bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Naturalism and Reference
Authors: Suikkanen Jussi , Suikkanen Jussi
Published: October 2017

Metaethical realists disagree about the nature of normative properties. Naturalists think that they are ordinary natural properties: causally efficacious, a posteriori knowable, and usable in the best explanations of natural and social sciences. Non-naturalist realists, in contrast, argue that they are sui generis: causally inert, a priori knowable and not a part of the subject matter of sciences. It has been assumed so far that naturalists can explain causally how the normative predicates manage to refer to normative properties, whereas non-naturalists are unable to provide equally satisfactory metasemantic explanations. This article first describes how the previous non-naturalist accounts of reference fail to tell us how the normative predicates could have come to refer to the non-natural properties rather than to the natural ones. I will then use the so-called qua-problem to show how the causal theories of reference of naturalists also fail to fix the reference of normative predicates to unique natural properties. Finally, I will suggest that, just as naturalists need to rely on the non-causal mechanism of reference magnetism to solve the previous problem, non-naturalists, too, can rely on the very same idea to respond to the pressing metasemantic challenges that they face concerning reference.
On Promoting the Dead Certain
Authors: Fischer Stefan
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Interests, Wrongs, and the Injury Hypothesis
Authors: Healey Richard
Published: October 2017

I show that cases of harmless wronging only pose a problem for interest-based theories if we accept a significant assumption about the relationship between interests and wrongs.
Our Intuitions About the Experience Machine
Authors: Cosker-Rowland Rach
Published: October 2017

This article responds to a recent empirical study by De Brigard and Weijers on intuitions about the experience machine and what it tells us about hedonism.
Against Wolterstorff's Theistic Attempt to Ground Human Rights
Authors: Redmond David
Published: October 2017

This article responds to Nicholas Wolterstorff's attempt to ground human rights in the condition of being loved by God.
Instrumental Mythology
Authors: Schroeder Mark
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Comment on Raz
Authors: Wallace R. Jay
Published: October 2017

No abstract
First Force
Authors: Edmundson William A.
Published: October 2017

The state’s very existence seems morally problematic: there may be a justification, but there had better be. A vivid way of putting this is to say that gunmen, and the state as “gunman writ large,” threaten first force, while individuals who make conspicuous their readiness to defend what is theirs threaten not first but second force. But the “No First Force” maxim–originally Kant’s–must be relaxed if any institution of private property is to get off the ground. Property begins not in nature but in acts of appropriation, which in turn involve the use and threatened use of force against persons who might carry off the thing that has become property. Is it possible to relax the stricture against first force in a way that allows appropriation and transfer while maintaining a moral presumption against compulsory redistributive measures like those characteristic of modern welfare states? I argue that it is not.
A Unified Moral Terrain?
Authors: Everson Stephen
Published: October 2017

In his book What We Owe to Each Other, Thomas Scanlon proposes what he calls a ‘contractualist’ explanation of what he describes as ‘a central part of the territory called morality’, i.e. our duties to other rational creatures. If Scanlon is right, the fact that another creature is rational generates a particular kind of moral constraint on how we may act towards it: one should ‘treat rational creatures only in ways that would be allowed by principles that they could not reasonably reject insofar as they too were seeking principles of mutual governance which other rational creatures could not reasonably reject. This is then used to explain what makes actions right, at least within his central moral area. Such actions will be right because they are permitted by principles that cannot reasonably be rejected. In this essay, I question both whether Scanlon succeeds in identifying a proper part of the moral terrain as a subject for his account and also what, if any, is the contractualist content of that account. I argue that he equivocates between two distinct and incompatible conceptions of the justifiability of principles. According to the first, justifiability is a relation between principles and people, whilst according to the second, for a principle to be justifiable is for it to be justified. For his explanation of morality to have any contractualist force, justifiability needs to be understood as a relation, but for that explanation to have any plausibility, justifiability must be understood nonrelationally. Because of this, the account is unstable and fails to describe any part of the moral landscape.
Moral Principles are Not Moral Laws
Authors: Robinson Luke
Published: October 2017

What are moral principles? The assumption underlying much of the generalism–particularism debate in ethics is that they are (or would be) moral laws: generalizations or some special class thereof, such as explanatory or counterfactual-supporting generalizations. Iargue that this law conception of moral principles is mistaken. For moral principles do at least three things that moral laws cannot do, at least not in their own right: explain certain phenomena, provide particular kinds of support for counterfactuals, and ground moral necessities, “necessary connections” between obligating reasons and obligations. Moreover, neither a best-systems theory of moral principles nor any of the competing theories of moral principles proposed by Sean McKeever and Michael Ridge, Pekka Väyrynen, and Mark Lance and Margaret Little could vindicate the law conception of moral principles. I conclude with some brief remarks about what moral principles might be if they are not moral laws.
Two Accounts of the Normativity of Rationality
Authors: Way Jonathan
Published: October 2017

