bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stream Processing of a Neural Classifier I
Authors: Martínez-Zarzuela M. , Pernas F. J. Díaz , Ortega D. González , Higuera J. F. Díez , Rodríguez M. Antón
Published: May 2011

An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is a computational structure inspired by the study of biological neural processing. Although neurons are considered as very simple computation units, inside the nervous system, an incredible amount of widely inter-connected neurons can process huge amounts of data working in a parallel fashion. There are many different types of ANNs, from relatively simple to very complex, just as there are many theories on how biological neural processing works. However, execution of ANNs is always a heavy computational task. Important kinds of ANNs are those devoted to pattern recognition such as Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) or Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) classifiers (Haykin, 2007). Traditional implementations of ANNs used by most of scientists have been developed in high level programming languages, so that they could be executed on common Personal Computers (PCs). The main drawback of these implementations is that though neural networks are intrinsically parallel systems, simulations are executed on a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a processor designed for the execution of sequential programs on a Single Instruction Single Data (SISD) basis. As a result, these heavy programs can take hours or even days to process large input data. For applications that require real-time processing, it is possible to develop small ad-hoc neural networks on specific hardware like Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). However, FPGA-based realization of ANNs is somewhat expensive and involves extra design overheads (Zhu & Sutton, 2003). Using dedicated hardware to do machine learning was typically expensive; results could not be shared with other researchers and hardware became obsolete within a few years. This situation has changed recently with the popularization of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) as low-cost and high-level programmable hardware platforms. GPUs are being increasingly used for speeding up computations in many research fields following a Stream Processing Model (Owens, Luebke, Govindaraju, Harris, Krüger, Lefohn & Purcell, 2007). This article presents a GPU-based parallel implementation of a Fuzzy ART ANN, which can be used both for training and testing processes. Fuzzy ART is an unsupervised neural classifier capable of incremental learning, widely used in a universe of applications as medical sciences, economics and finance, engineering and computer science. CPU-based implementations of Fuzzy ART lack efficiency and cannot be used for testing purposes in real-time applications. The GPU implementation of Fuzzy ART presented in this article speeds up computations more than 30 times with respect to a CPU-based C/C++ development when executed on an NVIDIA 7800 GT GPU.
(Self-) Educational Effects of Computer Gaming Cultures
Authors: Fromme Johannes , Jörissen Benjamin , Unger Alexander
Published: May 2011

The goal of this chapter is to emphasize a certain notion of self-induced education, to discuss it in the context of digital games and to provide the means for assessing digital games as well as to give hints on their educational use. In the first section, the concept of “self-education” is introduced and distinguished against less complex learning phenomena. The second section discusses and analyses the different layers of “educational space” inherent to gaming software, providing the analytical means for the further sections. The third section presents and analyses educational aspects of single-player games, while the fourth section adds the socio-cultural impacts implied in multi-player communities. In conclusion, a synopsis is given, which sums up the main educational dimensions and connects them to aspects and analytical criteria, allowing a pedagogical assessment of digital games.
Amusing Minds for Joyful Learning through E-Gaming
Authors: Li Zhuo , Liu Feng , Boyer Jeff
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the present use of e-gaming in language acquisition along with its potential and challenges. We review the use of traditional, non-electronic games for language acquisition, provide a brief introduction of computer-assisted language learning (CALL), and examine the use of electronic games in language learning. Although there is limited research on the use of electronic games in language acquisition, potential exists for the integration of electronic games in language classrooms. In addition, more in-depth research is still needed in this field. For classroom practice, we provide a resource of online e-games for practitioners.
Fear of Flying and Virtual Environments
Authors: Vincenti Giovanni
Published: May 2011

Fear of flying is a common problem that many people have to face. As varied as the causes may be, all kinds of fears have many aspects in common. Much is known to us about fear, and the fields of psychology and psychiatry teach us that many times we can conquer fears simply by exposing the subject to the dreaded object. Human-Computer Interaction has branched even in this direction, including the treatment of phobias. With the help of Virtual Reality researchers around the world have recreated using a computer the way that psychologists and psychiatrists cure fears, adding a twist. Many times patients are supposed to go the extra mile and expose themselves, little by little, to what they are afraid of. Virtual Reality brings this type of exposure directly to the patient, with the comfort that such fear can be stopped at any time, since it is only a computer simulation. The most successful studies have been performed on arachnophobia, or the fear of spiders. There are also studies that deal with the fear of heights and the fear of public speaking. Some studies have also been performed on addressing the fear of flying using a virtual environment. This work is a review of such methods, and an explanation of the principles behind the motivation for these studies.
The Haunted School on Horror Hill
Authors: Kee Kevin , Vaughan Tamara , Graham Shawn
Published: May 2011

