bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Panel Discussion: Challenges of Open Educational Resources
Authors: Koohang Alex , Seymour Tom , Skovira Robert , DeLorenzo Gary
Published: October 2017

Open Education Resources (OERs) are defined as “technology-enabled, open provision of educational resources for consultation, use and adaptation by a community of users for noncommercial purposes. They are typically made freely available over the Web or the Internet. Their principal use is by teachers and educational institutions to support course development, but they can also be used directly by students. Open Educational Resources include learning objects such as lecture material, references and readings, simulations, experiments and demonstrations, as well as syllabi, curricula and teachers' guides.” UNESCO (2002, paragraph 3)
Threat Modeling Using Fuzzy Logic Paradigm
Authors: Simon Sodiya Adesina , Adebukola Onashoga Saidat , Oladunjoye Beatrice
Published: October 2017

Threat modeling, which is the process of identifying, quantifying and analyzing potential threats of computer-based systems, has become a significant consideration towards designing secure software systems. Despite the previous methods adopted for threat modeling, there are still many systems that are probable to attack. In this work, a fuzzy logic-based threat modeling technique is designed. The technique involves the fuzzification of input variables that is based on six major categories of threats (STRIDE- Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service, and Elevation of Privilege), rule evaluation, and aggregation of the rule outputs. The design is based on Mamdani-style inference system which is very good for the representation of human reasoning and effective analysis. The implementation is done using MATLAB fuzzy logic tools. Using the design to test five computer systems, the result shows a tool that can be effectively used to analyze potential threats to computer-based systems.
An Information System for a Bauxite Mine
Authors: Everett Jim
Published: October 2017

Bauxite is mined and transported by conveyor to a processing plant, screened and washed, then placed into blended stockpiles to feed the alumina refinery. While being stacked to the stockpile, the ore is sampled. Completed stockpiles must be acceptably close to target grade (composition), not only in alumina, but also in residual silica, carbon and sodium carbonate. The mine is an open-cut pit. Each day the choice of ore to mine, from multiple locations in the pit, is based upon estimates of grade. Estimated grade, from exploration drilling of the area before mining, has both systematic and random error. This paper describes an information system to guide the daily choice of ore to mine. Continually updating the comparison between forecasts and sampled product, the system provides adjusted forecasts. Ore is selected to bring the exponentially smoothed grade to target, in each of the control minerals.
Introducing Students to Business Intelligence: Acceptance and Perceptions of OLAP Software
Authors: Hart Mike , Esat Farhan , Rocha Michael , Khatieb Zaid
Published: October 2017

This research concerns a practical on-line analytic processing (OLAP) project given to 2nd year information systems major students. They were required to analyse two sets of sales data with two different OLAP software tools, and report both on their findings and on their experiences of working with the two products. Students then completed a validated instrument with questions about each OLAP tool, and data was analysed to assess whether proposed relationships in an adapted technology acceptance model (TAM) were supported. For each OLAP product the cognitive instrumental factors of result demonstrability, output quality, job relevance and perceived ease of use were found to be positively related to perceived usefulness. This supported local and international studies of business users. Facilitating conditions affected perceived ease of use, but anxiety played no significant role. Qualitative student experiences and perceptions are briefly commented on, and suggestions made about future OLAP projects.
E-Learning in the School: Applied to Teaching Mathematics in Portugal
Authors: Joao Gongalves Maria , Kaldeich Claus
Published: October 2017

In this paper will be present a snapshot of the situation of teaching and learning Mathematics in Portugal, as well as some statistics which pose the reality of this subject in the school rooms and homes of this country. Further will be present some applications of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to improve the teaching and learning activities of Mathematics, in the school room and at home. Some platforms which support the e-learning will be present too, as motivation to apply these technologies in a larger scale in the education in Portugal or in other countries.
Applying a System Development Approach to Translate Educational Requirements into E-Learning
Authors: Hadjerrouit Said
Published: October 2017

