bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine Translation Systems Athanasios Tryferidis Electrical and Computer Engineer, MLS SA, Greece
Authors: Tryferidis Athanasios , Korlos Theofanis
Published: May 2011

Machine translation, sometimes referred to by the acronym MT, is a subfield of computational linguistics that investigates the use of computer software to translate text or speech from one natural language to another. At its basic level, MT is performed as a simple substitution of atomic words in one natural language for words in another. Using corpus techniques, more complex translations may be attempted, allowing for better handling of differences in linguistic typology, phrase recognition, and translation of idioms, as well as the isolation of anomalies (Mitkov, 2003). The European Association for Machine Translation (EAMT) defines machine translation (MT) as “the application of computers to the task of translating texts from one natural language to another.”
Communication Barriers and Conflicts in Cross-Cultural E-Learning
Authors: Zaltsman Rita
Published: May 2011

The present chapter assesses the key questions of communication barriers in distance learning virtual communities. To examine their cultural aspects, a Web-survey for distance learners has been conducted. The principal areas of interest were a cultural dichotomy of West/East; discrepancies in educational cultures (teacher-centered vs. learner-centered); mismatches in communication and educational traditions in different cultures; conflict paradigm and methods of conflict resolution. The findings of the survey are summarized and interpreted and some implications for further research are discussed.
Personalization Issues for Science Museum Web Sites and E-Learning
Authors: Filippini-Fantoni Silvia , Bowan Jonathan P. , Numerico Teresa
Published: May 2011

E-learning has the potential to be a very personalized experience and can be tailored to the individual involved. So far, science museums have yet to tap into this potential to any great extent, partly due to the relative newness of the technology involved and partly due to the expense. This chapter covers some of the speculative efforts that may improve the situation for the future, including the SAGRES project and the Ingenious Web site, among other examples. It is hoped that this will be helpful to science museums and centers that are considering the addition of personalization features to their own Web site. Currently, Web site personalization should be used with caution, but larger organizations should be considering the potential if they have not already started to do so.
Property Protection and User Authentication in IP Networks Through Challenge-Response Mechanisms
Authors: Ginesu Giaime , Lobina Mirko Luca , Giusto Daniele D.
Published: May 2011

Authentication is the way of identifying an individual. The techniques used to accomplish such practice strongly depend on the involved parties, their interconnection, and the required level of security. In all cases, authentication is used to enforce property protection, and may be specifically intended for the copyright protection of digital contents published on the Internet. This chapter introduces the basic concepts of authentication, explaining their relationship with property protection. The basic functionalities of challenge-response frameworks are presented, together with several applications and the future trends.
Steganography and Steganalysis
Authors: Warkentin Merrill , Schmidt Mark B. , Bekkering Ernest
Published: May 2011

In the digital environment, steganography has increasingly received attention over the last decade. Steganography, which literally means “covered writing,” includes any process that conceals data or information within other data or conceals the fact that a message is being sent. Though the focus on use of steganography for criminal and terrorist purposes detracts from the potential use for legitimate purposes, the focus in this chapter is on its role as a security threat. The history of stenography as a tool for covert purposes is addressed. Recent technical innovations in computerized steganography are presented, and selected widely available steganography tools are presented. Finally, a brief discussion of the role of steganalysis is presented.
Beyond Finger Painting
Authors: Schifter Catherine
Published: May 2011

Imagine, as best you can, your Kindergarten classroom from way back when, or that of your children’s Kindergarten classroom, or perhaps one in which you teach or have taught. These are spacious rooms with tiny tables and chairs made especially for the small children who inhabit them during the school year. These small children are the future and their education in the early years is so important for establishing a set of skills and knowledge base to support their education for years to come. While all teachers are special, Kindergarten teachers take on the role of weaning children away from the home into the milieu of schooling. They often are a surrogate parent for these children who are away from home in a strange place without Mom or Grandmother or any other relative or familiar figure for the first time in their lives.
Digital Drawing to Digital Graphics
Authors: Schifter Catherine
Published: May 2011

Do you remember your second grade classroom? I remember it being a rather large room, but then I was quite small back then. There were music instruments in one corner of the room that we used to “make music” every week. There were books along one wall, and small tables in the middle of the room where students sat. Students were grouped at the tables such that there were six to eight at any one table. Projects were done together and work was shared giving encouragement or trouble. There were windows along the wall across from the entrance that looked out onto a tree lined street. The school was a Kindergarten through sixth grade in a middle class neighborhood.
Demonstrating Learning with Computing
Authors: Schifter Catherine
Published: May 2011