As gaming technology for personal computers has advanced over the last two decades, the text-adventures that predominated in the 1980s ceased to be commercially viable. However, the easy availability of powerful authoring systems developed by enthusiasts and distributed free over the Internet has led to a renaissance in text-adventures, now called “Interactive Fiction.” The educational potential in playing these text-based games and simulations was recognised when they were first popular; the new authoring systems now allow educators to explore the educational potential of creating these works. The authors present here a case-study using the ADRIFT authoring system to create a work of interactive fiction in a split grade 4/5 class (9 and 10 year-olds) in Quebec. They find that the process of creating the game helped improve literary and social skills amongst the students.
Using Online Simulation to Engage Users in an Authentic Learning Environment
Authors: Ferry Brian , Kervin Lisa
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes how we used an authentic learning framework (Herrington & Oliver, 2000) to inform the design of an online simulation that included gaming features specifically designed to enhance learner engagement. We describe our analysis of user responses to the simulation, focusing particularly on learner engagement and what the users learned from using the software. Our research revealed that users initially approached the software from a gaming framework, however with extended interaction with the software, moved toward treating the virtual experience as an authentic environment, even to the point of empathizing with some of the virtual characters and downloading some of the support material that they might use in real classrooms. We offer some explanations for this change and conclude the chapter by identifying future directions for researchers who may be interested in this field.
Business Process Reengineering in the Automotive Area by Simulator-Based Design
Authors: Alm Torbjörn , Alfredson Jens , Ohlsson Kjell
Published: May 2011

The automotive industry is facing economic and technical challenges. The economic situation calls for more efficient processes, not only production processes but also renewals in the development process. Accelerating design work and simultaneously securing safe process outcome leads to products in good correspondence with market demands and institutional goals on safe traffic environments. The technique challenge is going from almost pure mechanical constructions to mechatronic systems, where computer-based solutions may affect core vehicle functionality. Since subcontractors often develop this new technology, system integration is increasingly important for the car manufacturers. To meet these challenges we suggest the simulator-based design approach. This chapter focuses on human-in-the- loop simulation, which ought to be used for design and integration of all car functionality affecting the driver. This approach has been proved successful by the aerospace industry, which in the late 1960s recognized a corresponding technology shift.
Virtual Environments and Serious Games
Authors: Barrett K. A. , Johnson W. Lewis
Published: May 2011

The Alelo language and culture game-based training has been successfully applied in the K-16 education, government, and military sectors. With increasing globalization of business and widespread use of the Internet, this same approach is applicable for corporate education. The chapter will suggest how virtual environments using cross-cultural simulations that include communicating with virtual avatars could be adopted for corporate use to effectively train and educate employees in cross-cultural communication, as well as other skill sets.
Virtual Learning Environments for Manufacturing
Authors: Manesh Hamed F. , Schaefer Dirk
Published: May 2011

Since the advent of globalization, the manufacturing industry has been subject to continuous pressure of competition. Products have to be developed faster than before, with equivalent or higher quality, and at significantly lower cost. Whilst modern manufacturing systems provide the technological edge to meet these challenges, one tends to forget that education and training of the workforce also has to be kept up-to-date. Only a workforce that is familiar with the latest advancements in the manufacturing sector and well trained in the use of state-of-the-art technology and tools will be able to effectively face the competition. Although fundamental education and training may have been provided by the academic sector, employees need to continue developing their professional skills and competencies throughout their entire professional life. One potential approach to education and training of engineers in the manufacturing sector is the utilization of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). Such VLEs are currently widely used for fundamental engineering education in academia, but they also hold a huge potential for successful deployment in distributed corporate settings. Manufacturing-related VLEs may provide employees at all sites of a company across the globe with an affordable and safe environment for education and training, ranging from the fundamentals of modern manufacturing to expert level training in manufacturing process planning and simulation, without any need for, or cost of, physical equipment, materials, tools or travel. In this chapter the authors discuss how Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) for manufacturing-related education and training can be utilized in the corporate sector.
A Qualitative Meta-Analysis of Computer Games as Learning Tools
Authors: Ke Fengfeng
Published: May 2011