E-Learning provides a potentially powerful tool for implementing educational requirements rooted in learning theories. But still, much of the development of e-Learning is carried out without a true understanding of how learning theories can be translated into pedagogical requirements that can be implemented using learning technologies. This is because e-Learning lacks a systematic approach to the development process, resulting in poor requirements analysis and pedagogical design. This paper argues for a systematic system development approach to e-Learning to translate educational requirements into a system that supports effective learning.
Information Systems in General Practice: A Framework to Implement the Management and Prevention of Chronic Diseases
Authors: Carbone Daniel
Published: October 2017

The detrimental health and economic impacts due to the growth of chronic condition sufferers worldwide is well documented. The practical application of electronic information systems is expected to provide valuable support to this predicament. The purpose of this study is to develop an information systems implementation framework for the management and prevention of chronic diseases (CD) in general practices (Doctor’s surgeries). Interviews were conducted on key practice personnel where successful CD information systems implementations and adoption occurred. The interviews, in conjunction with the observations of an external IS facilitator to those implementations aimed at corroborating an emerging framework developed from the literature earlier in the study. Results to this date provided a wealth of information to both part validate and re-design the framework. The role of practice champions, external support, motivators, workflow effects and health outcomes are some of the prominent parameters highlighted in the findings. The implications, so far in this study have identified commonalities in capacity, processes and implementations flows that affect the framework. However, additional validation on new findings needs to be further explored.
Interoperability Gap Challenges for Learning Object Repositories & Learning Management Systems
Authors: Mason Robert
Published: October 2017

An interoperability gap exists between Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Learning Ob ject Repositories (LOR). LORs are responsible for the storage and management of Learning Objects and the associated Learning Object Metadata (LOM). LOR(s) adhere to various LOM standards depending up the requirements established by user groups and LOR administrators. Two common LOM standards found in LORs are CanCore (Canadian LOM standard) and the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) Content Aggregation Model (CAM). In contrast, LMSs are independent computer systems that manage and deliver course content to students via a web interface. This research addresses three important issues related to this problem domain: (a) a lack of metadata standards that define the format of how assessment data should be communicated from Learning Management Systems to Learning Object Repositories, (b) a lack of Information Engineering (IE) architectural standards for the transfer of data from Learning Management Systems to Learning Object Repositories, and (c) a lack of middleware that facilitates the movement of the assessment data from the Learning Management Systems to Learning Object Repositories. Thus, the three goals of this research are: (a) make recommendations for extending the CanCore and SCORM CAM LOM standards to facilitate the storage of assessment and summary assessment data, (b) define the foundation for an IE architectural standard based on an Access Control Policy (ACP) and Data Validation Policy (DVP) using a reliable consensus of experts with the Delphi technique, and (c) develop a middleware prototype that transfers learning assessment data from multiple Learning Management Systems into the Learning Object Metadata of Learning Objects that are stored within a CanCore or SCORM compliant Learning Object Repository.
Can We Reduce Students’ Negative Attitude Towards Math?
Authors: Fonseca Jaime
Published: October 2017

This study concerns the teaching/leaming experience of Data Analysis at the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences (ISCSP), Technical University of Lisbon, first in Sociology course, and next in Social Communication course. In both cases, Data Analysis subject was teaching/leaming of the discipline of Mathematics and Statistics for the Social Sciences. This study aims to find the effect of the use of new technologies on teaching/leaming the Data Analysis subject, and, more than that, it wants to know if this use can reduce the effect of negative experiences when learning Mathematics. From the used dataset, based on a questionnaire, we first profiled students, based on Latent Class Models; then we concluded that the negative attitude toward Mathematics’ learning until the 9 year (compulsory) schooling, influenced their performances on the Quantitative Methods (QM) subject, at the secondary level, but the same did not happened with the Data Analysis’ performance at University.
Condition of Web Accessibility in Practice and Suggestions for Its Improvement
Authors: Krunic Tanja , Ruzic-Dimitrijevic Ljiljana
Published: October 2017