Like fifth grade, sixth grade may be in an elementary school or a middle school. In my elementary school way back when in time, sixth grade was the highest grade. This meant we were the oldest in the school and had leadership opportunities – like helping out in the school office or in the cafeteria. We were the ‘big kids on campus,’ so to speak. In some middle schools in Philadelphia, sixth grade has been the youngest group. As noted with fifth grade, there is no doubt a difference in the experiences for students depending on whether they are in an elementary school setting or middle school setting. To such ends, many middle schools are being phased out of the district in exchange for elementary schools that have Kindergarten through eighth grades. Two of the schools represented by these sixth grade teachers were undergoing such changes starting in fall 2005.
Effecting Change in the Classroom Through Professional Development
Authors: Schifter Catherine
Published: May 2011

Over the last 10 to 15 years, a vast amount of money has been invested in computer technology for public education, including establishing or upgrading computer labs, school and classroom connectivity to the Internet and wide area networks, and providing at least one Internet-ready computer per classroom. The Department of Education’s Education Rate, or E-Rate, initiative has made access to computing and Internet connectivity easier, reducing the ratio of students to computers to the 5 to 1 ratio that “many experts consider . . . a reasonable level for the effective use of computers within the schools.” (President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology 1997, p. 14, as cited in Cattagni and Farris, 2001) In addition, we have seen the introduction of mobile computer labs in schools and, more recently, smartboard technology in classrooms. Each innovation has represented a decision by a school district to use scarce resources to bring computing power into classrooms to affect teaching and learning. However, just because tools are present in classrooms does not mean teachers know how to make the most of those tools, so professional development opportunities have been created to help the teachers learn how to use the tools. Not all professional development programs have been equal in helping teachers make the most of new technologies in their classrooms.
Planning for the Worst, Bringing Out the Best? Lessons from Y2K
Authors: Quigley Kevin
Published: May 2011

Organization theorist Lee Clarke (2005) argues when policy makers plan for disasters, they too often think in terms of past experiences and “probabilities.” Rather, policy makers, when planning to protect the infrastructure, should open their minds to worst-case scenarios; catastrophes that are possible but highly unlikely. Underpinned by a precautionary principle, such an approach to the infrastructure would be more likely to produce “out of the box” thinking and in so doing, reduce the impact of disasters that occur more frequently than people think. The purpose of this chapter is to consider the utility of Clarke’s worst-case planning by examining Y2K preparations at two US government agencies, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The data concerning Y2K come mostly from official US government sources, interviews, and media analysis. The chapter concludes that the thoroughness of worst-case planning can bring much needed light to the subtlety of critical complex and interdependent systems. But such an approach can also be narrow in its own way, revealing some of the limitations of such a precautionary approach. It potentially rejects reasonable efforts to moderate risk management responses and ignores the opportunity costs of such exhaustive planning.
Measuring IS Success in SMEs in Samoa
Authors: Vaai Filifotu Vaai , Hooper Val
Published: May 2011

Information technology (IT) can either increase or decrease the ‘digital divide.’ Developing nations, such as Samoa, can leverage their economies with investment in IT, but investment is often determined by past information systems (IS) success. Exploratory research was conducted into the assessment and measurement of IS success by small and medium sized enterprises in Samoa, and the effect on IT investment. It was found that information quality, system quality, use, user satisfaction and financial impacts were the main dimensions according to which success was assessed, while intention to use, and cultural impacts were not usually assessed. Culture acted more as a moderator of the assessment. Measurements focused more on system related measures. Assessment on all dimensions impacted on future investment in IT.
Structural Coupling as a Foundation for Instructional Design
Authors: Bopry Jeanette , Cunningham Donald J.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we describe an alternative to the cognitive and neo-behavioral views of learning that currently dominate the field of instructional design and development. Founded in the work of Chilean biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, this view questions the fundamental notions that the environment can actually be “instructive” and that instruction can be prescribed to change learners in predictable ways. Instead we offer a proscriptive model of instructional design, one that embeds the process in the basic foundation that learners are organizationally closed, structurally determined, and coupled with their environment. Instead of threatening the field of instructional design, as some writers have expressed, we argue that this approach actually “sets it free”!
Automated Overlay of Infrared and Visual Medical Images
Authors: Schaefer G. , Tait R. , Howell K. , Hopgood A. , Woo P. , Harper J.
Published: May 2011

