bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systemic Innovations and the Role of Change-Technology
Authors: Looi Chee-Kit , Lim Wei-Ying , Koh Thiam-Seng , Hung Wei-Loong David
Published: May 2011

There has been increasing interest in issues of sustainability and scalability concerning educational innovations and reforms. In Singapore, the Ministry of Education in the first IT MasterPlan for Education has equipped all schools with adequate IT infrastructure and teacher training. After seven years into this investment, the “take-up” of technology for learning has been generally at the basic level. Three challenges lie ahead in the effective integration of IT into the curriculum for meaningful student learning: (1) how can schools embrace technology where school practices, curriculum, pedagogy, teachers’ and students’ beliefs are aligned to its effective use; (2) how can the process of change be facilitated systematically in schools such that these changes leverage on IT as a catalyst to enhance learning; and (3) how can policy-wide initiatives be set in place to enable schools, teachers, and teacher-training institutes to be fully aligned in order to enact systemic innovation change? This chapter discusses these issues as part of the research efforts arising from the Learning Sciences Lab (LSL).
Literacy in K-12 Teacher Education
Authors: Love Kristina
Published: May 2011

Midway through the first decade of the new millennium, teachers are still facing considerable challenges in dealing with the complex forms of literacy that are increasingly required for success across the K-12 curriculum in Australia. Three critical areas in particular need to be addressed in teacher education in this regard: teachers’ knowledge about text structures and about how language functions as a resource in the construction of a range of spoken, written, and multi-modal genres; teachers’ understanding of language and text as critical socio-cultural practices and how these practices build disciplinary knowledge across the K-12 curriculum; and teachers’ capacity to choose models of pedagogy that allow learners to master new literacy practices, transform meanings across contexts, and reflect substantively on learning through language. In this chapter, I will outline how a video-based interactive CD-ROM entitled BUILT (Building Understandings in Literacy and Teaching) was developed for use in teacher education to address these concerns. I will conclude by signalling some of the challenges that remain for teacher educators training novice teachers to scaffold, through ICT, their K-12 students into an important range of literacies.
Assessing the Relationship between Learner Satisfaction and Faculty Participation in Online Course Discussions
Authors: Offerman Dana , Pearce Kimberly , Tassava Christopher
Published: May 2011

Faculty-student interaction in online courses heightens student satisfaction and success. Capella University studied the relationship between learner satisfaction with faculty (as reported in end-of-course evaluations) and faculty participation in online courses (as measured by monitoring faculty interaction). Learners appear to be more responsive in courses led by instructors who seem committed to learner success and dedicated to improving learner engagement with the subject matter and other learners. Some instructor behaviors, including certain messages and eedback on assignments, improved overall learner satisfaction. However, these faculty behaviors did not improve other learner perceptions, such as increased professional value. Instructor-learner interaction with respect to projects and course content may be more important to learner satisfaction and realization of professional value than other kinds of faculty-student interaction.
Moving Beyond Objective Testing in Online Assessment
Authors: Ashton Helen S. , Beevers Cliff E. , Milligan Colin D. , Schofield David K. , Thomas Ruth C. , Youngson Martin A.
Published: May 2011

Computer-aided assessment (CAA) is traditionally seen as an efficient approach to testing large numbers of students by utilizing objective questions with the emphasis firmly on measurement. This chapter describes the development of a system that also seeks to contribute to improving student learning by enhancing the quality, sophistication, and authenticity of the assessments delivered. The system supports students and tutors through the learning process by providing diagnostic and directed feedback to learners and a clear measurement of their true ability to the teacher. The chapter also looks at current work focused on developing assessment systems that can assess higher order skills and begin to blur the boundary between learning and assessment.
A Computer-Adaptive Mathematics Test Accomodates Third Grade Students with Special Needs in the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Duesbery Luke , Ketterlin-Geller Leanne R. , McCoy Jan D. , Tindal Gerald
Published: May 2011