With the current development of the Internet and its growing use it is necessary to satisfy the needs of all users including those with disabilities causing accessibility problems. The paper deals with these categories of users and how much web designers take care of their abilities to access web locations they create. The W3C organization has created a list of checkpoints regarding accessibility, which should be fulfilled by each website. A priority level representing a measure of improvement in accessibility is assigned to every checkpoint. Accordingly the authors of the paper have conducted a research of 200 web locations from different countries and obtained disturbing results on the presence of the basic accessibility principles in practice. In addition the paper offers a strategy for improving web accessibility in practice. Future web designers and managers ordering websites should be taught about the importance of web locations accessibility.
First Year Courses in IT: A Bloom Rating
Authors: Oliver Dave , Dobele Tony
Published: October 2017

This paper explores the cognitive difficulty of assessment tasks in six first year computing courses within an Information Technology (IT) degree. Bloom’s taxonomy is used as an analytical framework. A Bloom rating is calculated for each of the courses involved in the study and the results are presented and analysed. A wide variation in the cognitive level and style of assessment is revealed. These results are also compared to those from an earlier study and a reduction in the cognitive level of first year programming courses in this study is detected.
Challenges IT Instructors Face in the Education Process and Self-Education
Authors: Ruzic-Dimitrijevic Ljiljana , Dimitrijevic Maja
Published: October 2017

This paper is about the challenges IT instructors face due to the rapid development of the information technology. IT instructors need to continuously update their own skills and knowledge through self-education. They also need to frequently update course syllabuses and make major changes in the course textbooks if they write them. In order to understand and evaluate these challenges, we conducted a survey among the IT instructors from several colleges and universities, particularly focusing on teaching introductory computer science courses. The focus of the survey is the need for the instructors' self-education and updating of the course syllabuses and textbooks due to the information technology rapid development. We have analyzed the results of the survey, and give recommendations for the most efficient self-education of the IT instructors.
Users’ Learning of Principles of Computer Operations
Authors: Stamatova Elena , Kaasboll Jens
Published: October 2017

In order to develop computer competence, users need to understand principles of its operation in addition to memorizing where a particular operation is located in menus. Understanding a principle ease transfer of learning, hence the understanding helps learning a new application. These principles, e.g. functional dependency, are based in computer science, and are thereby precise and general. Two cycles of the Action-Process-Model (Aharoni, 2000) of learning abstract concepts are used to characterize the learning process of such principles. Observations and tests of students in a high school show discrimination errors and forgetting already in the first of six stages of learning. Nevertheless, the majority of the students arrived at the fourth stage of learning functional dependency. In order to improve learning, teachers need to provide both intermediate and general concepts so that the learners can verbalize their actions and hence improve their understanding.
Contextual Inquiry: A Systemic Support for Student Engagement through Reflection
Authors: M Bednar Peter , Eglin Roger , Welch Christine
Published: October 2017

Much research has been published which attests to desire felt by educators to improve the quality of student reflection, and engagement with learning, through processes of assessment. This paper describes how research in Systems Analysis is being transformed and applied to educational practice. Staff considered that methods were needed to stimulate students to reflect and engage in higher orders of learning in order to help them to experience ‘success’ in their assessments. The paper describes the background to a Systems Analysis approach and its specific adaptation for support in student learning in the field of creative technologies.
Student Performance Shows Slight Improvement When Open Notes are Used During Information Systems Exams
Authors: Duncan Doris
Published: October 2017

This paper summarizes findings of teaching eight sections of the same information systems college course in the same format with one major exception. Five sections had notes available for reference during the final exam whereas three sections did not. The author’s primary hypothesis that students in the five sections using notes would perform significantly better than the other sections on the exam was not supported. The author also analyzed exam results for the sections allowed to use notes and found there was a significant difference in how individual students who chose to use notes performed compared to those who chose not to use notes. This topic will be of most interest to faculty who teach information systems oriented courses but may of interest to anyone who teaches or takes classes.
The Technology Ownership and Information Acquisition Habits of HBCU Freshmen
Authors: Buzzetto-More Nicole , Sweat-Guy Retta
Published: October 2017

In a world of expanding information and technological resources, there is increasingly a need for a citizenry that is able to access and use information and technology effectively (American Library Association, 2000). An information and technologically literate person should have access to, and be able to use, a host of available resources that include libraries, databases, and the internet in order to retrieve, evaluate, and use information effectively (Weil, 2006). This paper reports the findings of a study conducted at two Historically Black Universities that examined technology ownership and usage, as well as, the information acquisition habits of freshmen.
ICT Strategy in an ICT User Perspective: Exploring Alignment between ICT Users and Managers
Authors: Fardal Harald
Published: October 2017