Medical infrared imaging captures the temperature distribution of the human skin and is employed in various medical applications. Often it is useful to cross-reference the resulting thermograms with visual images of the patient, either to see which part of the anatomy is affected by a certain disease or to judge the efficacy of the treatment. In this chapter, we show that image registration techniques can be effectively used to generate an overlay of visual and thermal images and provide a useful diagnostic visualisation for the clinician.
Navigation in Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery
Authors: De Momi Elena , Cerveri Pietro , Ferrigno Giancarlo
Published: May 2011

Originally developed for neurosurgery procedures, since late nineties Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS) systems have been used in orthopaedic interventions. Such systems assist the surgeon during the preoperative or the intra-operative planning phase from diagnostic data, during the intra-operative phases of registration and navigation. They provide quantitative information of the overall surgical outcome and allow controlling range of accuracy and repeatability. Despite recognized advance in introducing the computer in the orthopaedic operative room (OR), several aspects are still debated such as operative time prolongation, information provided to the surgeon and user interface management. The chapter is aimed at reviewing main navigation systems as far as the visual and interactive aspects are concerned and at suggesting useful tools in order to enhance the surgeon usability of a navigation system. We developed modules for Total Knee Replacement (TKR) and Total Hip Replacement (THR), named KneeLab and HipLab respectively. In the two applications, we coped with two main aspects of the navigation in knee and hip replacement combining new visualization methods and new working methods. In the chapter, the reader can find a detailed description of the solution proposed to overcome problems commonly found with navigation systems in orthopaedics. We introduced innovative methods and algorithms, new modality of vocal interface, fully 3D graphics, recovery session from file system. The development aimed at the fulfilment of the critical user requirements of the operating room, by providing the user with a tightly guided procedure and an immediate graphical virtual environment.
Multi-Dimensional Transfer Functions Design
Authors: Lin Hai
Published: May 2011

Transfer function design is one of the most important procedures in volume rendering. Transfer function maps, which is a function mapping relationship, data values to display attributes, such as color and opacity. This chapter introduces region growing- based multi-dimensional transfer function design method, which can improve the effect of the multi-dimensional transfer function design, and help the users save the time used in the interactive design and decrease the difficult. In order to use the spatial information as independent variable, we combine spatial information to generate multi-dimensional transfer function. This chapter discusses the GPU-based transfer function lookup method and illumination parameter setting problems. In the last part of this chapter, we discuss the data layout of large scale volume data set and its volume rendering methods.
Graphical Modeling of Human Muscles
Authors: Ye X. , Dong F.
Published: May 2011

Muscle simulation is an important component of human modeling. However, there have been few attempts to demonstrate, in an anatomically-correct way, muscle structures and the way in which these change during motion. This chapter proposes a feature-based approach to muscle modeling which attempts to provide models for human musculature based on the real anatomical structures. These models provide a good visual description and form a sound basis for further developments towards medically-accurate simulation of human bodies. Three major problems have been addressed: geometric modeling, deformation and texture. To allow for the wide variety of muscle shapes encountered in the body, the geometric models are based on muscle features identified from radiological data. The results are realistic models with correct anatomical structures, the deformation of these muscle models is fully controlled by, and consistent with, the motion of underlying joint. We suggest a general deformation model that can be adopted for many of our muscle models, but we also model separately the deformation of specific cases for which the general model is not suitable. Interactions between muscles are also taken into account to avoid penetration occurring between adjacent muscles in our model. To provide a suitable visual effect, an algorithm was developed to generate the muscle texture directly on the model surface, rather than by using conventional pattern mapping on to the surface. Some results are presented on the geometric modeling, the deformation and the texture of muscles related to the knee.
Image Segmentation
Authors: Chen Dongbin
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces image segment techniques. These techniques, including pixel- based approaches, region-based approaches, classification techniques, deformable model algorithms, artificial neural network approaches and texture-based algorithms are detailed. Color image segmentations and 3D image segment methods are briefly introduced. With developments of computer and medical imaging techniques, there is an increase in demand of new segment algorithms for developing or upgrading medical image systems. Therefore, the author hopes that this chapter not only details the current segment techniques, but also assists researchers in quickly selecting their research directions under their applications, imaging modality, image features and other factors.
A Software Tool for Reading DICOM Directory Files
Authors: Villegas Ricardo , Montilla Guillermo , Villegas Hyxia
Published: May 2011

