bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Personality Characteristics of Established IT Professionals II
Authors: Ash Ronald A. , Rosenbloom Joshua L. , Coder LeAnne , Dupont Brandon
Published: May 2011

Women are underrepresented in the information technology (IT) workforce relative to the overall labor force, comprising about 35% of the IT workforce and 45% of the overall labor force (Information Technology Association of America, 2003). A basic question to be addressed is whether this underrepresentation is a function of barriers to employment of women in this career field or a function of career-related choices that a majority of women make during their lives. The research reported here is part of a series of studies attempting to better understand the reasons underlying this underrepresentation of women in this reasonably lucrative profession. Through a grant provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF 29560) and in partnership with Consulting Psychologists Press, we have been able to design and conduct an extensive survey of professional workers, IT professionals and a comparable set of non-IT professionals. The non-IT professionals included individuals who are similar to the IT sample in terms of education level (but not specific degree fields) and who work in jobs with comparable human attribute demands, including written comprehension, oral comprehension, oral expression, written expression and deductive reasoning. The survey items include measures of occupational personality constructs (RIASEC) and Personal Style Scales (PSS). The purpose of this article is to document similarities and differences between established IT and non-IT professionals and between males and females on these variables, thereby establishing a benchmark for comparisons with future samples of IT professionals. Why is this worth doing? Because in the last decade of the 20th century, a critical mass of knowledge related to personality in work organizations developed. Personality contributes to all that happens during a person’s career, and informs our understanding of things like work motivation, job attitudes, citizenship behavior, leadership, teamwork, well-being, and organizational culture. Increasingly we have realized that personality plays an important role in determining who is hired and fired (cf. Schneider & Smith, 2004), as well as who voluntarily stays in and leaves organizations (cf. Harmon, Hansen, Borgen, & Hammer, 1994; Holland, 1997).
The Pipeline and Beyond
Authors: Myers Martha , Moody Janette , Beise Catherine , Woszczynski Amy
Published: May 2011

Women have been involved with IT since the 19th century, when Ada the countess of Lovelace was the first programmer for Charles Babbage’s analytical engine. Grace Murray Hopper’s contributions to COBOL and computing several decades ago are considered so significant that an annual conference is held in her honor (see http://www.grace hopper.org). In fact, the earliest computer programmers tended to be women more often than men (Panteli, Stack, & Ramsay, 2001). As the IT field progressed, however, it evolved into what many still view as a male-dominated domain, some say due to its increasing association with power and money (Tapia, Kvasny, & Trauth, 2003). Today, women make up at least half of World Wide Web users (Newburger, 2001), but this has apparently not translated into a proportionate participation in IT careers. IT managers must recruit and retain a skilled and diverse workforce in order to meet the needs of increasingly global enterprises where cross-cultural, heterogeneous work groups are the norm. However, numerous sources (Information Technology Association of America [ITAA], 2003; Zweben, 2005) agree that the proportion of females to males selecting and completing degrees in IT-related fields is declining. Not only are women missing out on career opportunities, but the IT profession is also missing potentially valuable alternative perspectives on system design (Woodfield, 2002). Worldwide, the digital divide is more extreme for women than men (Hafkin & Taggart, 2001), with the result that in many developing countries, women’s access to computers is more limited than men’s access. However, IT is an important driver for economic development and should provide women with new opportunities to better their circumstances, provided that a variety of challenges, such as technical education and social and political norms, can be addressed (Hafkin & Taggart, 2001). Even in more developed countries, females face well-documented (Margolis & Fisher, 2002; von Hellens, Nielsen, & Beekhuyzen, 2004) obstacles all along the pipeline beginning as early as middle school and continuing through college, graduate school, and the career. Developing solutions to recruit and retain women in IT may serve other underrepresented groups as well, making IT classrooms and IT workplaces more inviting and ultimately more productive environments for everyone.
Postmodern Femenism
Authors: Ratliff Clancy
Published: May 2011

Since the 1970s, researchers have been using gender as an analytic category to study information technology (IT). In the decades since then, several questions have been raised on an ongoing basis, such as: How is gender constituted and reproduced in electronic spaces? Can the Internet be a place where there is no gender, a place where gender becomes fluid and malleable? How are identity and the politics of identity constructed online? Some scholars studying these questions have relied on feminist standpoint theory to frame and inform their inquiries into these issues, which foregrounds the differences between men’s and women’s experiences in electronic spaces and computing in general. However, others, particularly throughout the 1990s, have found postmodern feminist theory to be not only more accurate for explaining the actual practices of electronic communication and behavior, but also more conducive to the achievement of feminist political goals. The sections that follow will explain the general principles of postmodern feminist theory and its use in studies of gender and computer-mediated communication.
Predicting Women's Interest and Choice of an IT Career
Authors: Creamer Elizabeth G. , Lee Soyoung , Meszaros Peggy S. , Burger Carol J. , Laughlin Anne
Published: May 2011