This study adds to the body of knowledge in research of ICTs in organizations by exploring the relevance of alignment between ICT users and managers responsible for the ICT strategy and ICT project processes. Alignment research is usually conducted at an organizational analytical level, but this study explores alignment between individuals by addressing ICT managers and ICT users, considering both the organizational and individual perspectives. Data was collected by interviewing ICT users and the CIO in a Norwegian entrepreneur corporation. Using a grounded theory analytical approach, the findings provide support for an emerging User Management Alignment Model (UMAM) where the outcome is better ICT strategy and project processes.
Publishing through Some Sites on the Internet
Authors: Alasooly Hedaya
Published: October 2017

The paper provides a survey of some of the international journal publishers that can be found in internet. Provided also is a survey of some of the free and commercial publishers in internet.
The Implicit Ethics of Power in the Landscape of Systems Implementation Policy
Authors: Peszynski Konrad , Lenarcic John
Published: October 2017

With the damaging influence of systems implementation failure, it is vital to distinguish the issues surrounding large-scale software selection, construction and operations. Using the work by Markus (1983) as a touchstone, this paper spotlights the question of resistance towards a new system and the impact policy has on minimising confrontation. A case study delving into the lines of conflict associated with the selection and implementation of an enterprise-wide student learning management system is presented and discussed in detail. A brief assessment of the findings from this analysis and Markus (1983) is made. It was revealed that the ratification of policy leads to an embedded compliance of power frameworks. These dynamic hierarchies elicit discourse patterns that serve to constrain defiance.
A Multi-Criteria Based Approach to Prototyping Urban Road Networks
Authors: Nagar Atulya , Tawfik Hissam
Published: October 2017

This paper presents an approach for analysing and prototyping urban road network routes based on multiple criteria, such as spatial quality, transportation cost and aesthetics, in order to evaluate the quality of people’s use of road networks. A prototype is developed to analyse routes and accessibility in road layouts from a number of design and user related perspectives. A case study is used to demonstrate the concept of multi-criteria assessment of road networks.
Using Video to Record Summary Lectures to Aid Students’ Revision
Authors: Whatley Janice , Ahmad Amrey
Published: October 2017

Video as a tool for teaching and learning in higher education is a multimedia application with considerable promise. Including video within the online support material for a module can help students to gain an understanding of the material and prepare for assessment. We have experimented with using short videos that summarise the lectures given, as an aid for students to use when revising. An interpretive method has been adopted to investigate the use students make of these videos, during the teaching term and when revising for assessment. In this paper a summary of ways that video can be used for supporting teaching and learning is given, the ways in which we used video are presented followed by discussion of some issues relating to producing summary length videos. Preliminary research indicates that students find these summary lectures very useful for reviewing lecture material as well as for their revision.
ICT Skills: An Essential Graduate Skill in Today's Global Economy?
Authors: Miliszewska Iwona
Published: October 2017

This paper reflects on the skills required by university graduates to participate successfully in today’s global economy. The development of these skills in students throughout Australian universities has been guided by Core Graduate Attributes (CGA) policies. While information literacy skills have been recognised in most policies, more advanced information technology and communication (ICT) skills and digital literacy have been largely overlooked. Yet, digital technology is all-encompassing with applications that permeate every aspect of the economy. Thus, the skills that graduates require increasingly revolve around knowledge creation and information sharing, insight and analysis, and collaboration and advanced communications skills. The paper discusses the growing need for the development of advanced ICT skills in university graduates; it shows the disparity between CGA policies, current university practice, and the expectations of the world at large; and, it proposes explicit incorporation of these skills to university curriculum, including suggestions for effective implementation.
Curriculum Change and the Evolution of Postgraduate e-Business Subjects
Authors: Tatnall Arthur , Singh Mohini , Burgess Stephen , Davey Bill
Published: October 2017