No abstract
Beyond History: The Ongoing Aspects of Autonomy
Authors: Weimer Steven
Published: October 2017

Historical accounts of autonomy hold that the autonomy of pro-attitudes depends, at least in part, on the way in which they came about. Understandably, such accounts tend to focus the bulk of their attention on identifying the historical conditions necessary for the development of autonomous pro-attitudes. As Alfred Mele has argued, however, in addition to autonomy with respect to the development of one’s pro-attitudes, full or robust personal autonomy requires as well that one be autonomous with respect to the continued possession of one’s pro-attitudes, and with respect to the influence those pro-attitude have on one’s behavior. These non-historical aspects of personal autonomy have not, though, been adequately addressed by recent historical accounts. This paper aims to draw attention to, and hopefully go some way toward remedying, the need for further illumination of the two ongoing aspects of autonomy. I argue first that in order for a pro-attitude to be autonomously possessed, it is not enough that it developed in an autonomous manner; it must also be maintained in an autonomous manner. I examine two proposed “autonomous-maintenance” conditions, one by Mele, the other by Richard Arneson, and argue that, as those conditions stand, neither is satisfactory. What we need, I argue, is an autonomous-maintenance condition that adjusts and combines the requirements of those two conditions, such as that I go on to offer. According to that condition, the autonomous possession of a pro-attitude requires that the agent remain disposed and able to review the pro-attitude in the light of new and relevant evidence, and that she is capable of shedding the pro-attitude should such review issue in a rational judgment that it is best to do so. I then examine Mele’s discussion of the behavioral aspect of autonomy relative to a pro-attitude. I argue that by requiring that an agent be able to construct and execute a plan for acting on the basis of a pro-attitude that has some objectively determined likelihood of success, Mele’s treatment of the behavioral aspect of autonomy confuses the ability to autonomously pursue one’s ends with the ability to achieve them. The behavioral aspect of autonomy, I argue, ought instead require merely that an agent be able to employ her adequate self-control capacities in determining for herself whether and how to go about acting on her autonomously possessed pro-attitudes.
Reciprocity and Liberal Legitimacy
Authors: Neufeld Blain
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
A Challenge for New Defenders of the Doctrine of Double Effect
Authors: McBride Mark
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
The Enforcement Approach to Coercion
Authors: Anderson Scott A.
Published: October 2017

This essay differentiates two approaches to understanding the concept of coercion, and argues for the relative merits of the one currently out of fashion. The approach currently dominant in the philosophical literature treats threats as essential to coercion, and understands coercion in terms of the way threats alter the costs and benefits of an agent’s actions; I call this the “pressure” approach. It has largely superseded the “enforcement approach,” which focuses on the powers and actions of the coercer rather than the perspective of the coercee. The enforcement approach identifies coercion with certain uses of the kinds of powers that agents need to accumulate and wield in order to be able to make significant, credible threats. Though there is considerable overlap extensionally in the instances of coercion recognized by the two approaches, the enforcement approach encompasses some uses of power to coerce that do not involve threats (in particular some direct uses of physical force). It also circumscribes which threats should be counted as coercive, though notably it provides a picture of coercion that is non-moralized in its essentials. While there may be specific purposes for which a pressure account is to be preferred, I argue that the enforcement approach better describes how coercion works, and elucidates factors that are often tacitly assumed by pressure accounts. It also is more useful for explaining the social and political significance of coercion, and why coercion is thought to have the implications commonly associated with it. In particular, I argue that it helps us understand why uses of coercion are in general a matter of ethical significance, why state authority depends on commanding a monopoly on the right to use coercion, and why being coerced may reasonably provide one a defense against being held responsible for actions one is coerced into taking.
Justifications and Excuses: Mutually Exclusive?
Authors: McBride Mark
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Thomson's Trolley Switch
Authors: Shaver Robert
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Meriting Concern and Meriting Respect
Authors: Garthoff Jon
Published: October 2017