Drawing on grounded theory approach and a qualitative meta-analysis, this chapter intends to systematically review and synthesize the theories, methods, and findings of both qualitative and quantitative inquiries on computer-based instructional games. A major purpose of this literature review and meta-analysis is to inform policy and practice based on existing studies. Four major recurring themes concerning the effectiveness of computer-based instructional games have emerged from a comparative analysis with 89 instructional gaming studies and are discussed with the support of exemplar research. The chapter will assist practitioners and policymakers in understanding the “best practices” and key factors of a computer game-based learning program.
Exploring Personal Myths from The Sims
Authors: Buraphadeja Vasa , Dawson Kara
Published: May 2011

Many game scholars claim that the emergent authorship opportunities provided within The Sims may lead to positive game play outcomes. This study hypothesizes that narratives told by game players may be similar to narratives told in real life and explores 66 Sims narratives via McAdams criteria of a good myth (1997). Results suggest that most people who play The Sims do not naturally adhere to the criteria of a good myth when developing their narrative, however, over half the narratives met some of the criteria. Our results suggest that The Sims has the potential to serve as a narrative studio for personal myth development but that some kind of intervention or scaffolding may need to be provided. The concept of psychosocial moratorium (McAdams, 1997) is suggested as one possible strategy professionals in multiple disciplines may use to promote The Sims as a narrative studio for myth development. Suggestions for future research are also provided.
From E-Learning to Games-Based E-Learning
Authors: Connolly Thomas , Stansfield Mark
Published: May 2011

The emergence of the Internet has had a significant impact on higher education where we have seen elearning evolve from a marginal form of education to a commonly accepted and increasingly popular alternative to traditional face-to-face education. While e-learning has many advantages, there have been problems identified, such as lack of contact leading to feelings of isolation; the need for a motivated, self-disciplined, and mature learner; the monotonous nature of some e-learning materials; and increased drop out rates. If e-learning has developed a reputation for being ‘boring and mindless,’ games have developed the reputation for being engaging and challenging. In recent years, a new form of learning has been developing, namely games-based e-learning, which builds on the successes of e-learning while providing a more stimulating and relevant learning environment for younger people who have been brought up in an environment of powerful home PCs, graphic-rich multiplayer Internet gaming, and mobile phones with ever-increasing functionality. This article will explore the concept of games-based e-learning, discuss some of its pedagogic underpinnings, and examine barriers that may limit the uptake and development of this relatively new approach to learning.
Making a Connection
Authors: Charsky Dennis
Published: May 2011

This chapter will make a connection between game genres, game characteristics, and constructivist teaching structures. Constructivist teaching structures, like open learning environments and anchored instruction, have the same aims as serious games – to facilitate higher order learning skills and knowledge. However, constructivist teaching structures are not games and serious games are grappling with how to design games and keep the fun and learning in perfect balance. Making connections between game genres and characteristics (where much of the fun resides) and teaching structures (where much of the learning resides) will highlight commonalities that can be taken advantage of in the design of good serious games – where learning and fun are in perfect balance.
Mitigating Negative Learning in Immersive Spaces and Simulations
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: May 2011

The growing popularization of immersive virtual spaces and simulations has enhanced the ability to “model” various environments, scenarios, decision-making contexts, and experiential learning for a variety of fields. With these subliminal semi-experiential affordances have also come some challenges. Foremost is the challenge of designing virtual experiential learning that does not result in “negative learning.” Negative learning involves unintended messages which lead to learners with illogical or inaccurate perceptions about reality. Negative learning may be subtle; it may exist at an unconscious or subconscious level; it may be biasing even without learner awareness. This chapter addresses some of the risks of negative learning in immersive spaces and simulations and proposes some pedagogical design, facilitation, and learner empowerment strategies to address negative learning—to increase confidence and assurance in the immersions.
Language Simulations for Fostering Language Acquisition and Communicative Competence in Adult Second-Language Learners
Authors: McLaren Angelene
Published: May 2011

Language teachers and students are making a mass exodus in theory and practice in the field of secondlanguage instruction. They are leaving behind boring drills, nonsensical memorizations and endless strings of grammatical rules and are demanding a shift from traditional language learning to modern language acquisition. Language acquisition means being culturally literate and commutatively competent in a language (Byrnes, 2001). This change requires finding effective ways to facilitate this paradigm shift. This chapter will try to answer the following questions: Can language simulations foster language acquisition and communicative competence in adult second-language learners? It will also explore: what language acquisition is and how it is obtained; theoretical foundations of language acquisition; learning simulations and what makes them effective; language simulations – how and why they work; what simulations can do to promote communicative competence; a practical example; future applications and importance of language simulations; and what future research is necessary to fulfill this promise.
Multi-User Virtual Learning Environments in Education
Authors: Sardone Nancy , Devlin-Scherer Roberta
Published: May 2011