E-business courses were introduced in many universities around the world about ten years ago. Sometimes they were introduced at the undergraduate level, sometimes at postgraduate level and sometimes at both. This paper will present a case study examining the postgraduate e-business courses in two Australian universities and how they have changed over the last few years. The paper describes factors that influence the development of e-business courses and outlines a theory of subject development, originally intended to explain the development of new school subjects in 19fe century England. We make use of this theory to explain what has happened, and is still happening, in the case of e-business curriculum in Australia.
Information Assurance Programs at Tertiary Level
Authors: Wolfe Henry
Published: October 2017

This paper highlights the rationale for all IT degrees being focused on Information Assurance holistically throughout the entire degree. It takes a look at the failure of industry to produce an operating system that provides user control of system activities and primarily serves the user rather than other special interest groups (Microsoft, Digital Rights Management, other applications vendors, etc.)
Host Identity Protocol (HIP) as a Virtual Learning Object
Authors: Bergstrom Laura , Frojdman Johan , J. Grahn Kaj , Karlsson Jonny , Pulkkis Goran
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a virtual learning environment for HIP (Host Identity Protocol). HIP is a potential future Internet protocol currently under research. The main idea with HIP is the separation between the location and identity information by introducing a new cryptographic name space, called Host Identity (HI). This feature provides enhanced network security as well as easy management of mobility and multi-homing. Overviews of the basic features and implementations of HIP are included in the paper. A technical description of HIP, including a survey of specifications and details about the functionality of the protocol, is included in an appendix. The HIP learning environment has been produced to serve both contact and distance education in advanced networking. The development of the learning environment is described. A list of topics that developers of a learning environment should think of when designing the user interface is presented based on a theory on the structure of human behaviour. This theory is included in an appendix. The chosen didactical approach, the structured animation of HIP features, and the graphical design of the learning platform are presented and motivated. The IT tools and infrastructure needed to implement and use the learning platform are also described.
The Effect of Student Background in E-Learning - Longitudinal Study
Authors: Boghikian-Whitby Seta , Mortagy Yehia
Published: October 2017

This study surveyed how students’ backgrounds prepare them for online education. The study compared learning outcome between traditional and non-traditional (adult) undergraduate students in online and face-to-face sessions; the difference in learning over time; and the effect of prior online experience. Student learning measurements included: pre-test, final examination (post-test), and final letter grade. Findings revealed that online education is as effective as F2F sessions and that learning has occurred. The study found a significant difference of learning outcomes over time. And that adult student with some prior online experience performed better than those with no prior experience. Conclusions suggest that Adult students benefit more from taking online classes compared to traditional age students, and that computer competency helped improve performance in online classes over time. Additional analysis is needed to determine if there is a difference between the personality of students and their performance in online and F2F classes.
Online Interaction among Students and Faculty: A Comparative Study
Authors: Miltenoff Plamen , Hoover John , Tzokov Galin
Published: October 2017

Based on recent proliferation of online education and ongoing technological revolution, this research focuses on interaction of students and faculty as a main contributor to the success of online education. A survey of 22 items was distributed to faculty members and students from the Midwest of the U.S. and 3 Eastern European countries during the period of 2002-2003. The data collected reflects students and faculty opinions about the state of technology and online communication. The results confirm findings from the literature about digital divide between developed and emerging countries.
A Longitudinal Analysis of the Effects of Instructional Strategies on Student Performance in Traditional and E-Learning Formats
Authors: Sweat-Guy Retta , Wishart Craig
Published: October 2017

As more and more colleges and universities offer courses designed in the e-leaming format, quality of instruction and student performance are becoming, progressively more, issues that need to be addressed. This study is an attempt to add to the literature on student performance in traditional and e-learning environments as well as exploring student-centered and learner-centered as an instructional strategy. A causal-comparative design was chosen for this study to examine the effects of instructional strategies on student performance in two upper-level core business courses developed in both traditional and e-learning formats. The study spanned 3 years, beginning fall 2004 through spring 2007 and participants included 293 declared business majors who were enrolled in various sections of Organizational Behavior and International Management courses during the study period. Data analyses revealed non significant differences in student performance based on delivery method and course. However, quite the reverse was found when examining student performance against instructional strategies.
Twenty Years of Girls into Computing Days: Has It Been Worth the Effort?
Authors: Craig Annemieke , Lang Catherine , Fisher Julie
Published: October 2017