Recently there has been a somewhat surprising interest among Kantian theorists in the moral standing of animals, coupled with a no less surprising optimism among these theorists about the prospect of incorporating animal moral standing into Kantian theory without contorting its other attractive features. These theorists contend in particular that animal standing can be incorporated into Kantian moral theory without abandoning its logocentrism: the claim that everything that is valuable depends for its value on its relation to rationality. In this essay I raise doubts about the prospects for accommodating animal moral standing within a logocentric Kantianism. I argue instead that the best way to incorporate animal moral standing into Kantian theory is to admit more radical departures from Kant’s position by maintaining that consciousness is a locus of moral standing independent from rationality.I propose that we should attribute moral standing to all conscious animals because the capacity of consciousness is the criterion distinguishing individuals whose well-being generates reasons from individuals whose well-being fails to do so. We need such a criterion because we speak of the well-being of things, such as artifacts and meteorological phenomena, which clearly lack moral standing. Having already argued against the Kantian view that the criterion of moral standing is rationality, I proceed to argue that consciousness is also superior to its other principal rival for the criterion of moral standing: life.On the view that emerges from this discussion, we have obligations to show concern for conscious individuals by treating their well-being as providing us with reasons for action; the view thus endorses the criterion of moral standing typically advanced by utilitarians. On this view we also have a distinct class of obligations to show respect for conscious rational individuals; the view thus endorses the Kantian claim that persons have a distinctive (and a higher) moral status in virtue of their possession of rational capacities. In this essay thus begin to show how a principal insight of each leading approach to modern moral theory may be captured in a unified theory.
The Locative Analysis of Good For Formulated and Defended
Authors: Fletcher Guy
Published: October 2017

THE STRUCTURE OF THIS PAPER IS AS FOLLOWS. I begin§1 by dealing with preliminary issues such as the different relationsexpressed by the “good for” locution. I then (§2) outline theLocative Analysis of good for and explain its main elements before movingon to (§3) outlining and discussing the positive features of the view. Inthe subsequent sections I show how the Locative Analysis can respond toobjections from, or inspired by, Sumner (§4-5), Regan (§6), and Schroederand Feldman (§7). I then (§8) reply to an imagined objector who claimsthat the Locative Analysis generates implausible results with respect topunishment, virtue and agent-centered duties.
The Frege-Geach Objection to Expressivism, Structurally Answered
Authors: Köhler Sebastian
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Moral Responsibility and Merit
Authors: King Matt
Published: October 2017

In the contemporary moral responsibility debate, most theorists seem to be giving accounts of responsibility in the "desert-entailing sense." Despite this agreement, little has been said about the notion of desert that is supposedly entailed. In this paper I propose an understanding of desert sufficient to help explain why the blameworthy and praiseworthy deserve blame and praise, respectively. I do so by drawing upon what might seem an unusual resource. I appeal to so-called Fitting-Attitude accounts of value to help inform a conception of desert or merit, one that can be usefully applied to discussions of moral responsibility. I argue that the view, which I call, Desert as Fittingness (or DAF), merits additional attention. I do so by making two claims: First, that it does better than extant Fitting Attitude accounts of blameworthiness and praiseworthiness; second, that it has an initial plausibility with respect to informing a general account of desert. While these reasons are insufficient to show the view is true, they do make the case for taking the view seriously.
Objective Morality, Subjective Morality, and the Explanatory Question
Authors: Dorsey Dale
Published: October 2017

A common presupposition in metaethical theory is that moral assessment comes in (at least) two flavors, one of which is sensitive to our epistemic circumstances, the second of which is not so sensitive. Though this thought is popular, a number of questions arise. In this paper, I limit my discussion to what I dub the "explanatory question": how one might understand the construction of subjective moral assessment given an explanatorily prior objective assessment. I argue that a proper answer to this question is important not simply for its own sake, but because it also sheds new light on important challenges to the existence of both objective and subjective moral obligations.
The Case of the Miners
Authors: Andric Vuko
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Evolutionary Debunking, Moral Realism and Moral Knowledge
Authors: Shafer-Landau Russ
Published: October 2017

This paper reconstructs what I take to be the central evolutionary debunking argument that underlies recent critiques of moral realism. The argument claims that given the extent of evolutionary influence on our moral faculties, and assuming the truth of moral realism, it would be a massive coincidence were our moral faculties reliable ones. Given this coincidence, any presumptive warrant enjoyed by our moral beliefs is defeated. So if moral realism is true, then we can have no warranted moral beliefs, and hence no moral knowledge. In response, I first develop what is perhaps the most natural reply on behalf of realism – namely, that many of our highly presumptively warranted moral beliefs are immune to evolutionary influence and so can be used to assess and eventually resuscitate the epistemic merits of those that have been subject to such influence. I then identify five distinct ways in which the charge of massive coincidence has been understood and defended. I argue that each interpretation is subject to serious worries. If I am right, these putative defeaters are themselves subject to defeat. Thus many of our moral beliefs continue to be highly warranted, even if moral realism is true.
Moral Error Theory and the Argument from Epistemic Reasons
Authors: Cosker-Rowland Rach
Published: October 2017