DICOMDIR directory files are useful in medical software applications because they allow organized access to images and information sets that come from radiological studies that are stored in conformance with the digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) standard. During the medical application software development, specialized programming libraries are commonly used in order to solve the requirements of computation and scientific visualization. However, these libraries do not provide suitable tools for reading DICOMDIR files, making necessary the implementation of a flexible tool for reading these files, which can be also easily integrated into applications under development. To solve this problem, this work introduces an object-oriented design and an open-source implementation for such reading tool. It produces an output data tree containing the information of the DICOM images and their related radiological studies, which can be browsed easily in a structured way through navigation interfaces coupled to it.
Values of an Electronic Social Record
Authors: Hedström Karin
Published: May 2011

This chapter analyses the effects of introducing ICT as a support for the social record in elderly care. The effects of the electronic social record are assessed by analysing the different values the electronic social record supports. These values are discussed in terms of “value areas” (values related to administration, integration, professional, and care), which is a categorization of anticipated and experienced effects of using ICT in elderly care. This is a case study where the analysis is a comparison of the social record before and after the introduction of ICT as a support for using the social record. Furthermore, the study also assesses how valuable it is to use “value areas” as an analytical tool when evaluating the effects of ICT.
Reflecting Upon the Empirical Findings
Authors: Dwivedi Yogesk K.
Published: May 2011

The previous chapters (Chapters 6 and 7) presented the findings obtained from the survey conducted to examine the adoption, usage, and impact of broadband in UK households. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss and reflect upon the findings from a theoretical perspective using those presented in Chapter 2. It also discusses the empirical issues that have been reported from the survey findings in the previous chapter. This chapter is structured as follows. A summary of the hypotheses test is provided and discussed in the next section. This is followed by a discussion and reflection upon the conceptual model of broadband adoption developed within this research. The usage of broadband and its effects on consumers’ time allocation patterns on various daily life activities are then discussed and illustrated. Finally, the summary and conclusions of the chapter are provided in the ultimate section.
Broadband Quality Regulation
Authors: Dwivedi Yogesk K.
Published: May 2011

Broadband is a technology still penetrating the telecommunication market and is seen as the most significant evolutionary step since the emergence of the Internet. However we argue that in the rush to achieve market share, insufficient attention has been paid to quality issues, the central theme of this chapter. Indeed, the concept of quality is a multi-faceted one, for which various perspectives can be distinguished. In this chapter, we take a look at broadband quality as perceived by users in the UK and report the result of a survey, which determined the users’ perception on broadband quality. The results of the survey show, that quality, though desired by many, has been short-changed by the desire to have access to the Internet via broadband at the lowest cost possible. However, this has not encouraged some consumers to take on broadband access despite some low prices offered by service providers as these low prices for broadband access is not commensurate to their needs.
Broadband in Dutch Education
Authors: Dwivedi Yogesk K.
Published: May 2011

Broadband potentially has benefits for education, but in order to be beneficial it has to be used. In this chapter, we have investigated from a user perspective: (1) to what extent broadband is used in Dutch education (in the classroom as well as in the organisation as a whole); (2) the experiences teachers have with broadband, including impediments and added value. This was done by a survey under 221 Dutch teachers, ICT-coordinators, and school boards. Results show that teachers, ICT coordinators, and school boards are interested in using broadband in their schools as they see the added value, but there seems to be an impasse: without infrastructure, there are no services and without services there is no need for infrastructure. Schools can break out of the causality dilemma by giving an impulse to the market by combining forces and demand. Moreover, teachers need to be trained in using the new tools and service.
Appearance Objects
Authors: Ko Chi Chung , Cheng Chang Dong
Published: May 2011

In the last chapter, the creation of the skeletons or shapes of 3D objects has been discussed through the use of geometry objects in Java 3D. In order for these objects to be as realistic as possible to the user, it is often necessary for these objects to be covered with appropriate “skins” under good lighting conditions. In Java 3D, details on the skins can be specified by using color, texture, and material, which can be specified through the associated appearance objects. In this chapter, all the important attributes, including the ways for rendering points, lines and polygons as well as color and material, for an appearance object will be discussed. The use of texturing will be covered in the next chapter. As mentioned earlier, the creation of a virtual 3D object in a virtual world can be carried out using a Shape3D object in the associated scene graph. This object can reference a geometry object in Java 3D to create the skeleton of the virtual object. In addition, it can also reference an appearance object for specifying the skin of the virtual object. On its own, an appearance object does not contain information on how the object will look like. However, it can reference other objects, such as “attribute objects,” “texture-related objects,” and “material objects,” for getting appearance information to complement the object geometry. Since the use of an appearance object to enhance the geometry in the creation of a virtual universe is a basic requirement in Java 3D, we will now discuss some important aspects of appearance object in this chapter.
Health Information Technology Economic Evaluation
Authors: Eisenstein Eric L. , Ortiz Maqui , Anstrom Kevin J. , Lobach David F.
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes a framework for conducting economic analyses of health information technologies (HIT). It explains the basic principles of healthcare economic analyses and the relationships between the costs and effectiveness of a health intervention, and then uses these principles to explain the types of data that need to be gathered in order to conduct a health information technology economic evaluation study. A current health information technology study is then used to illustrate the incorporation of the framework’s economic analysis methods into an ongoing research project. Economic research in the field of health information technology is not yet well developed. This chapter is meant to educate researchers about the need for HIT economic analyses as well as provide a structured framework to assist them in conducting these analyses.
Barcode
Authors: Michael Katina , Michael M.G.
Published: May 2011