Today’s middle school students represent a generation growing up where digital tools abound and where using them for home and school is the norm. Virtual learning environments to include multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) are fairly new to formal educational settings as teaching and learning tools but are growing in popularity. These learning environments have an ability to reach all levels of students in ways that are both familiar and appealing. This chapter reviews interest and trends in educational games and describes beginning teacher reactions to using one of these critical thinking tools designed for middle school students. Recommendations for future implementation in classrooms are made. Faculty perspectives about these newer forms of educational technology are explored.
The Future of Digital Game-Based Learning
Authors: Magerko Brian
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the potential future of games for learning through the lens of current advantages of real-world education that are thus far lacking in educational games. It focuses on four main facets of the real-world educational experience: adapting content to an individual student, the rigorous evaluation of educational media, the ease of modification of educational games, and the application of games to new domains and teaching techniques. The chapter then suggests how we as designers and developers can make strides towards incorporating these lacking elements into how we build and use educational games. The author hopes that this discussion can be used to foster discussion about where the field could be and should be going in the near future.
The Critical Role of Market Segmentation
Authors: Rayna Thierry , Striukova Ludmila , Landau Samuel
Published: May 2011

The aim of this research is the investigate the role played by market segmentation, in general, and by the choice of initial market segment, in particular, in the ability of a product to cross the chasm. To do so, a theoretical framework, enabling to explain the ability of some firms to cross this chasm, while many others remain unsuccessful is developed. The key result of this research is that the choice of initial market segment has crucial importance as adoption in this segment can lead to a cascade of adoption in the other segments. To illustrate this proposition, three cases studies of an historical leader (Sony), a first mover (Archos) and a newcomer (Apple) in the market for digital audio players are presented.
Actors, Networks and Assessment
Authors: Tummons Jonathan
Published: May 2011

This chapter is an exploration of one particular form of non-traditional provision of higher education (HE) in England, known as higher education in further education: the provision of HE courses that are offered on a franchise basis in one or more colleges of further education (FE colleges). Focussing on assessment on one teacher-training course, this chapter offers ways of conceptualising the responses of FE colleges where the course is run to the quality assurance systems and procedures established by the university that provides the course. Assessment has been chosen as the specific focus of this paper for several reasons: it is an activity that must be performed in certain ways and must conform to particular outcomes that are standardised across colleges; it is an established focus of research; and it is a focus of specific traceable activities across both the university and the colleges. Drawing on data collected over a three-year period, the chapter suggests that the ways in which assessment processes are regulated and ordered are characterised by complexities for which actor-network theory provides an appropriate conceptual framework.
Managing Multi-Organizational Interaction Issues
Authors: Kasimin Hasmiah , Ibrahim Huda
Published: May 2011

In Malaysia, major information technology transfers in public sector agencies are usually due to policy implementation. This policy-led technology transfer involves central government directives to the implementation agencies. The technology transfer process usually not only involves multi-organizations that consist of many public agencies and private sector organizations but also involved many phases. Each organization plays certain roles and contributes to the achievement of the technology transfer objectives. Each phase serves a different purpose and each role during each phase has different requirements. Coordinating and encouraging the multiple organization participation in each phase is complex and a challenge that may at least result in project delays or technological decision-making that based on non-technical considerations. In such a case, understanding and managing interactions between stakeholders are important in designing activities and strategies for effective technology transfer process suitable to local environment. This is especially true for technology that requires further development to adapt with local environment. This paper explores this issue in a case study of XYZ technology transfer in a Malaysian public agency. We make use an approach based on actor-network theory and the concepts of technology transfer stages. We found that ignoring issues emerged from interactions between stakeholders will not only delay the transfer process but will also render the project’s original objectives as not fully achieved.
Using S’ANT for Facilitating Superior Understanding of Key Factors in the Design of a Chronic Disease Self-Management Model
Authors: Wickramasinghe Nilmini , Bali Rajeev K. , Goldberg Steve
Published: May 2011

The S’ANT approach (Wickramasinghe and Bali, 2009) - namely the incorporation of Actor-network Theory and Social Network Analysis as proposed by Wickramasinghe and Bali 2009 in order to support a network centric healthcare solutions is proffered in the following as an appropriately rich lens of analysis in the context of the development of a chronic disease self-management model.
The Impact of Network of Actors on the Information Technology
Authors: Iyamu Tiko , Tatnall Arthur
Published: May 2011