In this paper I defend what I call the argument from epistemic reasons against the moral error theory. I argue that the moral error theory entails that there are no epistemic reasons for belief and that this is bad news for the moral error theory since, if there are no epistemic reasons for belief, no one knows anything. If no one knows anything, then no one knows that there is thought when they are thinking, and no one knows that they do not know everything. And it could not be the case that we do not know that there is thought when we believe that there is thought and that we do not know that we do not know everything. I address several objections to the claim that the moral error theory entails that there are no epistemic reasons for belief. It might seem that arguing against the error theory on the grounds that it entails that no one knows anything is just providing a Moorean argument against the moral error theory. I show that even if my argument against the error theory is indeed a Moorean one, it avoids Streumer's, McPherson's and Olson's objections to previous Moorean arguments against the error theory and is a more powerful argument against the error theory than Moore's argument against external world skepticism is against external world skepticism.
Forcing Cohen to Abandon Forced Supererogation
Authors: Archer Alfred
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Keep Things in Perspective
Authors: Whiting Daniel
Published: October 2017

Objective reasons are given by the facts. Subjective reasons are given by one’s perspective on the facts. Subjective reasons, not objective reasons, determine what it is rational to do. In this paper, I argue against a prominent account of subjective reasons. The problem with that account, I suggest, is that it makes what one has subjective reason to do, and hence what it is rational to do, turn on matters outside or independent of one’s perspective. After explaining and establishing this point, I offer a novel account of subjective reasons that avoids the problem.
Against Vote Markets
Authors: Archer Alfred , Wilson Alan T.
Published: October 2017

No Abstract.
Money Pumps, Synchronic and Diachronic
Authors: Levy Yair
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
The State's Duty to Ensure Children are Loved
Authors: Ferracioli Luara
Published: October 2017

Do children have a right to be loved? An affirmative answer faces two immediate challenges: (i) A child’s basic needs can be met without love, therefore a defense of such a right cannot appeal to the role of love in protecting children’s most basic needs, and (ii) since love is nonvoluntary, it seems that there cannot be a corresponding duty on the part of parents to love their child. In this essay, I defend an affirmative answer that overcomes both of these challenges. First, I argue that the right of children to be loved is grounded in the value of children leading meaningful lives. Second, I argue that the right of children to be loved gives rise to a duty on the part of the state to do all that it legitimately can to ensure that procreation and parenting follow from a truly voluntary decision on the part of its citizens.
The Abductive Case for Humeanism Over Quasi-Perceptual Theories of Desire
Authors: Baker Derek
Published: October 2017

A number of philosophers have offered quasi-perceptual theories of desire, according to which to desire something is roughly to “see” it as having value or providing reasons. These are offered as alternatives to the more traditional Humean theory of motivation, which denies that desires have a representational aspect. This paper examines the various considerations offered by advocates to motivate quasi-perceptualism. It argues that Humeanism is in fact able to explain the same data that the quasi-perceptualist can explain, and in one case the Humean explanation is superior. Quasi-perceptual accounts of desire, the paper concludes, are for the most part unmotivated.
Reasons-Responsiveness and Time Travel
Authors: Cohen Yishai
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Two Versions of Hume's Law
Authors: Brown Campbell
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Internalism, Ideal Advisors and the Conditional Fallacy
Authors: Hyun Alexander
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
The Difference We Make
Authors: Forcehimes Andrew T. , Semrau Luke
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Moral Explanations, Thick and Thin
Authors: Cline Brendan
Published: October 2017

Cornell realists maintain that irreducible moral properties have earned a place in our ontology in virtue of the indispensable role they play in a variety of explanations. These explanations can be divided into two groups: those that employ thin ethical concepts and those that employ thick ethical concepts. Recent work on thick concepts suggests that they are not inherently evaluative in their meaning. If correct, this creates problems for the moral explanations of Cornell realists, since the most persuasive moral explanations are those that employ thick concepts. If thick concepts are not inherently evaluative, then the most plausible explanations on offer cannot support Cornell realism. Moral explanations employing thin concepts, however, are too flimsy to support the view. Unless proponents can develop a compelling story about thick concepts or thin explanations, Cornell realism is in trouble.
The Relevance of Human Nature
Authors: Southwood Nicholas
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
Against Scanlon's Theory of the Strength of Practical Reasons
Authors: Sampson Eric
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
On the Democratic Value of Distrust
Authors: Matthes Erich Hatala
Published: October 2017