Assessment of student ability is often clouded by the interaction between content knowledge and prerequisite access skills. These ancillary skills can influence the students’ level of engagement with the test material by limiting their ability to access the test information or respond to the questions. In the case of mathematics, for example, reading and writing are viewed as access skills in that a student is required to be proficient in these skills in order to succeed on the multiple choice mathematics items (Helwig, Rozek-Tedesco, Tindal, Heath, & Almond, 1999). Students with deficiencies in these access skills are unable to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the construct under investigation by the test (Elliott, Kratochwill, & McKevitt, 2001). To compensate for these access barriers, test accommodations are provided that change the manner in which the test items are delivered, the setting in which the test is taken, the timing of the test, and/or the administration procedures employed during testing. In a traditional paper and pencil test, these changes to the test are only possible by retrofitting existing materials. In an online computerized testing platform, however, accommodations can be embedded within the design and delivery of the items, thereby creating a seamless testing environment that integrates the necessary support structures to provide all students with an equal opportunity to succeed. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the process we used to create an accommodated mathematics test for third grade students in an online environment.
A Human Collaborative Online Learning Environment Using Intelligent Agents
Authors: Silva de Azevedo Hilton José , Scalabrin Edson Emílio
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the design and implementation of a multiagent system based on a collaborative online learning environment (COLE). The purpose of developing such an environment is to improve social competences along with traditional content-related ones in lifelong learning. As educators would be unable to handle the huge amount of data concerning human interactions in such a learning environment, a multiagent system approach is adopted. The concept of human collaboration and the ways that project-based learning (PBL) and portfolios can be used to improve social competences are discussed based on the Social Theory of Learning. The way that the System Analysis for Agent Systems (SAAS) method was used to identify services and agents is presented. A general review of multiagent system architectures is presented to justify the choice of an open system. The basis and architecture of the COLE are explained. In order to facilitate the implementation of particular agents, a generic agent (GAg) and its functionalities are presented.
Enabling Technologies for the Semantic Web
Authors: Parker Kevin R.
Published: May 2011

Before understanding the Semantic Web and its associated benefits, one must first be somewhat familiar with the enabling technologies upon which the Semantic Web is based. The extensible markup language (XML), uniform resource identifiers (URIs), resource definition framework (RDF), ontologies, and intelligent agents are all key tithe realization of the Semantic Web. Understanding these key technologies gives readers a firm foundation before progressing to subsequent chapters. This chapter provides a broad overview of each technology, and readers new to these technologies are provided with references to more detailed explanations.
Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems
Authors: Eseryel Deniz , Eseryel U. Yeliz , Allyn W.
Published: May 2011

Organizations are fast realizing that knowledge management (KM) is critical to achieve competitive sustainability. However, mere realization that KM is critical does not ensure a smooth road to success. Fifty to seventy percent of KM initiatives reportedly fail. One of the main reasons of this failure is the lack of understanding of effective dimensions of KM implementation. In this chapter, we propose an integrated framework for knowledge management. Special attention is given to how knowledge management systems should be positioned within organizations. Examples of successful integration are provided by three case studies from different organizations.
Requirements Engineering
Authors: Parviainen Päivi , Tihinen Maarit , Lormanms Marco , van Solingen Rini
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces requirements engineering for sociotechnical systems. Requirements engineering for sociotechnical systems is a complex process that considers product demands from a vast number of viewpoints, roles, responsibilities, and objectives. This chapter explains the requirements engineering terminology and describes the requirements engineering process in detail, with examples of available methods for the main process activities. The main activities described include system requirements development, requirements allocation and flow-down, software requirements development, and continuous activities, including requirements documentation, requirements validation and verification, and requirements management. As requirements engineering is the process with the largest impact on the end product, it is recommended to invest more effort in both industrial application as well as research to increase understanding and deployment of the concepts presented in this chapter.
Conceptual Modeling in Requirements Engineering
Authors: Garda Javier Andrade , Casa Juan Ares , Vázquez Rafael García , Yáñez Santiago Rodríguez
Published: May 2011

This chapter focuses on software engineering conceptual modeling, its current weaknesses, and the alternatives to overcome them. It is clear that software quality has its genesis in the conceptual model and depends on how well this model matches the problem in question. However, this chapter presents a representative study of the analysis approaches that highlights that (i) they have traditionally focused on implementation and have paid little or no attention to the problem domain and (ii) they have omitted the various stakeholders (viewpoints) generally involved in any problem. The proposed alternatives are based on those aspects that are related to a generic conceptualisation, independent of the implementation paradigms.
Requirements Prioritisation for Incremental and Iterative Development
Authors: Greer D.
Published: May 2011

