of tactical requirements for an IDCM solution at the site, workgroup, or business process level of an enterprise; • Consider the requirements for specifying interfaces to business systems; • Discuss the documentation of operational requirements with some specific reference to archiving and preservation concerns; and • Discuss extended requirements for IDCM solutions.
Functional Requirements - Workflow
Authors: Asprey Len , Middleton Michael
Published: May 2011

In Chapter 4, we reviewed how workflow management systems might be considered an integral component of IDCM architecture. We discussed the high-level functionality of workflow management systems and considered some of their capabilities. We noted that workflow management systems extend the functionality of core document and Web content repository services by enabling the controlled distribution of documents for review and approval. Furthermore, they also support controlled processes for publishing new or updated content to Internet and intranet Web sites. Our primary objective in this chapter is to extend our discussion on the role of workflow within the context of IDCM by reviewing the types of functional requirements to be specified when analyzing and determining business and technology options for integrating workflow with document and content repositories.
Implementation Planning
Authors: Asprey Len , Middleton Michael
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we provide guidelines for implementation planning, along with techniques that can be used during the implementation process to facilitate a successful project outcome. This includes satisfying the operational, technical, and financial objectives of the IDCM initiative, and providing guidelines for postimplementation review. Our objectives in this chapter are as follows: • Discuss the development of an Implementation Strategy. • Discuss the requirements for a Project Execution Plan. • Review the requirements for a Quality Plan to support the processes involved in development and implementation of an IDCM solution. • Consider an initial set of risks that can be useful to capture at the commencement of an IDCM implementation, and discuss the requirements for an Issue Register and Risk Register. • Review the requirement for the development of an effective Change Management Strategy and action plan. • Consider the contents of an effective Communication Plan for an enterprise IDCM implementation. • Discuss the typical requirements for a Data Migration Strategy to migrate existing (relevant) document registers and objects to the IDCM. • Consider scenarios for backfile conversion of (relevant) hard-copy documents and the development of a Backfile Conversion Strategy. • Consider the typical requirements for training and development of a Training Plan. • Define a strategy for testing the configured IDCM, covering System Integration Testing and System Acceptance Testing strategies, and the development of Test Specifications and Test Plan(s). • Review the importance of the Postimplementation Review study in the evolutionary deployment of an IDCM solution.
Conclusion
Authors: Asprey Len , Middleton Michael
Published: May 2011

Many enterprises in the commercial and business sectors are yet to address the inadequacies in their document and content management environment. Given the vital role that documents play in most business processes, the failure to implement management controls in this area is somewhat enigmatic. One might be forgiven for thinking that this failure is based on some wishful belief that the problem will disappear. However, many enterprises could not even adequately manage their documents in the “good old days,” when mostly physical documents were used to support business processes and “life was easier.” Perhaps some enterprises have the view that the new digitization of document formats will herald the long-awaited utopia of the “paperless office,” and the problem of having to “manage documents” will magically vanish. We do not think so. There may be a visualization aspect that impacts whether executives are able to discern that they may have a problem. With mismanaged physical document collections, executives have been able to see whether they had a problem, because they could observe collections of documents around offices, and notice volumes of documents waiting to be processed. However, millions of digital documents might be sitting mismanaged on network file systems, where it is difficult for executives to visualize the problem. Unless they care to browse the folder structures or arrange for scripts to detect the extent of document redundancy, inappropriate document naming and versioning, inadequate integrity constraints, and security issues, the disorder can remain hidden until a problem occurs. Then management’s response is reactive rather than proactive. Furthermore, the digitization of documents (or “putting them up on the intranet or Internet”) does not equate with management of documents. We have always mismanaged documents. Those ancestors with their tortoise shells who were mentioned in earlier chapters, may have had them taken or destroyed by rival tribes. Their preservation technology was not all that satisfactory either. So, the requirement to manage information in containers in whatever form is not some “new problem,” and it is not likely to be brought under control until it is addressed by executive management.
The E-Commerce of SMEs in Thailand
Authors: Intrapairot Arunee , Srivihok Anongnart
Published: May 2011