Research has supported the need to develop separate models for predicting men’s and women’s career interests. Women’s career interests, particularly in nontraditional fields in science, engineering, and technology (SET), are considerably more difficult to predict than are men’s (O’Brien & Fassinger, 1993). A number of factors have a significant impact on women’s career interests and choices but have little effect in predicting men’s career interests (O’Brien, Friedman, Tipton, & Linn, 2000). One of the most striking gender differences is that there is a much weaker connection for women than for men between interests, enjoyment, and career choice (O’Brien & Fassinger). The failure to make this connection is one explanation for the troubling finding that the majority of young women express interest in sex-typical careers that do not match their skills and are far below their ability (O’Brien & Fassinger). Gender differences in the factors that predict career interest apply to the field of information technology as well. There are significant gender differences in all aspects of the IT pipeline, from how women become interested in the computing field to how they enter and remain in it, as documented by Almstrum (2003).
Psychological Framework for IT Education
Authors: Grackin Janice A.
Published: May 2011

The most recent U.S. national statistics available indicate that among those earning degrees in engineering in 2000-2001, women made up only 18% of bachelor’s degrees, 21% of master’s degrees, and 17% of doctorates (NCES, 2003). A similar pattern emerges among those earning degrees in computer and information sciences, with women awarded only 28% of bachelor’s degrees, 34% of master’s degrees, and 18% of doctorates in those areas in 2000-2001 (NCES, 2003). These and related statistics suggest a continuing gender imbalance in engineering and computer and information science education, academic pathways that lead to careers which are among those traditionally accorded higher prestige and greater financial reward than traditionally “female” occupations (Kennelly, Misra, & Karides, 1999). The situation is particularly dire in computer and information science education. According to testimony at a recent congressional hearing, although the proportion of computer science graduates who were women increased steadily from 14% in 1972 to 37% in 1984, from 1984 to 2000 those numbers began to steadily decline again and are currently at less than 28% (Borrego, 2002). If computer and information technology education draws only from the 49% of the population which is male, the resulting gender imbalance is bound to translate into a shortage of trained IT personnel to fill existing positions. The aging IT workforce means that employers will need to fill not only new positions but those vacated by retiring personnel over the next twenty years (Jackson, 2004). The sheer number of technical professional positions to be filled now and in the foreseeable future makes it imperative that we tap the entire pool of young talent through early implementation of formal and informal strategies that encourage girls and young women to develop technical interests and skills and to enter technical training and post-secondary computer and information science education programs.
Questioning Gender through Transformative Critical Rooms
Authors: Crutzen Cecile K.M. , Kotkamp Erna
Published: May 2011

Using the discourse of Gender Studies (Harding, 1986), proves to be a fruitful strategy to question methods, theories and practices of the Informatics discipline (Suchman, 1994a, 1994b). It shows the problematic notion of the binary opposition of use-design and it uncovers the objectification of both users and designers in ICT-representations in the designing process (Crutzen, 1997, 2000a, 2000b). To further this analysis of the informatics discipline the concept of the transformative critical room is a very important one. A transformative critical room creates space where the interpretation of ICT-representations can be negotiated and where doubt can occur as a constructive strategy. Creating these rooms require actors who already have a habit of causing doubt and who accept that truths are always situated. Within gender studies these concepts of situated knowledge’s and the critical assessment of subject-object relations are at the core of many feminist theories (Crutzen, 2003; Crutzen & Kotkamp, 2006). A transformative critical room where a feminist analysis is of great importance is the room where interactions take place between human actors and ICT-representations. In this interaction, the meaning of “use” needs to be reconstructed. Using ICT representations imply the (re)design of a flexible environment where the connection between human and non-human actors can always be disconnected. When introducing this possible disruption in these ICT-representations it shows that the activities of use and design occur simultaneously with a process of learning. This means that designing is always an ongoing process where change takes place and where actability becomes an important condition.
Understanding the Mommy Tracks in the IT Workforce
Authors: Quesenberry Jeria L. , Trauth Eileen M.
Published: May 2011