No abstract.
The Relationship between School/Department Rankings, Student Achievements, and Student Experiences: The Case of Psychology
Authors: Stenstrom Doug , Curtis Mathew , Iyer Ravi
Published: October 2017

What predicts academic success during graduate school? What are the experiences of graduate students in terms of happiness, stress level, relationships in the program, and feelings of autonomy/competence? Responses from 3,311 graduate students from all psychological disciplines in the US and Canada were collected to answer questions involving (1) the relationship between student-level variables and department/school rankings (US News & World Report, Carnegie Foundation, National Research Council), (2) the determinants of important student-level variables such as number of publications, posters, and life satisfaction, and (3) examining the variables year-by-year in the program to explain changes over time at different points in the graduate career. Results reveal the degree to which certain aspects of higher ranked departments/schools impact student achievements such as number of publications and teaching experience. The results also reveal a unique year-by-year progression including a consistent decrease of happiness for every year in graduate school. While the findings were collected in psychology, the answers to these questions may resonate with graduate students across disciplines that are experiencing similar forces that characterize the graduate school experience. The results can also inform current conversations about the direction of higher education and the value of the graduate school experience.
How Supervisors Perceive PhD Supervision – And How They Practice It
Authors: Bøgelund Pia
Published: October 2017

In many Western countries, higher education has experienced a cultural change as a result of increased budgetary constraints, calls for greater accountability, and the greater competition for students. This development has had a profound influence on the working conditions of academic staff and on knowledge production in general at universities. The education of PhD students is no exception. However, little research has been carried out in regard to the implications of these changes. In particular, the way the supervisors think and react has not been explored.
What do supervisors think about educating PhD students in today’s university context? And how and to what extent do they modify their practice based on that understanding? This article seeks to qualify, illustrate, and discuss these questions based on an interview study among twelve experienced supervisors at the Faculty of Engineering and Science at Aalborg University in Denmark.
The data show that it has become more complex to be a PhD supervisor. Three knowledge production perspectives are identified, each embracing a specific university agenda: (1) High quality research; (2) Economically viable and efficient research; and (3) Internationally adapted research. Currently, the second perspective is dominant in the understanding and practice of supervisors – to some extent at the expense of the two other agendas. Finally, the consequences of this are discussed.
Interviewing When You’re Not Face-To-Face: The Use of Email Interviews in a Phenomenological Study
Authors: Bowden Chandra , Galindo-Gonzalez Sebastian
Published: October 2017

As Internet usage becomes more commonplace, researchers are beginning to explore the use of email interviews. Email interviews have a unique set of tools, advantages, and limitations, and are not meant to be blind reproductions of traditional face-to-face interview techniques. Email interviews should be implemented when: 1) researchers can justify email interviews are useful to a research project; 2) there is evidence that the target population will be open to email interviewing as a form of data collection; and 3) the justification of the email interview supports the researchers’ theoretical perspective. The objective of this study was to develop an email interviewing methodology. As with other forms of qualitative interviewing, it is important that the researcher: 1) identifies constraints; 2) adequately prepares for the interview; 3) establishes rapport; 4) asks appropriate questions; 5) actively listens; and 6) ends the email interview appropriately.
Geospatial Crypto Reconnaissance: A Campus Self-Discovery Game
Authors: Singh Lallie Harjinder
Published: October 2017

Campus discovery is an important feature of a university student induction process. Approaches towards campus discovery differ from course to course and can comprise guided tours that are often lengthy and uninspiring, or self-guided tours that run the risk of students failing to complete them. This paper describes a campus self-discovery induction game (Geospatial Crypto Reconnaissance) which aims to make students aware of campus resources and facilities, whilst at the same time allowing students to make friends and complete the game in an enthusing and exciting way.
In this paper we describe the game construct, which comprises of a location, message, and artefact, and also the gameplay. Geospatial Crypto Reconnaissance requires students to identify a series of photographs from around the campus, to capture the GPS coordinates of the location of the photograph, to decipher a ciphered message and then to return both the GPS coordinates and the message for each photograph, proving that the student has attended the location. The game had a very high satisfaction score and we present an analysis of student feedback on the game and also provide guidance on how the game can be adopted for less technical cohorts of students.
The Creation of the Chain-Link Fence Model
Authors: Houghton Robert
Published: October 2017

There is much known about logical ways of implementing security measures in an organization. Anecdotal evidence shows that few organizations implement a full suite of measures. This study used a single case to identify problems with a logical implementation. A framework was developed using the literature and these identified problems. The framework was then tested through interviews of experienced professionals.
A Flipped Classroom Approach to Teaching Systems Analysis, Design and Implementation to Second Year Information Systems University Students
Authors: Tanner Maureen , Scott Elsje
Published: October 2017