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand are fundamental business units spread all over the country. Since the severe economic crisis (i.e., Tom Yum Kung disease) in 1997, thousands of SMEs have gone bankrupt and so dropped out of the Thai economy each year. One key means of enhancing the viability of SMEs and assisting in economic recovery of the country that has been suggested is to transform them from a traditional to digital business using the Internet and e-commerce.. The expected advantages of e-commerce strategy include decreasing costs, expanding marketplaces, enhancing competitiveness, improving business image, and increasing revenues. However, there are snares and hidden pitfalls in the backend of this business. This chapter presents an overview of e-commerce of SMEs in Thailand. The first part introduces fundamental background of SMEs in Thailand including types and characteristics. The second part investigates advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce implementation. Finally, the third part discusses SMEs and e-commerce in Thailand in the case of e-tourism.
Bayesian Networks as a Decision Support Tool in Credit Scoring Domain
Authors: Abramowicz Witold , Nowak Marek , Sztykiel Joanna
Published: May 2011

The main purpose of this article is to discuss applicability of Bayesian belief networks (BBN) within the procedures of working-capital credit scoring conducted in commercial banks. A brief description of Bayesian formulation of causal dependence and its strength is given. Inferential and diagnostic features of BBN are illustrated using sample structure. As an example we present and compare results of estimating a credit risk using two techniques: traditional credit-scoring system and BBN structure.
Frontier Versus Ordinary Regression Models for Data Mining
Authors: Troutt Marvin D. , Hu Michael , Shanker Murali , Acar William
Published: May 2011

Frontier Regression Models seek to explain boundary, frontier or optimal behavior rather than average behavior as in ordinary regression models. Ordinary regression is one of the most important tools for data mining. Frontier models may be desirable alternatives in many circumstances. In this chapter, we discuss frontier regression models and compare their interpretations to ordinary regression models. Occasional contact with stochastic frontier estimation models is also made, but we concentrate primarily on pure ceiling or floor frontier models. We also propose some guidelines for when to choose between them.
Connectionist and Evolutionary Models for Learning, Discovering and Forecasting Software Effort
Authors: Pendharkar Parag C. , Subramanian Girish
Published: May 2011

Mining information and knowledge from very large databases is recognized as a key research area in machine learning and expert systems. In the current research, we use connectionist and evolutionary models for learning software effort. Specifically, we use these models to learn the software effort from a set of training data set containing information on software projects and test the performance of the model on a holdout sample. The design issues of developing connectionist and evolutionary models for mining software effort patterns on a data set are described. Our research indicates that connectionist and evolutionary models, whenever carefully designed, hold a great promise for knowledge discovery and forecasting software effort.
A Guide to eCourse Management
Authors: Aggarwal Anil K.
Published: May 2011

Web-based education (WBE) and training is growing by leaps and bounds, and the market is expected to reach almost 28.6 billion by the year 2006 (IDC, 2001). Technological advancements and student demands have necessitated a shift from a “brick and mortar” synchronous environment to a “click and learn” asynchronous environment. Students are demanding anytime, anyplace accessibility, and universities are obliging by bringing education to students. The instructor’s role is changing from “lecturing” to “facilitating,” and the student’s role is changing from “recipient” to “participant.” These virtual students require virtual convenience and are opting for a “complete” online education, from admission to graduation. In this chapter, the steps involved in Web education, from three major stakeholders’ perspectives—the faculty, the student, and the technical personnel—are discussed, and ways of providing online conveniences are discussed, based on the author’s experience.
A Comprehensive Web-Based Learning Framework
Authors: Huerta Esperanza , Ryan Terry , Igbaria Magid
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a theoretical framework for understanding the Web-based learning (WBL) phenomenon based on disciplines other than education. First, from the organizational communication field, it proposes media richness and social influence models to understand factors affecting media communication choice in WBL. Second, from the managerial field, it proposes the theory of knowledge reuse to understand the managerial challenges that instructors face when creating knowledge repositories for WBL. Finally, from the information literature perspective, it proposes the information structure framework to assess the adequacy of the information for a particular situation. In reviewing these theoretical perspectives, implications of the proposed framework for research and practice are highlighted.
New Issues Arising from E-Education
Authors: Klassen Johanna , Vogel Doug
Published: May 2011