Despite the recent growth in the number of women in the American labor force, women are under represented in the IT workforce. Key among the factors that account for this under representation is balancing work-family issues. Some researchers have speculated that IT work is not an ideal fit for working mothers because of long work hours, increased conflicts with family responsibilities, and the difficulty of returning after maternity leave to an industry with ever evolving technologies (Kuosa, 2000; Webster, 1996). This article reports on an empirical study that explored the influence of work-family balance on American women’s participation in the IT workforce by using the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT (Trauth, 2002; Trauth, Quesenberry, & Morgan, 2004; Trauth, Huang, Morgan, Quesenberry, & Yeo, 2006). In doing so, we summarize a work-family balance study presented in greater detail in Quesenberry, Morgan, and Trauth (2004) and Quesenberry, Trauth, and Morgan (2006) that articulates the ways in which individual and environmental factors influence female responses to issues of work-family balance.
Web-Based Learning and Its Impacts on Junior Science Classes
Authors: Chandra Vinesh , Fisher Darrell
Published: May 2011

The past decade has seen significant improvements in the design and development of information and communication technologies (ICT). The Internet, for instance, has become more efficient, more affordable and more accessible. While the availability of these technologies in classrooms has created new opportunities, it has at the same time presented new challenges for teachers. Teachers have to find innovative methods of implementing these technologies in lessons that are not only effective and efficient but also fair to both sexes.
What Women IT Professionals Want from Their Work
Authors: Kuhn Kristine M. , Joshi K. D
Published: May 2011

Articles in the popular IT press that address the underrepresentation of women often claim that women IT professionals differ from their male counterparts in what they desire from jobs, suggesting that special understanding of women’s work-related values is required to improve their recruitment and retention (e.g., Bentsen, 2000; Gotcher, 1999; Paul, 2001). Although a great deal of research has been conducted on possible value differences that may affect women’s and girls’ attraction to IT as a career choice, there is relatively little empirical research showing that women actually do differ significantly from similarly trained men in the importance they place on particular qualities of work. The tradeoffs IT workers may make across desired attributes and the challenges they face in achieving career goals, however, are likely to show differences along gender lines. More methodologically-rigorous and practically-oriented research in job attribute preferences could help organizations make the changes in job design and personnel policies most likely to increase the representation of women in IT
Women and Computing Careers in Australia
Authors: Whitehouse Gillian.
Published: May 2011

In spite of predictions that the spread of information technology (IT) would help break down the gender segregation that characterized employment in the industrial era, women are under-represented in professional computing occupations throughout the advanced industrialized world, and those who do take up work in the IT sector are most likely to be found in routine and comparatively low paid jobs. The emergence of a “lighter, cleaner, and more sedentary set of occupations than the technologies of iron, oil and steam” (Cockburn, 1985, p.2) has certainly produced new jobs for both women and men, but—as Cockburn argues—gender inequalities have been reshaped rather than eradicated in this process of technological change. The aim of this article is to extend existing knowledge about gendered employment patterns in professional computing with an examination of the situation in Australia in the early 21st century. Drawing on research conducted as part of a project funded by the Australian Research Council (Whitehouse, Hunter, Smith, & Preston, 2002-5), the analysis illustrates the types of computing jobs that women are most likely to enter, and the extent to which women are ascending career ladders to take up senior technical and/or management positions. While this is primarily a descriptive exercise, it produces a more nuanced picture of gender inequalities in IT employment than observations simply about under-representation, and allows some reflection on strategies to enhance opportunities for women.
Women in Computing in the Czech Republic
Authors: Turner Eva
Published: May 2011

While the countries of Western Europe and the USA are mostly in control of the design and construction of computing technology, the numbers of women actively involved in this process are very low and decreasing. The Czech Republic is an Eastern European country with highly developed system of tertiary computing education and levels of computer usage comparable to Western Europe. Whereas under capitalist regimes of the period equal opportunities legislation has often been achieved despite Government resistance, Communism built it into its constitution, and professed equality of men and women in every field of human activity. Publicly and in the national subconscious that equality became a reality. However, at a time when Western European governments and European Union (EU) legislators are finally awakening to the unequal position of women in technology, it is a perception that invites closer inspection. This article is based on a set of interviews carried out in the Czech Republic in August 2004 and a collection of official reports and quantitative data published in the Czech Republic between 2002 and 2004. The aim was to find out what has the new Czech regime done about gender equality in the field of computing and what importance the Czech officialdom assigns to the perception of equality. For comparisons this article assumes that the reader is acquainted with gender and computing debates in the “West.”
Young Women and Persistence in Information Technology
Authors: Barnes Tiffany , Berenson Sarah , Vouk Mladen A.
Published: May 2011