[The final form of this paper was published in the Journal of Information Technology Education: Research]

This paper describes the flipped classroom approach followed in two second year Information Systems courses. The various techniques employed through this approach are described. These techniques were underpinned by a theory of coherent practice, which is a pedagogy that provides a framework for the design of highly structured interventions to guide students in their learning experiences. The paper also describes the students’ perceived benefits and limitations of the approach. The students’ performance was compared with that of the previous year where a traditional teaching method was followed. Overall, the flipped classroom approach had a positive impact on students’ attitude to learning, level of understanding, ability to apply concepts, engagement and performance. Limitations were mostly in line with a reluctance to take charge of their own learning (for some of them) and inability to engage in group discussions. A set of recommendations are proposed to address these gaps in line with what has been prescribed in literature.
Design and Implementation of an HCI course for MIS students – Some lessons
Authors: Or-Bach Rachel
Published: October 2017

Courses on Human Computer Interaction (HCI) largely differ in the conception of the role of the course in the program, in the topics to be included, in emphases, in the instructional strategies that are employed, and more. This paper describes the design and implementation of a HCI course for students of the Management Information Systems department in our college. Students’ intermediate and final homework assignments were analyzed to provide feedback for the course design. Quantitative analysis showed high correlation between the quality of the requirement analysis performed by the students and the quality of the final interface prototype, and also that the quality of design alternatives that were considered by the students can be a good predictor for the quality of the overall interface design. Qualitative analysis of students’ submissions showed the need for practicing skills required in users’ studies, especially conducting interviews and observations. Implications from these and other findings are discussed.
Design of Circuit System-Based Cryptography
Authors: Caroline Akinwonmi Folasade , Kayode Alese Boniface , M. Dahunsi Folasade , A. Osuolale Festus , E Odo Ayodele
Published: October 2017

Cryptography is the science of writing in secret codes which can be achieved either by using software encrypter or hardware encrypter. This study presents the development of a pair of circuit system-based (hardware) cryptographic processor. The hardware encryption in this study was achieved using the bitwise logic operations in the registers of the microcontroller and messages are streamed as serial ASCII data from the PC through the USB port to the microcontroller unit. The encryption is performed on each ASCII representation using a pass key embedded in the microcontroller unit. Decryption process is similar but in the reverse order. A comparative analysis of the encryption time for the hardware-based data encryption was made and findings recorded. The processor was implemented using PIC18F4550 microcontroller mounted on a Printed Circuit Board alongside other components to achieve the hardware based circuitry. The software end of the encryption and decryption algorithm was developed based on a library built into C Language Visual Studio version 2010 and the CCS C compiler for communication protocol stack.
Introducing E-portfolio Use to Primary School Pupils: Response, Benefits and Challenges
Authors: Theodosiadou Dimitra , Konstantinidis Angelos
Published: October 2017

Electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) have a positive impact on the learning process in a broad range of educational sectors and on learners of all ages. Yet because most e-portfolio-related studies are about their implementation in higher education, this type of research is less usual in the early childhood context, and there is no available research for Greek schools. This study aims to investigate the impact of e-portfolios on learning in a Greek primary school and to provide a resource regarding the educational benefits of e-portfolio in primary education. To do that, it employs the qualitative naturalistic method to collect data, along with mixed methods which were used to achieve triangulation and strengthen confidence in the outcomes. Participants in the research were fourteen 8-year-old pupils, and one of the researchers was their regular teacher. Data evaluation revealed that the e-portfolio added value in pupils’ learning, acted as a medium to involve parents, promoted pupils’ self-esteem, and was acknowledged as a valuable assessment tool and a challenge for the school community. Based on the experience of the e-portfolio implementation, the authors provide some suggestions that would possibly help researchers and primary school teachers adopt and develop e-portfolio systems in their particular settings.
Towards the Realization of the ICT Education Living Lab – The TechTeachers.co.za Success Story
Authors: A. K. Buitendag Albertus , Gerhardus Hattingh Frederik , Hains Matt
Published: October 2017

This paper presents the success story of the intuitive vision of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) high school educator in South Africa. The growth and evolution of a Community of Practice towards a full-fledged living lab is investigated. A grounded theory study analyses the living lab concept and highlights some of the current challenges secondary high school ICT education face within the South African educational landscape. Some of the concepts, ideas, best practices, and lessons learned in the establishment and running of two web based technologies to support secondary school ICT subjects is discussed. The researchers present a motivation for the use of living labs to address some of the issues identified and highlights how the existing platforms fits into bigger design.
Factors of Project Manager Success
Authors: George Saadé Raafat , Wan James , Dong Heliu
Published: October 2017