The problems associated with requirements prioritisation for an incremental and iterative software process are described. Existing approaches to prioritisation are then reviewed, including the Analytic Hierarchy Process, which involves making comparisons between requirements and SERUM, a method that uses absolute estimations of costs, benefits, and risks to inform the prioritisation process. In addition to these, the use of heuristic approaches is identified as a useful way to find an optimal solution to the problem given the complex range of inputs involved. In particular genetic algorithms are considered promising. An implementation of this, the EVOLVE method, is described using a case study. EVOLVE aims to optimally assign requirements to releases, taking into account: (i) effort measures for each requirement and effort constraints for each increment; (ii) risk measures for each requirement and risk limits for each increment; (iii) precedence constraints between requirements (where one requirement must always be in an earlier or the same increment as another); (iv) coupling constraints between requirements (where two or more must be in the same increment); and (v) resource constraints (where two or more requirements may not be in the same increment due to using some limited resource). The method also handles uncertainty in the effort inputs, which are supplied as distributions and simulated using Monte Carlo simulation before carrying out the genetic algorithm operations. In addition to handling uncertainty, EVOLVE offers several advantages over existing methods since it handles a large range of factors. The overall implementation of the method allows the inputs to be changed at each iteration, and so better fits reality where requirements are changing all the time.
A Quality Model for Requirements Management Tools
Authors: Carvallo Juan Pablo , Franch Xavier , Quer Carme
Published: May 2011

This chapter proposes the use of quality models to describe the quality of requirements management tools. We present the COSTUME (COmposite SofTware system qUality Model development) method aimed at building ISO/IEC 9126-1-compliant quality models, and then we apply it to the case of requirements management. We emphasize the need to use UML class diagrams to represent the knowledge about the domain prior to the quality model construction, and also use actor-based models to represent the dependencies of requirements management tools with their environment, and then comprehend better the implications of quality factors. We show the applicability of the quality model in a real experience of selection of a requirements management tool.
Ontologies in Higher Education
Authors: Milam John
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides an introduction to the use of ontologies and taxonomies in higher education. After a brief introduction to the nature of ontology, examples of ontology in higher education are reviewed. Issues in creating taxonomies, including their incorporation into search engines and concept maps, are then discussed. Software solutions for developing and utilizing taxonomies are presented next, along with problems and issues for implementation. Finally, future trends in the development of KM strategies for ontology are discussed.
Enterprise System Development in Higher Education
Authors: Chae Bongsug , Poole Marshall Scott
Published: May 2011

“One system for everyone” has been an ideal goal for information technology (IT) management in many large organizations, and the deployment of such systems has been a major trend in corporate world under the name of enterprise systems (ES) (Brown & Vessey, 2003; Davenport, 2000; Markus, Petrie, & Axline, 2000). Benefits from ES use are claimed to be significant and multidimensional, ranging from operational improvements through decision-making enhancement to support for strategic goals (Shang & Seddon, 2002). However, studies (Hanseth & Braa, 2001; Rao, 2000; Robey, Ross, & Boudreau, 2002) of the deployment of ES in private sector organizations show that the ideal is difficult to accomplish. This chapter reports a case in which a major university system in the U.S. attempted to develop an in-house enterprise system. The system is currently used by more than 4,000 individual users in almost 20 universities and state agencies. This case offers a historical analysis of the design, implementation and use of the system from its inception in the mid 1980s to the present. This case indicates that ES design and implementation in higher education are quite challenging and complex due to unique factors in the public sector—including state mandates/requirements, IT leadership/resources, value systems, and decentralized organizational structure among other things—that must be taken into account in planning, designing and implementing ES (Ernst, Katz, & Sack, 1994; Lerner, 1999; McCredie, 2000). This case highlights (1) the challenges and issues in the rationale behind “one system for everyone” and (2) some differences as well as similarities in IT management between the private and public sectors. It offers some unique opportunities to discuss issues, challenges and potential solutions for the deployment of ES in the public arena, particularly in higher education.
CMS Implementation as a Catalyst for Curricular Change
Authors: O’Brien Lynne , Campbell Amy , Earp Samantha
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we draw on examples from selected disciplines to highlight how implementing a course management system can encourage curricular discussions and catalyze curricular change at a university. We suggest that broad use of a CMS can both drive and support changes in teaching and curricular development. We close by providing some best practices and concrete suggestions on how to use a CMS to foster technology-enhanced curricular change.
Course Management Systems for Learning
Authors: Ross Barbara
Published: May 2011

Author Barbara Ross, co-founder and Chief Operating Office of WebCT, Inc., posits that in the future the “course” will become a decreasingly important construct in the “course management system.” Building on a personal reflection on teaching and learning in higher education, she predicts an evolving focus on effective pedagogy will drive academic enterprise systems to support learning outcomes and assessment, a proliferation of digital learning objects, commercial and open source tool integration and an increasing focus on the student. In conclusion, she reminds skeptics of the changes in the last five years and looks forward to a bright, dynamic future.
Future Directions of Course Management Systems
Authors: Mills David
Published: May 2011