Organisations’ reliance on Information Technology (IT) is rapidly increasing. IT strategy is developed and implemented for particular purposes by different organizations. We should therefore expect that there will be network of actors within the computing environment, and that such network of actors will be the key to understanding many otherwise unexpected situations during the development and implementation of IT strategy. This network of actors has aligned interests. Many organizations are developing and implementing their IT strategy, while little is known about the network of actors and their impacts, which this paper reveals. This paper describes how Actor-Network Theory (ANT) was employed to investigate the impact of network of actors on the development and implementation of IT strategy in an organisation. ANT was used as it can provide a useful perspective on the importance of relationships between both human and non-human actors. Another example: design and implementation of a B-B web portal, is offered for comparison.
Re-Evaluation of On-Line Hot Topic Discovery Model
Authors: Ye Hui-min , Sharma Sushil , Xu Huinan
Published: May 2011

As a major medium for information transmission, Internet plays an important role in diffusing and spreading news on web. Some governments attach great importance and pay lot of effort trying to detect, track the development of events and forecast emergency on internet. On the basis of the researches in the field of topic detection and tracking, we proposed a model for hot topic discovery that would pick out hot topics by automatically detecting, clustering and weighting topics on the websites within a time period. We also introduced a topic index approach in following the growth of topics, which is useful to analyze and forecast the development of topics on web.
Large Key Sizes and the Security of Password-Based Cryptography
Authors: Boklan Kent D.
Published: May 2011

We expose a potential vulnerability in the common use of password-based cryptography. When employing a user-chosen password to generate cryptographic keys which themselves are larger than the digest size of the underlying hash function, a part of the resulting key is produced deterministically and this, in turn, may lead to an exploitable weakness.
Protected Health Information (PHI) in a Small Business
Authors: Suleiman James , Huston Terry
Published: May 2011

Compliance with regulatory guidelines and mandates surrounding information security and the protection of privacy has been under close scrutiny for some time throughout the world. Smaller organizations have remained “out of the spotlight” and generally do not hire staff with the expertise to fully address issues of compliance. This case study examines a project partnership between an information-technology (IT) consultant who specializes in small business and a diminutive medical practice that sought support with compliance issues surrounding a research study it was conducting. Other small medical practices were contributing to the research; consequently, information sharing while concurrently adhering to the regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 was a significant aspect of the project. It was also critical that numerous other security and privacy legislative requirements were met. The issue of data security is often neglected in IT instruction. This case study provides a foundation for examining aspects of information security from the perspective of the small-business IT consultant.
The Social Network Structure of a Computer Hacker Community
Authors: Cao Xubin , Lu Yong
Published: May 2011

Computer hackers, both individually and as a group, have been identified as a primary threat to computer systems, users, and organizations. Although hacker groups are complex socio-technical systems, much extant research on hackers is conducted from a technical perspective and at an individual level of analysis. This research proposes a research model composed of five dimensions and their relations in order to study hacker’s social organization in the whole socio-technical context. Based on this model, the researcher applies network analysis methods to disclose the structure and patterns of a significant and complex hacker group, Shadowcrew. Network analysis tools are applied for data processing and data analysis. Three network measures: degree centrality, cognitive demand, and eigenvector centrality, are utilized to determine the critical leaders. Out-degree centrality is employed to analyze the relations among the five dimensions in the research model.
Multimedia Information Security and Privacy
Authors: Yang Ming , Trifas Monica , Francia Guillermo , Chen Lei , Hu Yongliang
Published: May 2011

Information security has traditionally been ensured with data encryption techniques. Different generic data encryption standards, such as DES, RSA, AES, have been developed. These encryption standards provide high level of security to the encrypted data. However, they are not very efficient in the encryption of multimedia contents due to the large volume of digital image/video data. In order to address this issue, different image/video encryption methodologies have been developed. These methodologies encrypt only the key parameters of image/video data instead of encrypting it as a bitstream. Joint compression-encryption is a very promising direction for image/video encryption. Nowadays, researchers start to utilize information hiding techniques to enhance the security level of data encryption methodologies. Information hiding conceals not only the content of the secret message, but also its very existence. In terms of the amount of data to be embedded, information hiding methodologies can be classified into low bitrate and high bitrate algorithms. In terms of the domain for embedding, they can be classified into spatial domain and transform domain algorithms. In this chapter, the authors have reviewed various data encryption standards, image/video encryption algorithms, and joint compression-encryption methodologies. Besides, the authors have also presented different categories of information hiding methodologies as well as data embedding strategies for digital image/video contents.
Preserving Privacy in Mining Quantitative Associations Rules
Authors: Ahluwalia Madhu V. , Gangopadhyay Aryya , Chen Zhiyuan
Published: May 2011