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, and engineering careers is of growing national concern (Vesgo, 2005; National Academy of Engineering, 2002; National Science Foundation, 2004; National Research Council, 2001). While the information technology (IT) workforce appears to be becoming more diverse in terms of race and country of birth, it is becoming less diverse in terms of gender (AAUW, 2000; Malcom, Babco, Teich, Jesse, Campbell, & Bell, 2005; NSF, 2004; Vesgo, 2005). This trend is of particular concern, since women may face unequal access to rewarding IT careers, while society and the IT workforce suffer without the valuable contributions that women might make through the creation of new information technologies (Cohoon, 2005; Freeman & Cuny, 2005). Past studies have highlighted a tendency of talented young girls to enroll in less rigorous mathematics courses beginning in the middle grades (e.g., Kerr, 1997) and have hypothesized that this lack of preparation creates a barrier to science, technology, and engineering disciplines. In response to the increased under-representation of women in IT, Girls on Track (Got), a year round enrichment program and summer camp, was created in 1998 to encourage talented middle school girls to persist in taking college-bound courses in math, science, and computer science through high school. It was our conjecture that some of these well-prepared girls would later become creative future IT workers. We have undertaken a longitudinal study of approximately 200 girls who were enrolled in the NSF funded 1999-2001 Girls on Track program, with the goal of creating a model of persistence of these young women into IT careers. This study is now in its seventh year. In this article, we present our somewhat surprising findings. It would appear that talented young women, though prepared and able, are not choosing to pursue IT careers. We suggest some ways the thinking about IT may need to change to encourage broader career-level participation.
Dynamic Matching o0f Supply and Demand in an M-Commerce Services Marketplace
Authors: Leary T.
Published: May 2011

Mobile users desire customized bundles of services that need to be dynamically created from the service providers. However, services are unique and since unused services do not generate revenues they present a lost ‘economic rent’ for organizations that are not part of the network of service providers and, as a result, not a part of the customised bundle of services. The dynamic discovery of a bundle of individual services from such a network that meets the unique needs and constraints of the mobile user requires intelligent agent technology. Such agent technology would match personal needs of the user with the available services in a cost-efficient manner. This chapter provides a mechanism to create dynamic service bundles from ad-hoc user requirements using intelligent agents. The authors apply this technique to a mobile commerce environment and illustrate the composition of user-specific service “bundles” by intelligent agents that represent the interests of the m-commerce user. Such agent-based architectures provide users customized solution ‘bundles’ that reduce their cognitive burden, while improving the utilization of resources for organization that are part of the service provider network.
Intelligent Product Brokering Services
Authors: Guan Sheng-Uei
Published: May 2011

Agent-based system has great potential in the area of m-commerce and a lot of research has been done on making the system intelligent enough to personalize its service for users. In most systems, user-supplied keywords are normally used to generate a profile for each user. In this chapter, a design for an evolutionary ontology-based product-brokering agent for m-commerce applications has been proposed. It uses an evaluation function to represent the user’s preference instead of the usual keyword-based profile. By using genetic algorithms, the agent tries to track the user’s preferences for a particular product by tuning some of the parameters inside this function. A Java-based prototype has been implemented and the results obtained from our experiments look promising.
A Methodology for M-Transformation of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and its Application in Practice Using CBEADS
Authors: Marmaridis Ioakim (Makis)
Published: May 2011

Organisation worldwide come to realise that in the ever changing business world, survival and success is closely linked to adopting information and communication technologies (ICTs). Along with the technology however, organisations have to also adjust their processes to take full advantage of the potential ICTs have to offer. This process, of technology adoption, linked with with process adjustment and re-engineering is called e-transformation. For organisations that have successfully e-transformed, it is now necessary to become more agile through the adoption of mobile technologies. This adoption leads to the need m-transformation which is the next logical step from e-transformation. In this chapter we define m-transformation and present a methodology that SMEs can adopt in order to m-transform. The methodology takes into account the special characteristics SMEs have and allows them to leverage their strengths towards a smoother m-transformation process. Furthermore, we show how m-transformation can be practically applied, and in doing so we introduce our technology platform called CBEADS. Finally, we present some of the lessons learnt and demonstrate how SMEs may progress through the adoption of mobile technologies into their operation into gaining increased competitiveness and a global reach.
A Socio-Cultural Analysis of the Present and the Future of the M-Commerce Industry
Authors: Das Ritanjan , Wang Jia Jia , Lei Pouwan
Published: May 2011