Course management systems will unquestionably become one of the most critical enterprise systems in higher education. This is because these systems are more closely aligned with the core mission of teaching and learning than any others. Although these systems have already undergone extraordinary transformation in just a few short years, we are at only the very beginning of the evolutionary process. It is critical that CMS vendors look to the students, educators, and administrators that interact with these systems to identify what new tools and features they need. Consequently, the next stage of innovation in course management systems should therefore focus more on features specifically related to promoting better and more efficient processes for teaching and learning online. More flexible administration options should make these systems easier to maintain. Emerging standards will continue to simplify communications and data exchange with other systems. Finally, the infusion of sound principles of instructional design and learning theory into the tools themselves promises to transform today’s course management systems into tomorrow’s expert systems for teaching and learning.
Skills, Management of Skills, and IT Skills Requirements
Authors: Nakayama Makoto , Sutcliffe Norma
Published: May 2011

Information technology (IT) skill shortages appear at the market level occasionally—usually for emerging technologies, unanticipated challenges, and/or unresolved issues such as systems security. Even when a market-level skill shortage does not exist, a firm can still suffer from skill shortages for its critical information system (IS) project and/or IT operations unless the firm plans and manages its needs for IT skills. This chapter first surveys IT skills at the market level and then at the firm level to gain a perspective on the issues. Attention turns to the nature and characteristics of skills in general—not just IT skills—by reviewing past literature. The management of skills is deeply rooted in the management of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) and human resource practices of the firm. Key issues and lessons are drawn from the literature in those areas. We conclude by considering the nature and characteristics of IT skills in developing an agenda for the effective management of IT skills.
Digital Watermarking Schemes for Multimedia Authentication
Authors: Li Chang-Tsun
Published: May 2011

As the interconnected networks for instant transaction prevail and the power of digital multimedia processing tools for perfect duplication and manipulation increases, forgery and impersonation become major concerns of the information era. This chapter is intended to disseminate the concept of digital watermarking for multimedia authentication. Issues and challenges, such as security, resolution of tamper localization, and embedding distortion, of this technical area are explained first. Three main categories of watermarking approaches, namely fragile, semi-fragile, and reversible schemes, to the issues and challenges are then presented. Merits and limitations of specific schemes of each category are also reviewed and compared.
Hypertext Theory and Web Writing Assignments in the Writing and Professional Communication Classroom
Authors: Austin Wendy Warren
Published: May 2011

This chapter proposes that composition instructors focus less on the technical aspects of having students get Web pages published and more on teaching them basic hypertext principles, visual design principles, and writing strategies for presenting arguments in hypertext form. More and more professional and technical communication courses are incorporating Web page creation and/or website design into their pool of required assignments, while at the same time a growing number of first-year composition instructors are also beginning to incorporate Web pages into their repertoire of genres. This convergence is creating interesting paradoxes for instructors of both types and for website developers in the workplace. If basic hypertext principles are taught in earlier prerequisite courses, technical communication instructors could spend more time teaching more advanced hypertext theories and instructing students in the more technical aspects of the software they are using.
Millennium Leadership Inc.
Authors: Connaughton Stacey L. , Ruben Brent D.
Published: May 2011

Technology, communication, leadership, and work processes are inextricably linked in contemporary organizations. An understanding of these topics and an ability to apply these understandings in the workplace is becoming increasingly critical for workers in all sectors. In this chapter, we discuss some of the competencies that are vital for success in the contemporary workplace, and provide a description of one approach to developing these skills: a simulated organization designed to create a dynamic classroom learning environment. We explain how simulations help students develop “real-world” competencies in effective communication and writing practices in mediated and geographically dispersed contexts, and we present how educators, students, and professionals may benefit from this approach.
A Bridge to the Workplace
Authors: Freiermuth Mark R.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we examine the ways in which the Internet was used to run a case study-based, decision-making simulation in an academic writing class of 26 Japanese students studying English at a computer science university. The students had to construct an online glossary aimed at building sufficient background knowledge related to the simulation and then, in teams, create online documents demonstrating an understanding of the simulation problem and offer potential solutions. Information was delivered to students via the Web, and all documents produced by students were posted to their homepages. Assessment and observation revealed that the objectives of the simulation were achieved and that students were quite motivated throughout the simulation because they were able to make connections between the simulation activities and their chosen career. It is hoped that this study will act as an impetus for additional online simulation experiments in academia, business, and government.
Is This a Real Person? A Tutor's Response to Navigating Identity in the Spaces of a Synchronous Electronic Writing Center
Authors: Locklear Amy Lee
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores some of the theoretical and pedagogical issues that emerged from a study of identity, collaboration, and discourse methods in synchronous online writing center tutoring. Based on a newly introduced online component of an established university writing center, the premise of this study was to advance tutor training in the context of transferring traditional face-to-face (F2F) methodology to a synchronous terminal-to-terminal environment in a way that effectively preserved the integrity of dialogic collaboration. What emerged became a study of the rhetoric of face and space, in which an understanding of the complexities of online identity perception and projection becomes key to adapting existing F2F tutoring methods to online space in a way that promotes pedagogically sound discourse and learning.
Technology and Education
Authors: Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2011