Association rule mining is an important data mining method that has been studied extensively by the academic community and has been applied in practice. In the context of association rule mining, the state-of-the-art in privacy preserving data mining provides solutions for categorical and Boolean association rules but not for quantitative association rules. This article fills this gap by describing a method based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to protect input data privacy while preserving data mining patterns for association rules. A comparison with an existing kd-tree based transform shows that the DWT-based method fares better in terms of efficiency, preserving patterns, and privacy.
Social Knowledge in the Japanese Firm
Authors: Hentschel Benjamin , Haghirian Parissa
Published: May 2011

It is widely accepted that the Japanese conception of organizational knowledge differs from the Western view, with the former focusing on tacit knowledge and the latter more on explicit knowledge. The distinctive advantage of Japanese companies is widely believed, therefore, to be their unique ability to continuously create new knowledge by means of the dynamic interaction of individuals. Some aspects of Japanese culture are particularly influential on this knowledge management style, such as the strength of face-to-face communication and the emphasis on gestures, behavior and context. These are cultural factors that have shaped Japan’s distinctive organizational communication structures in periods of high economic growth. However, having survived the “lost decade,” Japan’s companies now face a completely new business environment. As new technologies enable new modes of communication between a company’s employees, the use of social media in order to facilitate knowledge-sharing (social knowledge) has become widespread. Based on a qualitative study conducted in a Japanese organization, this chapter investigates the extent to which social knowledge influences communicative behavior, and looks at the implications for organizational communication patterns in Japan. The findings of this study point towards changing patterns of social knowledge in Japanese firms.
Social Leadership
Authors: Mackintosh Scott Campbell
Published: May 2011

This chapter will identify the military’s approach to social media and outline the security controversy it views as an inherent issue associated with condoning and promoting the use of social media. It will then discuss how that approach is evolving with the passage of time and the rapid adoption of social media by society as a whole; examining the balance between security concerns and obvious organizational benefits. In discussing social media as a vehicle of transformational leadership this chapter will reveal untapped benefits of social media in a military context and examine where and how it could be adopted. In closing this chapter will make recommendations, which would facilitate a better adoption of various forms of social media by the military.
Foundations of Cross-Cultural Knowledge Management
Authors: Nguyen Nhu T. B , Umemoto Katsuhiro
Published: May 2011

Although the term “Cross-Cultural Knowledge Management” (CCKM) appeared in the recent literature, no study has defined CCKM yet. This is the first study that discusses the process of cross-cultural knowledge creation. Reviewing the literature on the relationship between cross-cultural management (CCM) and knowledge management (KM), we found that the term CCKM is emerged from two streams. The first stream used CCKM to describe KM in a cross-cultural environment while the second stream explored culture as knowledge. Following two streams, we then define CCKM as a series of practices to recognize and understand cultural differences to develop a new culture thereby adjusting to cross-cultural environment. This definition helped us to examine the process of cross-cultural knowledge creation and the role of leadership in this process. Not only contributing to developing KM in a new way that can be applied to practice in utilizing and creating cross-cultural knowledge for KM activities, but this chapter also may have many practical implications for leaders to manage effectively cross-cultural knowledge of members in organizations.
Social Knowledge Workspace
Authors: Vasishtha Jagdish K.
Published: May 2011

Over the years, knowledge management in organizations has picked up steam with implementation of various solutions like Content Management Systems, Wiki, etc. However, the ability to find relevant information and capture organizational learning still looks like a distant dream. Also, organizations worldwide are transforming due to changes in worker demographics, globalization of business and technological advances. The knowledge workers of today need tools for effective knowledge capture and team collaboration. Some of the key concerns which will be analyzed in this chapter are; (a) Knowledge fragmentation due to technology, (b) Relevancy of information to a user and (c) Push vs. Pull approach of accessing information. The chapter will also explore how these challenges can be addressed by social knowledge workspaces and what should be some of the key characteristics of these technologies under development.
Sharing Scientific and Social Knowledge in a Performance Oriented Industry
Authors: Papoutsakis Haris
Published: May 2011