With high optimism, the third generation mobile communication technologies were launched and adopted by telecommunication giants in different parts of the globe—Hutchison 3G in the UK, Verizon in the USA and NTT DoCoMo in Japan. However, with an uncertain and turbulent social, economic and political environment, and the downturn in the global economy, difficult conditions are pronounced for the initial promises of m-commerce technologies to be fully realized. The causes for this, determined so far, have been largely of a technical nature. In this chapter, we shift the focus of analysis from a pure technical approach to a socio-cultural one. The basic premise of the chapter is that cultural variations do play a very important part in shaping potential consumers’ choice, belief and attitude about m-commerce services. We believe that to be an important way for the m-commerce industry to fulfill its potential.
Mobile Computing
Authors: Hawking Paul , Reyes Gina , Paull Stephen
Published: May 2011

Companies are investigating how they can extend existing business process through the implementation of mobile computing solutions. Deloitte has developed a model which can describe the evolution of mobile solutions within a corporate setting. This chapter adopts a case study approach to investigate the adoption of a mobile solution within an Australian company and classifies the implementation as per the Deloitte model.
A Synthesis and Analysis of Behavioral and Policy Issues in Electronic Marketing Communications
Authors: Warkentin Merrill , Moore Robert S. , Moore Melissa
Published: May 2011

Marketers now use numerous electronic communication vehicles in which the collection and use of personal information can influence the development of relationships between firms and individual consumers. However, the level of acceptance of the collection and use of personal information varies among consumers, and many consumers are unaware of the details of this process. This chapter provides an interdisciplinary synthesis of recent research concerning emerging electronic marketing communications. An overview of relationship marketing is followed by an exploration of how different levels of marketing information acquisition and integration impactconsumer perceptions and behaviors. Then a discussion of recent legal and policy issues related to online privacy is followed by implications of electronic marketing communications and online privacy concerns on perceptions and subsequent customer relationships.
Comparative Analysis of International Approaches to the Protection of Online Privacy
Authors: O’Connor Peter
Published: May 2011

The Web provides unprecedented opportunities for Web site operators to implicitly and explicitly gather highly detailed personal data about site visitors, resulting in a real and pressing threat to privacy. Approaches to protecting such personal data differ greatly throughout the world. To generalize greatly, most countries follow one of two diametrically opposed philosophies—the self-regulation approach epitomized by the United States, or the comprehensive omnibus legislative approach mandated by the European Union. In practice, of course, the situation is not so black and white as most countries utilize elements of both approaches. This chapter explains the background and importance of protecting the privacy of personal data, contrasts the two major philosophical approaches to protection mentioned above, performs a comparative analysis of the current situation throughout the world, and highlights how the legislative approach is being adopted as the de facto standard throughout the world. The use of trust marks as an alternative to the self-regulation or legislative approach is also discussed, while the effectiveness of each of these efforts is also examined.
Modelling of Some Aspects of Skilled Locomotor Behaviour Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Prentice Stephen D. , Patla Aftab E.
Published: May 2011

Modelling the control of locomotor movements can take place at many different levels and represent gaits of different animal species. In many cases, these models attempt to capture the theoretical constructs for generating rhythmical motor patterns gained from neurophysiological studies. This chapter examines the use of artificial neural networks to gain insights into the control of walking movements. Two models discussed simplify the pathways and structures responsible for forming these fundamental cyclical movements, and capture the global transformations between intended goals and action. The use of computational models permits researchers to address certain questions that cannot be empirically tested using current experimental techniques.
Visualisation of Clinical Gait Data Using a Self-Organising Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Barton Gabor J.
Published: May 2011

The decision-making performance of gait experts varies depending on their background, training and experience. They have to analyse large quantities of complex gait data and this gives rise to an unbalanced use of the available information. These limitations inevitably lead to a biased interpretation. In this study, self-organising artificial neural networks were used to reduce the complexity of joint kinematic and kinetic data which form part of a typical instrumented gait assessment. Three dimensional joint angles, moments and powers during the gait cycle were projected from the multi-dimensional data space onto a topological neural map which thereby identified gait stem-patterns. Patients were positioned on the map in relation to each other and this enabled them to be compared on the basis of their gait patterns. The visualisation of large amounts of complex data in a two-dimensional map labelled with gait patterns is an enabling step towards more objective analysis protocols which will better inform decision making.
Recognition of Gait Patterns Using Support Vector Machines
Authors: Begg Rezaul , Palaniswami Marimuthu
Published: May 2011