This research seeks to analyze the project success factors related to project managers' traits. The context of the research entails a 'united nations' type of organization. Critical success factors from previous recent studies were adopted for this research. Nineteen factors were adopted and a survey methodology approach was followed. Sixty six participants completed the survey. Exploratory factor analysis results revealed the existence of three constructs: project manager engagement traits, education, and experience. The total number of factors representing these three constructs after the factor reduction exercise is 12. We conclude by discussing the results and by provide limitations to our research study and recommendations for future research.

This conference paper was published in its final revision in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management (IJIKM). That final version is shown here.
Teaching Social Media in Business
Authors: McHaney Roger , Warkentin Merrill , Sachs David , Brian  Pope Michael , Ormond Dustin
Published: October 2017

The ways people connect, interact, share, and communicate have changed due to recent developments in information technology. These developments, categorized as social media, have captured the attention of business executives, technologists, and education professionals alike, and have altered many business models. Additionally, the concept of social media impacts numerous sub-disciplines within business and has become an important issue with operational, tactical, and strategic considerations. Despite this interest, many business schools do not have courses involving social media technologies and applications. In those that do, the placement and focus of the course varies considerably. This article provides motivation and insight into the process of developing an approach for effectively teaching social media use in business. Additionally, it offers implementation examples of courses taught at three major universities. The article concludes with lessons-learned that will give instructors practical guidance and ensure that social media courses taught in a business school provide students with a solid basis for integrating social media into business practice.
Printable Table of Contents: InformingScienceJ, Volume 18, 2015
Authors: Gill Grandon
Published: October 2017

Table of Contents
Using a Partnership in Industry to Link Theory and Practice in Undergraduate Courses
Authors: Scott Elsje , Tanner Maureen
Published: October 2017

The Information Systems (IS) profession is known as one of the most dynamic fields in our current day and age. Rapid advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) increase the dependence of organizations on these ICTs and create a greater need for IS competence. This demand constitutes serious challenges to academia to provide graduates with the necessary skill set to fulfil their roles in industry and to cope more effectively with real life problems. In an attempt to address this skills gap, a theory of coherent practice was developed to act as a framework for creating a synthesis of theory and practice when designing curricula for undergraduate courses. This paper reports on a specific implementation that led to an industry partnership, and the construction of a Case study to support a flipped classroom approach and provide context for a real life problem. In addition, it guided the design of a set of carefully structured interventions directing student evolution through different stages of development. Although further refinement to the implementation of the theory in the design of second year courses is needed, the value of the approach in preparing students more effectively for professional practice is already apparent in student feedback and in their performance in the courses.
Penetration Testing Curriculum Development in Practice
Authors: Li Chengcheng
Published: October 2017

As both the frequency and the severity of network breaches have increased in recent years, it is essential that cybersecurity is incorporated into the core of business operations. Evidence from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012) indicates that there is, and will continue to be, a severe shortage of cybersecurity professionals nationwide throughout the next decade. To fill this job shortage we need a workforce with strong hands-on experience in the latest technologies and software tools to catch up with the rapid evolution of network technologies. It is vital that the IT professionals possess up-to-date technical skills and think and act one step ahead of the cyber criminals who are constantly probing and exploring system vulnerabilities. There is no perfect security mechanism that can defeat all the cyber-attacks; the traditional defensive security mechanism will eventually fail to the pervasive zero-day attacks. However, there are steps to follow to reduce an organization’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks and to mitigate damages.
Active security tests of the network from a cyber-criminal’s perspective can identify system vulnerabilities that may lead to future breaches. “If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. But if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of hundred battles” (Sun, 2013). Penetration testing is a discipline within cybersecurity that focuses on identifying and exploiting the vulnerabilities of a network, eventually obtaining access to the critical business information. The pentesters, the security professionals who perform penetration testing, or ethical hackers, break the triad of information security - Confidentiality, Integrity, and Accountability (CIA) - as if they were a cyber-criminal. The purpose of ethical hacking or penetration testing is to know what the “enemy” can do and then generate a report for the management team to aid in strengthening the system, never to cause any real damages. This paper introduces the development of a penetration testing curriculum as a core class in an undergraduate cybersecurity track in Information Technology. The teaching modules are developed based on the professional penetration testing life cycle. The concepts taught in the class are enforced by hands-on lab exercises. This paper also shares the resources that are available to institutions looking for teaching materials and grant opportunities to support efforts when creating a similar curriculum in cybersecurity.
Learning English Vocabulary in a Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) Environment: A Sociocultural Study of Migrant Women
Authors: Sila Ahmad Kham , Sudweeks Fay , Armarego Jocelyn
Published: October 2017