This chapter establishes the critical relationships between technology and the foundations of education described in previous chapters. The domains, psychologies, and taxonomies of education provide the essentials upon which the Taxonomy for the Technology Domain is built and uncovered in subsequent chapters. It provides a foothold for further exploration in order to reveal the true impact and effect of this newest classification system for teaching and learning.
Technology Infusion (Level 4.0)
Authors: Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2011

The fourth level of the taxonomy, technology infusion, is sub-titled, “learning with technology.” Following the mastery of technological literacy (understanding technology), collaboration (technology to share ideas), and decision-making (technology to solve problems), “identifying, harvesting, and applying existing technologies to unique learning situations” characterizes thenext logical step in the development of skills and competencies for teachers and learners.
Coherence in Data Schema Transformation
Authors: Wedemeijer Lex
Published: May 2011

This chapter focuses on change in the information system’s Conceptual Schema in its operational life cycle phase, introducing Semantic Change Patterns as a novel notion in Conceptual Schema evolution. Each pattern outlines a coherent way to accommodate new information needs, both on the level of the existing data structure, and on the level of the data instances (data coercion). An initial catalogue of Semantic Change Patterns is proposed, based on actual schema changes observed in business cases. The catalogue exposes some of the schema evolution expertise that can be found in maintenance practice.
Mobile IT as Immutable Mobiles? Exploring the Enabling Qualities of a Mobile IT Application
Authors: Holmstrom Jonny
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the social consequences of mobile IT. Even though the need for better theorizing on the topic has been highlighted recently, most attempts to date have failed not only to properly explore the social consequences of mobile IT, but also in being specific about the technology itself in any detail. A promising approach with which to explore mobile IT and its social consequences may be found in actor network theory (ANT). ANT’s rich methodology embraces scientific realism in its central concept of hybrids that are simultaneously technological and social. The advantages of conceiving mobile IT applications immersed in and a part of a network of hybrids are explored by drawing from a project concerned with mobile IT use in the context of the mobile bank terminal (MBT). It was found that the users were less than enthusiastic over the MBT, and two key problems were identified. First, the poor design of MBT hampered the possibilities for ad-hoc activities. Second, the users felt that ad-hoc activities could be seen as somewhat irresponsible in the context of banking business. To this end, the problems related to the MBT use were both social and technical. We conclude by identifying and elaborating on some aspects of the social consequences of mobile IT use in order to shed new light on the possibilities and challenges that mobile IT use conveys.
The Mobile Workplace
Authors: Normark Daniel , Esbjornsson Mattias
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses how truly mobile occupational groups relate to locations in a vast working area when collaborating with each other. It brings forth two ethnographic studies on mobile professionals working on the road. Their work setting has predominantly been described from a perspective where they are isolated in the driver’s seat. However, seeing that the environment in which they drive through constitutes their workplace, the chapter examines their relation to the surroundings when performing their tasks. The empirical data illustrates the importance of mutual understanding of locations to successfully perform collaborative tasks. For example, coordinates supplied by a GPS receiver are not sufficient in the performance of their tasks. It is rather the mutual understanding of locations, being in proximity or other visual clues that are of importance. We argue the need for a detailed understanding regarding the use of locations to succeed in the development of future mobile position-based services.
Methods and Tools for Managing Library Web Content
Authors: Ragetli Johan
Published: May 2011

In this chapter key methods and tools available to libraries to manage their Web content are identified. Content in libraries may include subject guides, calendars, hours of operation, and digital collections. Solutions to manage a wide variety of materials and contributors range from enterprise-wide content management systems to homegrown, open source solutions.
Application Service Provision for Intelligent Enterprises
Authors: Guah Matthew W. , Currie Wendy L.
Published: May 2011