The chapter evaluates the contribution of shared knowledge and information technology to manufacturing performance. For this purpose, a theoretical model was built and tested in praxis through a research study among manufacturing, quality and R&D groups. The social character of science is perceived as a matter of the aggregation of individuals, not their interactions, and social knowledge as simply the additive outcome of mostly scientists, members of the three groups, making sound scientific judgments. The study results verify the significant contribution of shared knowledge to the manufacturing group performance. They also demonstrate that information technology influences notably the manufacturing group performance and, in a less significant way, the sharing of knowledge. Study results are useful to researchers and the business community alike as they may be used as a springboard for further empirical studies and can help put together strategies involving knowledge management and information technology.
Educational Technologies for the Neomillennial Generation
Authors: Kaplan-Rakowski Regina , Rakowski David
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this chapter is to provide educators, researchers, and policy-makers with an overview on how modern technology has been influencing the learning styles of the “neomillennial” generation. The authors begin by describing the demographic and cultural characteristics of the neomillennial generation and how they differ from preceding generations. They follow with a discussion of how neomillennial learning styles have changed as a result of new technology. The authors then take a detailed look at two examples of how modern technology can be used to design novel learning approaches: digital game-based learning and learning in virtual worlds. Disadvantages, difficulties, and barriers to acceptance of these approaches are then examined. They conclude by summarizing the characteristics of the neomillennial generation and why technological changes are likely to influence educational practices for them, as well as how these changes fit in the broader context of educational theory.
Collective Problem-Solving and Informal Learning in Networked Publics
Authors: Lindgren Simon
Published: May 2011

The overarching question in this chapter has to do with cooperation dynamics in social networks on YouTube. The chapter will focus on community aspects of vlogging (video blogging) and it is suggested that networked publics and participatory cultures offer valuable opportunities to the educational system.
BBC Schools beyond the TV Set
Authors: Zorrilla Abascal María Luisa
Published: May 2011

This chapter focuses on media convergence of educational content particularly intended for television and the internet at the phase of its use in the classroom. The case that best reflects the convergence of educational TV-Web contents is BBC Schools in the United Kingdom, which includes television series and corresponding websites.
African Art Students and Digital Learning
Authors: Uimonen Paula
Published: May 2011

Imagine 120 students sharing 5 computers, yet feeling that they are part of an interconnected world. This is the social context framing digital learning for African art students, the material limitations and cultural imaginations of which this chapter is concerned with. Based on extensive ethnographic engagements at TaSUBa, a national institute for arts and culture in Tanzania, this chapter investigates the development of digital media skills. Using the concept of digital learning to cover the acquisition of ICT skills as well as the use of ICT as a learning tool, the analysis spans from early expectations of connectivity to current forms of media engagement. Focusing on the social and cultural aspects of digital learning, the concept hybrid media engagement is introduced to capture the creative ways in which African art students overcome limitations in infrastructure, while exploring new forms of cultural production.
Youth and Online Social Networking
Authors: Larsen Malene Charlotte , Ryberg Thomas
Published: May 2011

Often, young people do not have a voice in the public debate on internet safety and online social networking, but as this chapter will demonstrate that does not mean they do not have an opinion. Based on responses from 2400 Danish adolescents to an open-ended questionnaire, the authors discuss their accounts of good and bad experiences with social network sites. Furthermore, they analyse how youth (aged 12 to 18) position themselves as users of social network sites both in relation to very concrete and local experiences from their everyday life, and in relation to public media discourses. They discuss how they portray themselves as ‘responsible young people’ by distancing themselves from the public or “grown up” discourses represented by e.g. their parents or the news media.
Digital Neighbourhoods
Authors: Lögdlund Ulrik , de Kaminski Marcin
Published: May 2011

The aim of this study was to discuss how young people in Sweden relate to the Internet trying to picture how they developed and maintained relations online. The study revolves around the notion of self-feeling holding a few basic questions at the stake; how much time do young people spend online and in what different contexts? How does interaction take place in online communities and how is self-feeling constructed? The study takes on a sociological perspective on online interaction and leans on an interpretive approach represented by Charles Cooley. The study is based on eleven qualitative semi-structured interviews with eleven Swedish young people made on the Internet in 2009. The results of the study point out that an excessive amount of time was spent by the interviewees interacting in minor online communities and services. The character of communication was mainly personal and intimate. Analyses make visible three aspects of why spending time online; to prevent loneliness, to create opportunities of inclusiveness and to avoid exclusion. Finally, the study discusses the construction of self-feeling as part of a socialisation process taking place in contemporary digital neighbourhoods.
The Role of Internet Newsgroups in the Coming-Out Process of Gay Male Youth
Authors: Marciano Avi
Published: May 2011