The Internet provides access to an unlimited wealth of resources, such as virtual libraries, databases, and electronic communities. In e-education, the World Wide Web and the Internet are the vehicles for information dissemination and retrieval, and also for networking and collaboration. Computer technology is thus broadening choices for the mode of delivery, content, and access, because information can be stored anywhere and transmitted anywhere. There is the danger that the tools of technology are used because they are the latest phenomenon. In this chapter, the focus is on sound pillars of ethics for the mass production of education. We deal first with knowledge processing and the implications for various changes that have arisen in e-education. We discuss ethical issues regarding student–student and student–faculty interaction. We then discuss assessment of learning and the potential problems and possible solutions. Finally, we address institutional management of e-education.
Participation
Authors: Bento Regina , Schuster Cindy
Published: May 2011

One of the main challenges in Web-based education is to encourage student participation. Although many instructors would like to increase participation in their online courses, there is no established body of knowledge on the various forms such participation may take, or how it should be measured. In this chapter, a taxonomy for classifying different types of participation in online courses will be proposed, and the pedagogical issues involved will be discussed.
Web-Based Student Assessment
Authors: Born Apiwan D.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, a means of evaluating students in a Web-based teaching and learning environment is examined. Two techniques, summative and formative, are introduced and discussed together with their related issues including delivery and submission, evaluation and feedback, and dealing with cheating. While a summative or traditional technique has been criticized for being too rigid and outdated, a formative or performance assessment technique promises its authenticity, as it requires students to solve real-world problems. It is argued in this chapter, that both techniques serve as essential measures of student learning and should be used in combination. At the end, instructors are provided with guidelines and recommendations for developing and delivering effective Web-based student assessment. The author hopes that understanding the concept and significance of student assessment in a Web-based educational setting will promote the use of proper techniques and render a positive effect on student learning, which we, as educators, value the most.
Relevant Issues for the Design of a Successful Web-Based Instructional System
Authors: Valenti Salvatore , Panti Maurizio , Leo Tommaso
Published: May 2011

Instructional systems are aimed to support and partially automate the instructional process on a subject domain, ranging from a simple lecture to a whole degree. The interest in designing Web-based Instructional Systems (WbIS) needs no more to be outlined. In the last few years, there has been a huge diffusion of such an approach to support and partially automate the instructional process. The term Instructional Systems Design (ISD) refers to the process of instructional program development from start to finish. Many models exist for use by different levels of instructional designers and for different instructional purposes: what is missing in the current literature is to show how these models could be used to implement “real-life” examples of Instructional Systems. This chapter is aimed to fill this gap, by discussing each phase of the ISD with respect to the implementation of a WbIS for training Specialists in Motor Disability Assessment (MODASPECTRA). The project ended in the implementation of a successful WbIS; in fact, the Dublin School of Physiotherapy received approval from the University College Dublin, Ireland, to offer one of the courses belonging to the MODASPECTRA educational package as a distance learning certificate course from the coming academic year. The course has been renamed to “Outcome Assessment in Motor Disability.” Directed mainly at physiotherapists throughout Ireland and Europe, the course consists of standardized and validated measures to be used before and after treatment to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. It could also be relevant to the practice of other health professionals. Therefore, we strongly believe that this chapter may be of great interest for any Institution willing to start its own effort in building WbIS.
Conclusion
Authors: Berg Gary A.
Published: May 2011