Several historical shifts in information systems (IS) involved strategies from a mainframe to a client server, and now to application service provision (ASP) for intelligent enterprises. Just as the steam, electric, and gasoline engines became the driving forces behind the industrial revolution of the early 1900s, so the Internet and high-speed telecommunications infrastructure are making ASP a reality today. The current problem with the ASP model involves redefining success in the business environment of the 21st century. Central to this discussion is the idea of adding value at each stage of the IS life cycle. The challenge for business professionals is to find ways to improve business processes by using Web services.
Artificial Neural Networks Used in Automobile Insurance Underwriting
Authors: Kitchens Fred L.
Published: May 2011

As the heart of the insurance business, the underwriting function has remained mostly unchanged for nearly 400 years when Lloyd’s of London was a place where ship owners would seek out men of wealth. The two would contractually agree to share the financial risk, in the unlucky event that the ship would be lost at sea (Gibb, 1972; Golding & King-Page, 1952).
Automation of American Criminal Justice
Authors: Holland J. William
Published: May 2011

Criminal Justice has been one of the public sectors in the forefront of the move toward automation and digital government. The effect of computerization on American criminal justice has been profound and it has transformed the criminal justice process in many fundamental ways. Starting with President Lyndon Johnson’s government commission, The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society: A Report by the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, public and private experts in criminal justice and technology laid out the information needs of the criminal justice system and the computer systems to meet those demands. At a time when computerization was minimal throughout the criminal justice system, these task force members developed the blueprint for today’s multilayered automated criminal justice environment (Dallek, 1998, pp. 405-407, 409-411; Challenge of crime in a free society, 1967, pp. 268-271).
Basic Notions on Multidimensional Aggregate Data
Authors: Rafanelli Maurizio
Published: May 2011

The term multidimensional aggregate data (MAD; see Rafanelli, 2003) generally refers to data in which a given fact is quantified by a set of measures obtained applying one more or less complex aggregative function (count, sum, average, percent, etc.) to row data, measures that are characterized by a set of variables, called dimensions. MAD can be modeled by different representations, depending on the application field which uses them. For example, some years ago this term referred essentially to statistical data, that is, data whose use is essentially of socio-economic analysis. Recently, the metaphor of the data cube was taken up again and used for new applications, such as On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP), which refer to aggregate and non aggregate data for business analysis.
Building and Management of Trust in Information Systems
Authors: Mezgar István
Published: May 2011

Thanks to the rapidly developing information and communication technologies, the complexity of networked organizations becomes very high, so the representation of their structure, the description of their operation, and their control needs new technologies and approaches. The availability of individuals independent from location and time means mobility, and that is an important attribute of today’s society. This mobility can be achieved by using different types of wireless networks such as wireless wide area networks (WWANs—GSM, GPRS, and UMTS), wireless local area networks (WLANs, such as WiFi 802.11b, 802.11a), and wireless personal area (or Pico) networks (WPAN—Bluetooth, IrDA2).
Business Process and Knowledge Management
Authors: Edwards John S.
Published: May 2011

Knowledge has been a subject of interest and enquiry for thousands of years, since at least the time of the ancient Greeks, and no doubt even before that. “What is knowledge” continues to be an important topic of discussion in philosophy.
Business Strategy, Structure and IT Alignment
Authors: Theodorou Petros
Published: May 2011

The structure of production during the last decade has been changed radically. The importance of design, flexibility, quality, and dependability increased. The main motive behind that restructuring seems to be the qualitative and quantitative diversification of demand (regulatory, technology, and other issues can be mentioned as well). The diversification of demand forced production to be more flexible in order to accommodate the environment’s variations. Information systems (IS) proved to be a perfect ‘partner’ for the enterprise who wants to move along at this pace: to increase competitive advantage and retain its competitive position in the market. The capabilities of information technology (IT) for increasing competitive advantage forced management to consider IT in the strategic planning process and to consider IT not as a mere tool of bolts and nuts, but as a strategic partner. The key for the successful IT-IS adoption is the strategic IT alignment model. According to this, IT should be aligned with organizations’ structure and employees’ culture in order to avoid resistance and increase core competence at the strategic level. But the strategic options offered by advanced IT investments are not appraised by using the usual hard financial criteria. Instead, Black and Scholes developed a financial formula to valuate derivative financial products and open the road to valuate options offered by real investments. Thus, the application of Black and Scholes’ formula offers an opportunity to valuate financially strategic IT investment.
Census Data for Health Preparedness and Response
Authors: Garb Jane L. , Wait Richard B.
Published: May 2011