Of all the auto-ID technologies in the global market today, barcode is the most widely used. In 1994, Cohen (p. 55) wrote “...barcode technology is clearly at the forefront of automatic identification systems and is likely to stay there for a long time.” It is estimated by GS1, that there are over 5 billion barcode reads each day. Despite complementary and supplementary technologies entering the barcode space, Cohen’s statement still holds true. Palmer (p. 9) agreed in 1995, that “barcode ha[d] become the dominant automatic identification technology”. Ames (1990, p. G-1) defines the barcode as: “an automatic identification technology that encodes information into an array of adjacent varying width parallel rectangular bars and spaces.” The technology’s popularity can be attributed to its application in retail, specifically in the identification and tracking of consumer goods. Before the barcode, only manual identification techniques existed. Handwritten labels or carbon-copied paper were attached or stuck to ‘things’ needing identification. In 1932 the first study on the automation of supermarket checkout counters was conducted by Wallace Flint. Subsequently in 1934 a patent was filed presenting barcode-type concepts (Palmer, 1995, p. 11) by Kermode and his colleagues. The patent described the use of four parallel lines as a means to identify different objects.
Biometrics
Authors: Michael Katina , Michael M.G.
Published: May 2011

Biometrics is not only considered a more secure way to identify an individual but also a more convenient technique whereby the individual does not necessarily have to carry an additional device, such as an ID card. As defined by the Association for Biometrics (AFB) a biometric is “...a measurable, unique physical characteristic or personal trait to recognize the identity, or verify the claimed identity, of an enrollee.” The technique is not a recent discovery. There is evidence to suggest that fingerprinting was used by the ancient Assyrians and Chinese at least since 7000 to 6000 BC (O’Gorman, 1999, p. 44). Over a thousand years ago, potters in East Asia, placed their fingerprints on their wares as an early form of brand identity and in Egypt’s Nile Valley, merchants were identified by their physical characteristics (Raina, Woodward & Orlans, 2002, p. 25). The practice of using fingerprints in place of signatures for legal contracts is hundreds of years old (Shen & Khanna, 1997 p. 1364). It is believed that the first scientific studies investigating fingerprints were conducted some time in the late sixteenth century (Lee & Gaensslen, 1994).
Adolescents and the Internet
Authors: Bevort Evelyne , Breda Isabelle
Published: May 2011

This chapter deals with young people’s digital media appropriation in an education perspective throughout Europe and Quebec. The comparative study, Mediappro, shows that 12 to 18-year-olds develop numerous and shared uses in fundamental domains such as ethics or social issues of IT, but their appropriation remains incomplete, mostly in information and creative activities. The study also highlights such a significant gap between home and school appropriation in all the countries that for the adolescents Internet activities in school are not part of “their Internet.” The benefits of this research study lay on a more precise knowledge of adolescents’ attitudes and skills and therefore the possibility to elaborate recommendations towards the main participants in education issues, parents as well as school systems.
Dealing with Plagiarism as an Ethical Issue
Authors: Cogdell Barbara , Aidulis Dorothy
Published: May 2011

This chapter outlines various strategies employed to reduce plagiarism both at a departmental and an institutional level. A detailed description and evaluation is given of two workshops that were designed specifically to educate students about the nature of plagiarism. The workshops also aim to provide students with alternatives to plagiarism by improving their writing skills. Most importantly we believe that students should learn about plagiarism in the context of professional ethics and an ethical attitude should be promoted throughout their study. By using both an ethical and educational approach to dealing with plagiarism, we hope that students will learn that they have nothing to gain from plagiarising and be confident in their own skills.
Plagiarism, Instruction, and Blogs
Authors: Hanrahan Michael
Published: May 2011