I come to the subject of this book from a very different path than most of those thinking about the use of computers in educational environments. My formal education focused originally on literature and film studies, and film production at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and the University of California at Los Angeles. I became professionally involved in educational administration through the backdoor of continuing education focused first on the entertainment industry, and then more broadly. It was after this combined experience of studying film and television and working in adult education that I began research in education and earned a doctorate in the field of higher education from Claremont Graduate University, with a special emphasis on distance learning. I hope that the different point of view I have developed from my eclectic background gives me the ability to make something of a unique contribution to this evolving new field. What follows is an attempt to spark a discussion that will lead to answers to the question of what are the most effective techniques for the design of computer learning environments. This is not a how-to book—we are too early in the evolutionary process of the medium to give such specific guidance. Rather, my intention is to offer some theories to elevate the thinking bout computers in education. Because the subject is interdisciplinary, combining science with the humanities, the theoretical discussion draws from abroad range of disciplines: psychology, educational theory, film criticism, and computer science. The book looks at the notion of computer as medium and what such an idea might mean for education. I suggest that the understanding of computers as a medium may be a key to re-envisioning educational technology. Oren (1995) argues that understanding computers as a medium means enlarging human-computer interaction (HCI) research to include issues such as the psychology of media, evolution of genre and form, and the societal implications of media, all of which are discussed here. Computers began to be used in educational environments much later than film, and I would have to agree with others who claim that the use of computers instructionally is still quite unsophisticated.
Information Technology and Privacy
Authors: Stanton Jeffrey M.
Published: May 2011

With the rising popularity of the Internet and some widely publicized occurrences of privacy loss due to information technology, many individuals have recently become more concerned with the privacy and security of sensitive information. These concerns have special relevance within work organizations because of the substantial amounts of data that organizations typically collect about the work and non-work activities of their employees. This chapter presents a new theoretical perspective called Information Boundary Theory, that describes whether, when, and why employees care about the privacy and security of sensitive information at work. Analysis of interview data from N=25 non-managerial U.S. workers provided preliminary support for four of the new theory’s research propositions. The chapter describes implications of the theory and the research findings for the design and deployment of information technology systems within organizations and maps a research agenda for future uses of the theory.
Implementing Online Delivery and Learning Support Systems
Authors: Bernardes J.
Published: May 2011

IT is unlikely to create empty institutions delivering distance learning; it is more likely to create distanceless learning which is potentially more accessible to students. This implies the whole business of delivering teaching and learning will be transformed in a way that has not happened for generations. While it is possible to develop IT-based approaches that, to some extent, mirror traditional methods of remote learning by isolated individuals which has little or nothing to do with lifelong experiences or expertise, most academics will find themselves forced to confront very basic questions about what it is that they are trying to achieve and how they might best go about achieving those desired outcomes. This paper considers some of the practical aspects and ways in which, where possible, they have been addressed. The premise of this work is not about technology but the application of technology in a teaching and learning context.
Online Learning for the Visually Impaired
Authors: Arion Mirela , Tutuianu Marius Iulian
Published: May 2011

At the society level, the Internet is a technological, social and cultural phenomenon, shared by the consensus of its users and not owned by anybody. It is a communication network than can, at any moment, bridge people from everywhere and can be looked at as a consequence of modernity (Giddens, 1992). There is a growing demand and pressure coming from the technology side for adopting online learning but, in order to justify and evaluate the integration of World Wide Web techniques in education, one must attempt to answer at least two questions: 1. Does the World Wide Web promote new approaches to teaching and learning? 2. Will the World Wide Web increase access to education? The case study that we had to do because of the context of learning within a special education department helped us answer these questions and understand and, more than that, appreciate online learning for the visually impaired.
Web Accessibility and the Law
Authors: Yu Holly
Published: May 2011

Through a series of federal and state laws and standards, the legal foundation concerning Web accessibility that impact people with disabilities and their ability to fully overcome digital barriers and participate in the Web environment has been established. Currently, the concept of accessible design or universal design is increasingly becoming an important component of Web design. However, the unanswered questions in laws, the absence of the obligation in fulfilling legal requirements, and the general unawareness of the need to make Web pages accessible have created barriers in implementing the Americans with disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as amended in 1998, and others. In many cases, the absence of obligations is due to unfamiliarity with legal responsibility of creating accessible Web sites. As a result, the response to Web accessibility concerns frequently comes about only on an ad hoc basis. Identifying these barriers is the first step toward solutions. There are legal and practical approaches for addressing Web accessibility issues in policies, education, research and development, and technology and tools.