The first documented day-long program to encourage girls to consider computing as a career was held in 1987 in the U.K. Over the last 20 years these one-day events, labeled Girls into Computing days, have been conducted by academics and professionals to foster female-student interest in information technology (IT) degrees and careers. This paper charts the growth and popularity of these types of events internationally and questions their effectiveness. The format of Girls in Computing days varies from giving students hands-on experiences with technology to exposure to women in the industry through seminars and presentations. They are mostly aimed at girls in the 12-16 year old age bracket. The underlying assumption of these events is that female students are not choosing IT degrees and careers because of a limited awareness of what an IT degree and career involves. The absence of any longitudinal evaluation on the success of Girls into Computing events is a glaring oversight. Success of previous events conducted in the UK, USA, and Australia has been evaluated mainly through pre-event and post-event attitudinal type surveying of students. These have all been positive, but any long-term attitudinal change has not been measured and some researchers suggest that the effects of Girls in Computing days have been negligible, a suggestion supported by a continued decline in female IT higher education enrolment statistics in all these countries.
The Impact of a Software Tool that Supports a Part-Complete Solution Method on the Learning Outcomes of Novice Programmers
Authors: Garner Stuart
Published: October 2017

This paper reports on the findings from a quantitative research study into the use of a software tool that was built to support a part-complete solution method (PCSM) for the learning of computer programming. The use of part-complete solutions to programming problems is one of the methods that can be used to reduce the cognitive load that students experience during their learning. The tool that was built is a code restructuring tool known as CORT. An inquiry into its effect on student learning outcomes took place over a period of 14 weeks at an Australian university. Two student groups participated in an introductory programming unit, one of which utilized the CORT system whilst the other acted as a control group. No significant difference were found in the relative achievement of students in the CORT and non-CORT groups in tests of programming achievement. However the results showed significant advantages for the CORT students in terms of time saving and levels of tutor help required. Differences also emerged in levels of achievement between certain sub-groups, these being age, computer literacy and previous programming experience.
A Computer Science Educational Program for Establishing an Entry Point to the Computing Community of Practice
Authors: Haberman Bruria , Yehezkel Cecile
Published: October 2017

The rapid evolvement of the computing domain has posed challenges in attempting to bridge the gap between school and the contemporary world of computing, which is related to content, learning culture, and professional norms. We believe that the interaction of high-school students who major in computer science or software engineering with leading representatives ofthe computing community of practice may motivate them to pursue their studies further or pursue a career in the field. Accordingly, our program aims at exposing talented high-school students "directly by leading experts" to state-of-the-art computing research, advanced technologies, software engineering methodologies, and professional norms. The interaction between the students and the experts, who actually become role models for the students, occurs at two levels: (a) during enrichment plenary meetings, and (b) through one-to-one interaction in which students develop software projects under the apprenticeship-based supervision of professionals from the computing community of practice. In the last four years, six hundred students participated in enrichment activities; 86 of these students accomplished high-level software projects under the supervision of experts.
Open Online Assignment Submission: First Year Students' Behavior and Views
Authors: Langley Dorothy , Ronen Miky , Ben Shachar Shlomit
Published: October 2017

The Open Assignment Submission (OAS) is an innovative regime whereby students submit homework assignments of an appropriate nature into a designated open forum provided by the Learning Management System (LMS). Our previous research, carried out with a cohort of Education graduates, indicated possible benefits and challenges of OAS as a means of supporting assignment submission through learning from peer examples. The current paper presents a recent explorative case study into the behaviour patterns and views of 55 first year students regarding OAS, during the very early stages of the Academic Literacy course. Drawing on two main data sources (a self-report questionnaire and data of student access and submission retrieved from the course LMS records) we have found characteristic patterns of peer-example viewing, assignment submission schedules and related grades. The OAS regime appears to provide an appreciated learning support and has a potential to promote intentional learning.
The Influence of Intelligence and Personality on the Use of Soft Skills in Research Projects among Final Year University Students: A Case Study
Authors: Motah Mahendrenath
Published: October 2017