This article takes as its point of departure the Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin Plagiarism Project (http://leeds.bates.edu/cbb), which sought to approach the problem of undergraduate plagiarism as a pedagogical challenge. By revisiting the decision to publish the project’s content by means of a weblog, the article considers the ways in which weblogs provide a reflective tool and medium for engaging plagiarism. It considers weblog practice and use and offers examples that attest to the instructional value of weblogs, especially their ability to foster learning communities and to promote the appropriate use of information and intellectual property.
Minimizing Plagiarism by Redesigning the Learning Environment and Assessment
Authors: Bhattacharya Madhumita , Jorgensen Lone
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we have raised a number of questions and made attempts to respond. These question are: Can plagiarism be stopped? Should we stop students from using the information available on the internet? Is it enough if the students just acknowledge the sources in their work? What action is required to minimize the harmful, and maximize the useful, aspects of internet use in the educational setting? We want our students to learn, and demonstrate their learning with honesty and integrity. In the institutions of higher education students learning is judged through assessment tasks in the form of assignments, tests, and examinations. We have to ensure that high stakes assessments do not act as an inspiration to cheating in the form of plagiarism. We have provided arguments in support of the integration of process approach with deliverables at the end of the course for assessment of students learning.
Strategic Alignment, IT Value, and Organizational Analysis
Authors: Chew Eng K. , Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

Over the last several decades, strategy researchers have devoted attention to the question of how corporate elites (i.e., corporate executives and directors) affect corporate strategy. The CEO as a person in position shapes the scope of the firm, while the CIO as a person in another position shapes the scope of IT in the firm. Jensen and Zajac (2004) proposed and tested the notion that while differences in individual characteristics of corporate elites may imply different preferences for particular corporate strategies such as diversification and acquisitions, these basic preferences, when situated in different agency contexts (e.g., CIO, CEO) generate very different strategic outcomes. Strategy can simply be defined as principles, a broad based formula, to be applied in order to achieve a purpose. These principles are general guidelines guiding the daily work to reach business goals. Strategy is the pattern of resource allocation decisions made throughout the organization. These encapsulate both desired goals and beliefs about what are acceptable and, most critically, unacceptable means for achieving them. While the business strategy is the broadest pattern of resource allocation decisions, more specific decisions are related to information systems and information technology. How should IS/IT resources be allocated within business organizations? How can business ensure the IS/IT resources will deliver the desired business value? Hann and Weber (1996) see IS/IT strategic planning as a set of activities directed toward achieving the following objectives: 1. Recognizing organizational opportunities and problems where IS/IT might be applied successfully 2. Identifying the resources needed to allow IS/IT to be applied successfully to these opportunities and problems 3. Developing strategies and procedures to allow IS/IT to be applied successfully to these opportunities and problems 4. Establishing a basis for monitoring and bonding IT managers, so their actions are more likely to be congruent with the goals of their superiors 5. Resolving how the gains and losses from unforeseen circumstances will be distributed among senior management and the IT manager 6. Determining the level of decision rights to be delegated to the IT manager. Empirical studies of information systems/information technology planning practices in organizations indicate that wide variations exist. Hann and Weber (1996) found that organizations differ in terms of how much IS/IT planning they do, the planning methodologies they use, the personnel involved in planning, the strength of the linkage between IS/IT plans and corporate plans, the focus of IS/IT plans (e.g., strategic systems vs. resource needs), and the way in which IS/IT plans are implemented. In this chapter, we will review the principles of strategic alignment and discuss in detail the various methods for IT value and organizational maturity analysis.
The CIO Enabling IT Governance
Authors: Chew Eng K. , Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

In many organizations, information technology has become crucial in the support, sustainability, and growth of the business. This pervasive use of technology has created a critical dependency on IT that calls for a specific focus on IT governance. IT governance consists of the leadership and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the organization‘s IT sustains and extends the organization‘s strategy and objectives (Grembergen, Haes, & Guldentops, 2004). IT governance matters because it influences the benefits received from IT investments. Through a combination of practices (such as redesigning business processes and well-designed governance mechanisms) and appropriately matched IT investments, top-performing enterprises generate superior returns on their IT investments (Weill, 2004).
Innovation and Driven Knowledge Management
Authors: Chew Eng K. , Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