The epidemiologist works with researchers in various disciplines as well as public and private health practitioners who are responsible for maintaining and improving the health of the population. Health is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”(WHO, 1948). The role of the epidemiologist is to provide information on the extent, etiology and risk of disease or injury. Key to this role is knowledge of the location, size and demographic makeup of the population at risk for developing disease or injury. By integrating this information with the location of cases as well as risk factors, epidemiologists can make a vital contribution to disease and injury prevention, intervention and response. This applies both to endemic or “usual” levels of both chronic diseases like cancer or heart disease and infectious diseases like pneumonia or influenza, and injuries like gunshot wounds or motor vehicle accidents. It also applies to disease epidemics or outbreaks like SARS; attacks by biological or chemical weapons such as Anthrax, ricin or sarin; and inadvertent natural or technological disasters including earthquakes, transportation disasters or widespread power interruptions. This chapter explores the types of census data for disease surveillance, prevention and intervention.
Change Process Drivers for E-Business
Authors: Richards H. D. , Makatsorsis C. , Chang Y. S.
Published: May 2011

The main focus of this article is a study of the transformation processes occurring in industry and business at large. It deals with the social and economic challenges and it explores the new concepts arising from an unprecedented technology revolution. In addition it sets the scene for a new era of industrial capitalism.
Content Management in Organizations
Authors: Honkaranta Anne , Tyrvainen Pasi
Published: May 2011

Content management may be characterized as “a variety of tools and methods that are used together to collect, process, and deliver content of diverse types” (McIntosh, 2000, p. 1). At least three differing approaches on content management may be identified: 1) Web content management, 2) Document management, and 3) Utilization of structured documents.
Critical Realism as an Underlying Philosophy for IS Research
Authors: Dobson Philip J.
Published: May 2011

Many recent articles from within the information systems (IS) arena present an old-fashioned view of realism. For example, Iivari, Hirschheim, and Klein (1998) saw classical realism as seeing “data as describing objective facts, information systems as consisting of technological structures (‘hardware’), human beings as subject to causal laws (determinism), and organizations as relatively stable structures” (p. 172). Wilson (1999) saw the realist perspective as relying on “the availability of a set of formal constraints which have the characteristics of abstractness, generality, invariance across contexts.”
Data Collection Methodologies for Web-Based Experiments
Authors: Westin Stu
Published: May 2011

Experimental studies involving the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) are becoming increasingly common in disciplines such as management information systems (MIS), marketing, and e-commerce. The focus of these studies is varied and may involve issues of human factors and interface design (Otto et al., 2000; Koufaris, 2002; Liang & Lai, 2002; Palmer, 2002), issues of information processing and search strategies (Spence, 1999; Johnson et al., 2000; Xia & Sudharshan, 2000; Chiang et al., 2004), issues of vendor trustworthiness (Grazioli & Jarvenpaa, 2000; Jarvenpaa et al., 2000; Norberg, 2003), or a myriad of other topics. Regardless of the issue being studied, data collection for online Web research often proves to be a vexing problem, and ideal research designs are frequently sacrificed in the interest of finding a reasonable data capture mechanism. In this article, we discuss some of the methodological complexities that arise when conducting Web-based experiments. We then describe an innovative, software-based methodology that addresses these problems.
Data Dissemination in Mobile Databases
Authors: Waluyo Agustinus Borgy , Srinivasan Bala , Taniar David
Published: May 2011

The development of wireless technology has led to mobile computing, a new era in data communication and processing (Barbara, 1999; Myers & Beigl, 2003). With this technology, people can now access information anytime and anywhere using a portable, wireless computer powered by battery (e.g., PDAs). These portable computers communicate with a central stationary server via a wireless channel. Mobile computing provides database applications with useful aspects of wireless technology known as mobile databases.
Decision-Making Support Systems and Representation Levels
Authors: Pomerol Jean-Charles , Adam Frédéric
Published: May 2011

The concept of Decision Support System (DSS), which was first coined by Gorry and Scott Morton (1971), was proposed in an attempt to focus the attention of IS researchers and practitioners more closely on the decision-making processes of managers. It sought to acknowledge the importance of decision-making as the key activity that managers must perform in organizations (Huber, 1982).
Departure of the Expert Systems Project Champion
Authors: Sipior Janice C.
Published: May 2011