Automated gait pattern recognition capability has many advantages. For example, it can be used for the detection of at-risk or faulty gait, or for monitoring the progress of treatment effects. In this chapter, we first provide an overview of the major automated techniques for detecting gait patterns. This is followed by a description of a gait pattern recognition technique based on a relatively new machine-learning tool, support vector machines (SVM). Finally, we show how SVM technique can be applied to detect changes in the gait characteristics as a result of the ageing process and discuss their suitability as an automated gait classifier.
On IETAL, Fuzzy Algebraically
Authors: Trajkovski Goran
Published: May 2011

Based on the material presented in Appendix A and B, in this chapter we give alternatives to the definition of agent using fuzzy algebraic structures. The notion of intrinsic representation of the environment is formally defined as a fuzzy relation valued by the lattice of drives of the agent.
On Concepts and Emergence of Language
Authors: Trajkovski Goran
Published: May 2011

The existing theories of concept formation involve categorization based upon the physical features that differentiate the concept. Physical features do not provide the understanding of objects, entities, events, or words, and so cannot be used to form a concept. We have come to believe that the affect the object, entity, event, or word has on the environment is what needs to be evaluated for true concept formation. Following our argument for a change in the direction of research, our views on some of the other aspects of concept formation are presented.
Guidance in the Interface
Authors: Tabachneck-Schijf Nimwegen Christof V.
Published: May 2011

How can we design technology that suits human cognitive needs? In this chapter, we review research on the effects of externalizing information on the interface versus requiring people to internalize it. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of externalizing information. Further, we discuss some of our own research investigating how externalizing or not externalizing information in program interfaces influences problem-solving performance. In general, externalization provides information relevant to immediate task execution visibly or audibly in the interface. Thus, remembering certain task-related knowledge becomes unnecessary, which relieves working memory. Examples are visual feedback aids such as “graying out” nonapplicable menu items. On the contrary, when certain needed task-related information is not externalized on the interface, it needs to be internalized, stored in working memory and long-term memory. In many task situations, having the user acquire more knowledge of the structure of the task or its underlying rules is desirable. We examined the hypothesis that while externalization will yield better performance during initial learning, internalization will yield a better performance later. We furthermore expected internalization to result in better knowledge, and expected it to provoke less trial-and-error behavior. We conducted an experiment where we compared an interface with certain information externalized versus not externalizing it, and measured performance and knowledge. In a second session 8 months later, we investigated what was left of the participants’ knowledge and skills, and presented them with a transfer task. The results showed that requiring internalization can yield advantages over having all information immediately at hand. This shows that using cognitive findings to enhance the effectiveness of software (especially software with specific purposes) can make a valuable contribution to the field of human-computer interaction.
An Architecture for Developing Multiagent Educational Applications for the Web
Authors: Triantis Tasos
Published: May 2011

New applications in training and education are emerging daily trying to meet the requirements of distance learners. Network-based or World Wide Web (WWW)-based intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) are expected to meet most of these requirements. In this context, software agents seem to be a promising distributed software technology that can be used to implement WWW ITSs. In this chapter, we present a multiagent approach for constructing an educational application for distance learning. The proposed architecture exploits the assumption that each teaching subject can be regarded as the synthesis of elementary pieces of knowledge, each of which can be presented by an independent expert. Moreover, in order to better support individualized learning, a mobile agent is placed at the disposal of each distance learner.
Using Bayesian Networks for Student Modeling
Authors: Liu Chao-Lin
Published: May 2011

This chapter purveys an account of Bayesian networks-related technologies for modeling students in intelligent tutoring systems. Uncertainty exists ubiquitously when we infer students’ internal status, for example, learning needs and emotion, from their external behavior, for example, responses to test items and explorative actions. Bayesian networks offer a mathematically sound mechanism for representing and reasoning about students under uncertainty. This chapter consists of five sections, and commences with a brief overview of intelligent tutoring systems, emphasizing the needs for uncertain reasoning. A succinct survey of Bayesian networks for student modeling is provided in Bayesian Networks, and we go through an example of applying Bayesian networks and mutual
Extending Objects to Model Agents
Authors: Balram Shivanand , Dragicevic Suzana
Published: May 2011