As described in Chapter X, fundamental to the company’s innovation capabilities is the level of collaboration and knowledge management capabilities available to support the innovation process. The ability of an organization to identify, acquire, and utilize external knowledge, known as knowledge absorption, can be critical to the firm’s operational success (Adams, Bessant, & Phelps, 2006). A survey by Adams et al. (2006) shows that three areas of knowledge management are critical for innovation management: idea generation, knowledge repository (including the management of tacit and explicit knowledge), and information flows (including information gathering and networking). Further they note that several researchers have found that the firm’s ability to “absorb and put to use new knowledge,” known as knowledge “absorptive capacity,” has direct impact on the firm’s innovation and performance (Chen, 2004; Tsai, 2001). Popadiuk and Choo (2006) have further shown that innovation and knowledge creation are related. Innovation is a result of knowledge creation. Innovation is related to the firm’s ability to combine new knowledge with existing knowledge to create new knowledge that is unique to the firm. It is also related to the firm’s ability to diffuse knowledge throughout the organization so that the organization as a whole increases its absorptive capacity. Knowledge diffusion can be facilitated by IT infrastructure and knowledge management system. Knowledge management is aimed at leveraging internal and external knowledge to create value from the firm’s intangible assets. According to Metaxiotis and Psarras (2006), knowledge management contributes to value creation by enhancing: intellectual asset management, operational efficiency, customer and competitor intelligence, continuous improvement, organizational learning, innovation in products and services, and time to market. They report of findings from American Productivity and Quality Center that greater emphasis should be made by firms on “using knowledge management to become more efficient innovators.” To leverage knowledge management for business innovation, IT managers must first understand the basic principles, theories, and practices of knowledge management. Next, they must understand how knowledge management will contribute to innovation. This chapter aims to address both topics to help make IT managers become the IT innovators.
Rational Concerns about Biometric Technology
Authors: Liu Yue
Published: May 2011

The increasing use of biometric technology is often accompanied by grandiose claims about its ability to enhance security and the debate.over the perceived threats.that it poses to the notion of privacy. By focusing on the security and privacy concerns the biometric technology raises, this chapter.gives critical analysis on the complexities involved through rational discussions, technology assessment and case examples. It clarifies the prevalent misconceptions concerning the biometric technology and finds that biometric technology alone can not provide an answer to security issues. The inherent nature of biometric technology provides enormous potential for undermining privacy. However, security and privacy are not necessarily two contradictory concepts where biometrics is concerned.
Fusion of Segmentation Strategies for Off-Line Cursive Handwriting Recognition
Authors: Verma Brijesh , Blumenstein Michael
Published: May 2011

Cursive handwriting recognition is a challenging task for many real-world applications such as document authentication, form processing, postal address recognition, reading machines for the blind, bank check recognition, and interpretation of historical documents. Therefore, in the last few decades, researchers have put an enormous effort into developing various techniques for handwriting recognition. This chapter reviews existing handwriting recognition techniques and presents the current state of the art in cursive handwriting recognition. The chapter also presents segmentation strategies and a segmentation- based approach for automated recognition of unconstrained cursive handwriting. The chapter provides a comprehensive literature review with basic and advanced techniques and research results in handwriting recognition for graduate students as well as for advanced researchers.
Occlusion Sequence Mining for Activity Discovery from Surveillance Videos
Authors: Guha Prithwijit , Mukerjee Amitabha , Venkatesh K. S.
Published: May 2011

Complex multiobject interactions result in occlusion sequences, which are a visual signature for the event. In this work, multiobject interactions are tracked using a set of qualitative occlusion primitives derived on the basis of the persistence hypothesis: objects continue to exist even when hidden from view. Variable length temporal sequences of occlusion primitives are shown to be well correlated with many classes of semantically significant events. In surveillance applications, determining occlusion primitives is based on foreground blob tracking and requires no prior knowledge of the domain or camera calibration. New foreground blobs are identified as putative objects that may undergo occlusions, split into multiple objects, merge back again, and so forth. Significant activities are identified through temporal sequence mining; these bear high correlation with semantic categories (e.g., disembarking from a vehicle involves a series of splits). Thus, semantically significant event categories can be recognized without assuming camera calibration or any environment/object/action model priors.
A Video Game, a Chinese Otaku, and Her Deep Learning of a Language
Authors: Feldmesser Kim
Published: May 2011

It is a buyers market for employers in todays global village, where having another language under your belt could make the difference at an interview between employment or the dole queue (unemployment line). Learning additional languages rapidly has been the goal of immersion schools, and their approaches are effective in many respects because they make use of situated learning experiences in communities of practice. Such experiences present their own challenges however, as living in the country of the chosen language for a considerable period of time may not be possible. Migrant workers too may be shunned by native speakers, particularly if they have little or no knowledge of the native language, reducing learning opportunities to engage in discourse. Video games may be one way to address these challenges. In order to do this, however, more must be understood about the ways in which games support these theories, the way individuals learning a second language interact with them, and what researchers and developers of serious games must know to support this use of games. This chapter will outline the relevant theories for second language learning, describe how they operate in games, and present guidelines for research and development of serious games and second language acquisition.
Descriptors of Quality Teachers and Quality Digital Games
Authors: Moline Teddy
Published: May 2011