The impact of cultural diversity on group interactions through technology is an active research area. Current research has found that a student’s culture appears to influence online interactions with teachers and other students (Freedman & Liu, 1996). Students from Asian and Western cultures have different Web-based learning styles (Liang & McQueen, 1999), and Scandinavian students demonstrate a more restrained online presence compared to their more expressive American counterparts (Bannon, 1995). Differences were also found across cultures in online compared to face-to-face discussions (Warschauer, 1996). Student engagement, discourse, and interaction are valued highly in “western” universities. With growing internationalization of western campuses, increasing use of educational technology both on and off campus, and rising distance learning enrollments, intercultural frictions are bound to increase.
Designing OMIS-Based Collaboration for Learning Organizations
Authors: Vat Kam Hou
Published: May 2011

Today, the view that knowledge is a valuable organizational resource has become widely recognized and accepted in the business community. This is largely due to the emergence of the knowledge-based economy (OECD, 1996), characterized by a highly competitive and turbulent business environment. One consequence is the increase in organizations’ efforts to deliberately manage knowledge. Organizations are realizing that their competitive edge is mostly the intellectual capital (brainpower) (Stewart, 1997) of their employees, and they are particularly interested in harnessing their human resources in order to stay ahead of the pack, through their soaring attention on specific aspects of knowledge management (De Hoog, van Heijst, van der Spek et al., 1999), which deals with the conceptualization, review, consolidation, and action phrases of creating, securing, combining, coordinating, and retrieving knowledge. Undeniably, with Web-based and intranet technologies (Dunn & Varano, 1999), the connectivity and possible sharing of organizational knowledge (bits and pieces of individual know-how scattered throughout the organization) are greatly enabled to cultivate the knowledge culture of the organization. In a knowledge-creating organization (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995), employees are expected to continually improvise and invent new methods to deal with unexpected difficulties, and to solve immediate problems and share these innovations with other employees through some effective communication channels or knowledge-transfer mechanisms. In fact, complete organizational knowledge is created only when individuals keep modifying their knowledge through interactions with other organizational members. The challenge that organizations now face is how to devise suitable information system (IS) support (Vat, 2000, 2002a, 2002b) to turn the scattered, diverse knowledge of their people into well-documented knowledge assets ready for deposit and reuse to benefit the whole organization. This article presents some learning organization perspectives of employee-based collaboration through the design of a specific IS support called the organizational memory information system—hence, the term OMIS.
Diffusion Patterns of the Internet Technology Cluster in Irish SMEs
Authors: Griffin James
Published: May 2011

Electronic commerce has been recognised as a source of fundamental, pan-sectoral change to the conduct of business; Chan and Swatman (2000) use the term: “A new paradigm for doing business.” Other authors have gone further, viewing modern IT developments as the latter part of a period starting in the mid-1970s that represents a transition to nothing less than a new phase of capitalist development (Amin, 1994). Benjamin, Rockhart, Scott Morton, and Wyman (1983) also suggest that the world economy has been fundamentally altered by the globalisation of competition which has largely been caused by the declining cost and consequent increasing spread of IT developments.
Discovery of Classification Rules from Databases
Authors: Richards Graeme , de la Iglesia Beatriz
Published: May 2011

In descriptive data mining, the objective is to build an understandable model that provides insight into the behaviour or characteristics of some data. The data comprise a set of records, each of which assigns values to a set of features or attributes. One of these features is designated the target feature; the value of this feature is described as the class of the record.
E-Commerce Training for SMEs
Authors: Duan Yanqing
Published: May 2011

E-commerce offers companies tremendous opportunities to improve their business performance in new and innovative ways. However, its potential benefit would only be realised by capable managers who can deal with these emerging technologies and implement them wisely. A skills shortage has been categorised as one of the challenges facing global e-commerce by Bingi and Khamalah (2000). The demand for highly knowledgeable and skilled managers and workloads places enormous pressure upon companies to improve or update their current knowledge and skills. This is particularly important in small and medium enterprises (SMEs),1 as compared with their larger counterparts, they are often described as “lacking the expertise needed to set up the technologies necessary, despite having a great deal to gain from doing so” (Anonymous, 1998, p. 52). Training is often seen as the most effective way to help SMEs to cope with the increasing demand on improving their skills, while not increasing staffing.
Electronic Commerce Policies for Dutch SMEs
Authors: Iacob Maria-Eugenia , Boekhoudt Piet , Ebeling Freek
Published: May 2011

Dutch small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are one of The Netherlands’ most important sources of wealth creation and employment. No less than 99% of private enterprises consist of medium and small-scale businesses. They provide employment for 2.3 million people (60% of the Dutch labor force) and account for 52% of the national income generated in the private sector (www.mkb.nl/mkbnederland/english.shtml).