The study examines internet newsgroups as a potential mitigating tool in the complex coming-out process of gay male youth. Employing a qualitative discourse analysis of the newsgroup’s messages, the chapter focuses on an Israeli newsgroup that appeals to GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) youth and operates within the most popular UGC (user-generated content) portal in Israel. The findings indicate that the researched newsgroup functions as a social arena that offers its participants an embracing milieu, where for the first time in their lives they are free of moral judgment of their sexuality. Through four distinct yet interrelated ways, the newsgroup helps its participants to cope with one of the most significant milestones in a gay person’s life – the coming-out process: (1) refuting prevalent stereotypes of homosexuality; (2) facilitating the acceptance of one’s sexual orientation; (3) prompting its disclosure; and (4) creating social relations within and outside the virtual environment.
The Competent Youth’s Exposure of Teachers at YouTube.se
Authors: Samuelsson Marcus
Published: May 2011

Swedish children are generally well informed, from preschool all the way through the entire school system, about the meaning of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, CRC (United Nations, 1989), and other similar ideas about their position in relation to adults in school, adults at home and adults in the society. As a result of that experience, almost 30.000 hours in school as an institution, it is possible to argue that a lot of Swedish children, through discussions are well trained to act according to the idea of the competent child. But how do adults, teachers, researchers and journalists react when competent youth use their knowledge to expose what they have experienced in school on websites like YouTube? In order to answer such a question this chapter examines two movies of exposed teachers on YouTube.se. These movies, one with an angry teacher and one with a jocular teacher, are subsequently used in order to argue that exposures like these of teachers are reasonable to understand as being made by the competent youth.
Electronic Aggression among Adolescents
Authors: Pyzalski Jacek
Published: May 2011

The chapter is focused on the problem of electronic aggression (conducted via the Internet or mobile phones) in the context of young people as potential victims and perpetrators of such aggression. The text addresses two main issues: the potential novelty of electronic aggression and its potential distinctive features and the diversity of electronic aggression acts (with a proposal of typology). The first aspect is analyzed through the new model – ABACUS that could be used to compare electronic and traditional aggression. The chapter presents also a typology of electronic aggression based on the victim’s identity and his/her relationship with a young person who is a perpetrator. The presented theories and discussions are illustrated with new data from two Polish projects on students and teachers experiences with electronic aggression.
Ways of ICT Usage Among Mildly Intellectually Disabled Adolescents
Authors: Plichta Piotr
Published: May 2011

The chapter explores patterns of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) usage (particularly: cell phones and the Internet) among mildly intellectually disabled adolescents aged 13-17. Importance of leisure activity in life and rehabiliation of the disabled as well as a risk of digital exclusion are also underlined. The strong emphasis is put on an issue of victimization and perpetration of electronic aggression. Data were obtained from the unstructured interviews (qualitative approach). The research revealed several issues related to patterns of ICT usage. The data are presented as following categories: importance and declared range of ICT usage, ICT and its usage for communication purposes, awareness of the risks related to ICT usage, ICT usage and electronic aggression (divided in two categories: being a victim and/or being a perpetrator, ICT usage and issues related to family functioning). Such problem areas are not well recognized in either Polish or foreign literature.
Diagnostic Modeling of Digital Systems with Multi-Level Decision Diagrams
Authors: Ubar Raimund , Raik Jaan , Jutman Artur , Jenihhin Maksim
Published: May 2011

In order to cope with the complexity of today’s digital systems in diagnostic modeling, hierarchical multi-level approaches should be used. In this chapter, the possibilities of using Decision Diagrams (DD) for uniform diagnostic modeling of digital systems at different levels of abstraction are discussed. DDs can be used for modeling the functions and faults of systems at logic, register transfer and behavior like instruction set architecture levels. The authors differentiate two general types of DDs – logic level binary DDs (BDD) and high level DDs (HLDD). Special classes of BDDs are described: structurally synthesized BDDs (SSBDD) and structurally synthesized BDDs with multiple inputs (SSMIBDD). A method of iterative synthesis of SSBDDs and SSMIBDDs is discussed. Three methods for synthesis of HLDDs for representing digital systems at higher levels are described: iterative superposition of HLDDs for high-level structural representations of systems, symbolic execution of procedural descriptions for functional representations of systems, and creation of vector HLDDs (VHLDD) on the basis of using shared HLDDs for compact representing of a given set of high level functions. The nodes in DDs can be modeled as generic locations of faults. For more precise general specification of faults different logic constraints are used. A functional fault model to map the low level faults to higher levels, particularly, to map physical defects from transistor level to logic level is discussed.