Quality teachers and quality digital games (video and computer) are dynamic resources that experience ongoing changes based primarily on their interactions with learners. Characteristics of these resources have been, and will continue to be researched and identified in order to discover ways to improve student learning. This chapter uses the descriptors of one of these resources, quality teachers, to illustrate how the same characteristics are integral to effective digital games. North American youth now spend more time on digital gaming activities than they spend watching TV or reading (Greenberg, 2004; Prensky, 2005), prompting educators to become familiar with the ‘quality teacher’ traits of digital games that keep learners on task and learning. By using the descriptors of quality teachers to evaluate digital games, educators will gain a better understanding of why digital games are effective learning tools.
Development, Identity, and Game-Based Learning
Authors: Chee Yam San , Lim Kenneth Yang Teck
Published: May 2011

This chapter considers the use of computer games to help students construct their personal identity and develop dispositions that become active and responsible citizenship. It argues that the construction of identity requires both performative and narrative components and that these elements can be realized in a learning environment that affords students the opportunity to engage in a dialectic interplay between role playing in a game world and dialogic interaction outside of the game world. Research findings from an initial data set showing how students project their identities onto in-game characters are shared. The findings suggest that role playing in computer games can be effective in fostering attitudes, values, and beliefs desired of citizenship education.
The Design, Play, and Experience Framework
Authors: Winn Brian M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces a framework for the design of serious games for learning, called the design, play, and experience framework. The author argues that the great potential of serious games will not be realized without a formal design approach. To that end, the author presents and thoroughly explains the design, play, and experience framework which provides a formal approach to designing the learning, storytelling, game play, user experience, and technology components of a serious game. The author concludes by detailing how the framework provides a common language to discuss serious game design, a methodology to analyze a design, and a process to design a serious game for learning.
The Naming of Corporate eBrands
Authors: Kollmann Tobias
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines whether classical brand naming concepts are sustainable for entrepreneurial firms in the Net Economy. A prior study of Kohli and LaBahn (1997) covers the formal brand naming process and gives insights into brand name objectives and criteria. To follow the research purpose, their findings have been adapted to entrepreneurial firms in the Net Economy. Three hundred nineteen e-entrepreneurs located in German business incubators were analyzed for their brand naming process. The availability of an appropriate domain name is found to be a basic driver for deciding on a brand name. The domain name influences the course of action during the naming process. Two groups were found that significantly differ in proceeding with the naming process. One group of e-entrepreneurs follows the traditional process of Kohli and LaBahn (1997), whereas the other group follows a new approach giving more emphasis on the domain name. Here, the process shows to be iterative in nature instead of a step by step procedure.
The Role of the Tutor in Blended E-Learning
Authors: Sharpe Rhona , Pawlyn Jillian
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports on an implementation of blended e-learning within three modules in the School of Health and Social Care at Oxford Brookes University. All preregistration students within the school are required to take an interprofessional education module in each year of their study. These three modules have undergone a radical redesign, prompted by the school and university strategies for e-learning and the European and UK National Health Service IT skills agenda. The redesign resulted in a blended-learning strategy that combined face-to-face teaching with online work of increasing sophistication during each of the three modules. In each module, there was an emphasis on collaborative, interprofessional learning. Interviews were conducted with seven members of the course teams to ask them about their perceptions of their roles as tutors in this blended environment. Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed five elements of the tutors’ roles: relationships with students, supporting group work, supporting professional learning, managing the blend, and developing new tutoring skills. The implications are discussed for improving staff development for tutors in this case study and for our understanding of blended learning more generally.
Opening Online Academic Development Programmes to International Perspectives and Dialogue
Authors: Manathunga Catherine , Donnelly Roisin
Published: May 2011

Professional development for academic staff in higher education is receiving increasing attention. The focus has been on providing an opportunity for academic staff to enhance their effectiveness in meeting changing needs and roles in higher education. Inherent in this changing role has been meeting the challenges of technology-infused learning environments available for use today. This chapter explores the potential of online academic development programmes to increase collaboration and dialogue amongst participants through integrating opportunities for online interaction. By spotlighting two particular postgraduate programmes in Ireland and Australia, the chapter reports on present experiences of integrating international guests and considers the future of connecting people and technology for academic development in higher education.