Incorporating the agent paradigm into geographic information science is one approach to modeling the complex interactions between natural and human systems. In the agent paradigm, systems are abstracted to a basic structural and functional form and programmed as agents that respond to changes in the environment, interact with other agents, have control over their behavior, achieve specific goals, and change their behavior using past experiences. As a result, the agent paradigm has created a growing need for standardized tools to support agent-based design, analysis, and documentation. Since the design, analysis, and documentation are dependent on input from many types of users and modelers, an emerging challenge is how to develop and document a consistent agent-based model. Based on the similarities between agents and objects, this study examines the use of the Agent UML (AUML) extension to develop and document agent-based designs. A framework is proposed to use the AUML extension in a collaborative group process to support consensus agent designs.
Design Considerations for an Internet Portal to Support Public Participation in Transportation Improvement Decision Making
Authors: Nyerges Timothy L. , Ramsey Kevin S. , Wilson Matthew W.
Published: May 2011

Recent research about “analytic-deliberative” decision processes shows that meaningful public participation is possible, and decision outcomes are improved. The analytic component provides technical information that ensures broad-based, competent perspectives are treated. The deliberative component provides an opportunity to interactively give voice to a diversity of values, alternatives, and recommendations. Unfortunately, such public participation has been expensive and time consuming, and thus involved small groups. An Internet system that combines geographic information system technology, decision modeling technology, and communications technology into a geospatial portal to support analytic-deliberative processes might be one way to facilitate meaningful participation in large groups as a way for agencies to more effectively engage a public who wishes to participate. The core research question underpinning our work on system design is: What system design considerations for various analytic-deliberative capabilities will foster support of structured and flexible, analytic-deliberative, transportation improvement decision processes?
Collaborative Geographic Information Systems and Science
Authors: Dragicevic Suzana , Balram Shivanand
Published: May 2011

The relevant research literatures, together with the issues articulated by chapter authors in this book, are used to characterize some of the conceptual and technical hurdles of collaborative GIS. The intention is to examine how collaborative GIS can consolidate and expand its reaches in research and applications. This is necessary, given the increasing complexity of environmental and societal problems. Three areas for future research explorations are synthesized. These areas encompass scale effects, system modeling, and distributive planning. While there may be other equally valid research areas, the focus is to encourage a transdisciplinary infusion to enrich collaborative GIS. With a transdisciplinary approach, integrated solutions can be developed that use the best available knowledge to narrow conceptual gaps between technical experts and the general public, towards more effective planning, problem solving, and decision-making. Game theory, ontological engineering, and agent technology are proposed as transdisciplinary means to enrich current collaborative GIS research and applications.
Overview of Artificial Neural Networks and their Applications in Healthcare
Authors: Kamruzzaman Joarder , Begg Rezaul , Sarker Ruhul
Published: May 2011

Artificial neural network (ANN) is one of the main constituents of the artificial intelligence techniques. Like in many other areas, ANN has made a significant mark in the domain of healthcare applications. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the basics of neural networks, their operation, major architectures that are widely employed for modeling the input-to-output relations, and the commonly used learning algorithms for training the neural network models. Subsequently, we briefly outline some of the major application areas of neural networks for the improvement and well being of human health.
Artificial Neural Networks in EEG Analysis
Authors: Kamath Markad V. , Upton Adrian R. , Wu Jie , Bajaj Harjeet S. , Poehlman Skip , Spaziani Robert
Published: May 2011

The artificial neural networks (ANNs) are regularly employed in EEG signal processing because of their effectiveness as pattern classifiers. In this chapter, four specific applications will be studied: On a day to day basis, ANNs can assist in identifying abnormal EEG activity in patients with neurological diseases such as epilepsy, Huntington’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. The ANNs can reduce the time taken for interpretation of physiological signals such as EEG, respiration, and ECG recorded during sleep. During an invasive surgical procedure, the ANNs can provide objective parameters derived from the EEG to help determine the depth of anesthesia. The ANNs have made significant contributions toward extracting embedded signals within the EEG which can be used to control external devices. This rapidly developing field, which is called brain-computer interface, has a large number of applications in empowering handicapped individuals to independently operate appliances, neuroprosthesis, or orthosis.
Computational Fluid Dynamics and Neural Network for Modeling and Simulations of Medical Devices
Authors: Morsi Yos S. , Das Subrat
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the utilization of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with neural network (NN) for analysis of medical devices. First, the concept of mathematical modeling and its use for solving engineering problems is presented followed by an introduction to CFD with a brief summary of the numerical techniques currently available. A brief introduction to the standard optimization strategies for NN and the various methodologies in use are also presented. A case study of the design and optimization of scaffolds for tissue engineering heart valve using the combined CFD and NN approach is presented and discussed. This chapter concludes with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the combined NN and CFD techniques and their future potential prospective.
Analysis of Temporal Patterns of Physiological Parameters
Authors: Benyo Balázs
Published: May 2011