This paper reports on a case study of a group of six non-native English speaking migrant women’s experiences learning English vocabulary in a mobile assisted language learning (MALL) environment at a small community centre in Western Australia. A sociocultural approach to learning vocabulary was adopted in designing the MALL lessons that the women undertook. The women provided demographic information, responded to questions in a pre-MALL semi-structured interview, attended the MALL lessons, and completed a post-MALL semi-structured interview. This study explores the sociocultural factors that affect migrant women’s language learning in general, and vocabulary in particular. The women’s responses to MALL lessons and using the tablet reveal a positive effect in their vocabulary learning.
Learning by Doing: How to Develop a Cross-Platform Web App
Authors: Q. Huynh Minh , Ghimire Prashant
Published: October 2017

As mobile devices become prevalent, there is always a need for apps.  How hard is it to develop an app especially a cross-platform app? The paper shares an experience in a project involved the development of a student services web app that can be run on cross-platform mobile devices.  The paper first describes the background of the project, the clients, and the proposed solution.  Then, it focuses on the step-by-step development processes and provides the illustration of written codes and techniques used.  The goal is for readers to gain an understanding on how to develop a mobile-friendly web app.  The paper concludes with teaching implications and offers thoughts for further development.  

A revised version of this paper was published in the journal Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, Volume 14, 2015
Immersive Interactive Learning Environments (A PhD Case Study)
Authors: Li Shang Ly Samie , George Saadé Raafat , Morin Danielle
Published: October 2017

Teaching and learning is no longer the same and the paradigm shift has not settled yet. In this study we frame immersive learning as a method which we believe can be designed by experiential, constructivist, and collaborative elements. We then present a peer to peer interactive web-based learning tool, which was designed, and implemented in-house and piloted in a PhD course on ‘Pedagogical Methods’. We present the results showing how the learning tool has immersive elements and the student outcomes. The tool engages students to learn a specified subject matter, synthesize the information, create question and rate their peer’s questions. Tests are then generated by professor from the students’ questions. Student performance shows that in such a context, students who spent more time doing the test scored less. In the results section, we also present the item response theory as a more appropriate analysis tool to assess and study immersive learning, and provide examples.
Characterising Computer Experience and Anxieties Differences Between Middle Eastern and Western Students in eLearning
Authors: George Saadé Raafat , Nebebe Fassil , Kira Dennis
Published: October 2017

Computer anxiety especially in first-year university students is common and continues to be a significant issue as it manifests itself in a number of negative emotions with significant detrimental impact to students. This is especially true in the context where students use computers for course work – online learning. Research work addressing the effect of computer/Internet experience on anxiety as it differs across cultures is relatively scarce. In this study, we investigate online learning anxiety and how it is impacted by computer and the internet experience, across two cultures – Middle Eastern and Wester. A survey methodology approach was used for the capture of data and analysis. We found that Anxiety using computers for learning still exists in today’s time across both cultures, however the type of anxiety differs between them. At the same time computer/Internet experience was found to impact anxiety in English student group while amount of computer usage was found to influence anxiety in the ME group. Conclusions, limitations and recommendations for furture research are provided.
Design and Redesign of a Multimodal Classroom Task – Implications for Teaching and Learning
Authors: Öman Anne
Published: October 2017

Digital technologies are increasingly implemented in Swedish schools, which impact on educa-tion in the contemporary classroom. Screen-based practice opens up for new forms and multi-plicity of representations, taking into account that language in a globalized society is more than reading and writing skills.
This paper presents a case study of technology-mediated instruction at the primary-school level including an analysis of the designed task and how the teacher orchestrated the digital resources during three introductory classes. The aim was also to explore the pupils’ redesigning of advertis-ing films based on teacher’s instructions and available digital resources. Sequences of a learning trajectory were video recorded and analysed from a multimodal perspective with a focus on the designed task and the processes of how pupils orchestrate meaning through their selection and configuration of available designs.
The findings show a distinction between the selection of design elements in the teacher’s orches-tration of the laptop resources during instruction and the pupils’ redesigning of the task. Pupils’ work developed from the linguistic design provided by the teacher towards visual design and the use of images as the central mode of expression in the process of creating advertising films. The findings also indicate a lack of orientation towards subject content due to the teacher’s primary focus on introducing the software.

This paper that was presented at the conference was previously published in the Journal of IT Education: Research