This chapter deals with the analysis of spontaneous changes occurring in two physiological parameters: the cerebral blood flow and respiration. Oscillation of the cerebral blood flow is a common feature in several physiological or pathophysiological states and may significantly influence the metabolic state of the brain. Our goal was to characterize the temporal blood flow pattern before, during, and after the development of CBF oscillations. Investigation of this phenomenon may not only clarify the underlying regulatory mechanisms and their alterations under certain conditions but also lead to the development of novel clinical diagnostic tools for early identification of developing cerebrovascular dysfunction in pathophysiological states such as brain trauma or stroke. A disturbance in normal breathing may occur in several nervous and physical diseases. In the present study, we introduce a reliable online method which is able to recognize abnormal sections of respiration, that is, the most common breathing disorder, the sleep apnea syndrome, based on a single time signal, the nasal air flow. There are several common features of the above problems and signals under investigation that imply similar solutions. The chapter introduces the systematic way of selecting proper feature extraction method and optimal classification procedure. The introduced approach can be generalized for the analysis of similar time series featuring physiological parameters.
Fault-Based Testing
Authors: Sanchez Marisa Analía
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we review the state of the art and practice in fault-based testing. Based on the analysis and the reviews, we propose a comprehensive method for testing and present its main elements. Traditional fault-based testing is concerned with syntactic errors. These errors represent only a small portion of possible errors. Our testing approach is not restricted to these errors. We propose to use fault-tree analysis to determine how certain undesirable states can occur in a system. The results of the analysis expressed in terms of duration calculus formulas are integrated with state chart-based specifications. As a result, we obtain a testing model that provides a representation of the way the system behavior can be compromised by failures or abnormal conditions or interactions. In this way, we can automatically derive fault-based test cases. The example presented in this work illustrates the kinds of problems that arise in Web applications.
A Formal Verification and Validation Approach for Real-Time Databases
Authors: Ribeiro Neto Pedro Fernandes , Barbosa Perkusich Maria Lígia , Oliveira de Almeida Hyggo , Perkusich Angelo.
Published: May 2011

Real-time database-management systems provide efficient support for applications with data and transactions that have temporal constraints, such as industrial automation, aviation, and sensor networks, among others. Many issues in real-time databases have brought interest to research in this area, such as: concurrence control mechanisms, scheduling policy, and quality of services management. However, considering the complexity of these applications, it is of fundamental importance to conceive formal verification and validation techniques for real-time database systems. This chapter presents a formal verification and validation method for real-time databases. Such a method can be applied to database systems developed for computer integrated manufacturing, stock exchange, network-management, and command-and-control applications and multimedia systems. In this chapter, we describe a case study that considers sensor networks.
Quality Metrics and Bayesian Analysis
Authors: Macias Francisco , Holcombe Mike
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents an empirical assessment of the quality of the process of building software systems in light of the recent emergence of agile development methodologies, which were designed to to help with the development of higher quality information systems under given conditions. The purpose of this research was to assess one of these agile approaches, eXtreme Programming (XP), through a comparison with a traditional (design-driven) software construction process. With this aim we observed and measured the work of several student groups using different approaches to produce software for commercial companies during a semester. The data collected were analyzed following the Bayesian approach. Our results indicate that that XP could cope with small/medium size projects of software construction delivering a measurable improvement in the quality of the system as judged by the business clients.
Examining the Quality of Evolution Frameworks and Metamodeling Paradigms of Information Systems Development Methodologies
Authors: Berki Eleni
Published: May 2011

Information systems development methodologies and associated CASE tools have been considered cornerstones for building quality into an information system. The construction and evaluation of methodologies are usually carried out by evaluation frameworks and metamodels, both considered as meta-methodologies. This chapter investigates and reviews representative metamodels and evaluation frameworks for assessing the capability of methodologies to contribute to high-quality outcomes. It presents a summary of their quality features, strengths, and weaknesses. The chapter ultimately leads to a comparison and discussion of the functional and formal quality properties that traditional meta-methodologies and method evaluation paradigms offer. The discussion emphasizes the limitations of methods and metamethods used to model and evaluate software quality properties, such as computability and implementability, testing, dynamic semantics capture, and people’s involvement. This analysis, along with the comparison of the philosophy, assumptions, and quality perceptions of different process methods used in information systems development, provides the basis for recommendations about the need for future research in this area.