The paper examines the moderating influence of the “Big Five” model of personality, emotional intelligence, and the impact of multiple intelligences, on the use of soft skills among final year students. The present work investigates the variables which affect students in the elaboration of their research projects during their final year of study. 187students reading for their final years were asked to fill out questionnaires comprising questions on the personality traits as proposed in the Big Five model and on Multiple Intelligences. This study provides information about how young students use soft skills in their work, and how multiple intelligences and their personality influence the preparation and presentation of their final year project.
Effectiveness of Program Visualization: A Case Study with the ViLLE Tool
Authors: Rajala Teemu , Laakso Mikko-Jussi , Kaila Erkki , Salakoski Tapio
Published: October 2017

Program visualization is one of the various methods developed over the years to aid novices with their difficulties in learning to program. It consists of different graphical - often animated - and textual objects, visualizing the execution of programs. The aim of program visualization is to enhance students’ understanding of different areas of program execution. Typical program visualization techniques include code highlighting, visualization of the call stack, and presenting information on variables. Despite the large number of studies performed on program visualization, little is known about the effects of such systems on learning. We have developed a program visualization tool called ViLLE, with the main objective of offering an environment for students to study the execution of example programs - whether written by students themselves or prepared by the teacher - and explore the changes in the program state data structures. A key feature of ViLLE is language independency, including parallel execution of a program in two different languages and the ability to define new languages. ViLLE also provides role information of program variables and supports the design and use of interactive pop-up questions.
Gender Diversity in Computing: An Environmental Perspective
Authors: Marsh Cecille
Published: October 2017

Previous research conducted by the author investigated the socio-political backgrounds of two groups of female students studying computer-related university programmes. They came from distinctly different backgrounds and were enrolled at two institutions with very different legacies. The author found that socio-political factors, in particular the role of a dominant female household head and aggressive governmental affirmative action, had a significant effect on the girls’ levels of confidence and subsequently on their decision to study computer-related courses. Based on this insight, the researcher undertook to look further into gender diversity with respect to self-perceived general computer confidence and self-perceived ability to program a computer. A sample of both female and male Information T echnology students from very similar disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds was surveyed. The sample of 204 students was drawn from all three years of the National Diploma in Information Technology. The author considered the following research questions: (i) Do males and females studying computer-related courses have differing computer selfefficacy levels? (ii) Do males and females studying computer programming have differing attitudes towards their ability to program? (iii) Do males and females differ in their attitudes towards the programming learning environment?
Design Development and Implementation of an Open Source Learning Object Repository (OSLOR)
Authors: Koohang Alex , Floyd Kevin , Santiago Julie , Greene Steve , Harman Keith
Published: October 2017

This paper presents the birth of an open source learning object repository (OSLOR) from design to implementation. Critical design issues such as user interface, type of LOR, standards, metadata, and the programming language were considered in the process. These issues revolve around the essential characteristics of LOR, i.e., interoperability, reusability, and accessibility. Conclusion and recommendations are made for future advancement of the OSLOR and its sustainability.
Knowledge Management of Worked-out Examples - Exploring the Educational Benefits
Authors: Or-Bach Rachel
Published: October 2017

Worked-out examples serve an important role in the educational process. In order to take advantage of such carefully designed examples, students have to "make sense" of the examples and retrieve them whenever it is appropriate. This calls for a knowledge management process to be conducted by the students; a process we implemented as a learning task during a Knowledge-Based Systems course. Students were required to incrementally define and refine a metadata scheme for representing and managing a growing set of programming examples that were introduced during the course. Our findings show that students' iterative processes of metadata creation and modification, which were conducted both individually and collaboratively, supported reflection activities and brought students to revisit, rethink and reinterpret the various code examples and the relations between them. We discuss the finding and the implications of having students deal with issues of reusability, abstraction, metadata; and with the respective tradeoffs and dilemmas.
An Attention Economy Perspective on the Effectiveness of Incomplete Information
Authors: Geri Nitza , Neumann Seev , Schocken Rebecca , Tobin Yishai
Published: October 2017

This study suggests an attention economy perspective on incomplete information, asserting that people use partial information as basis for action, hence an effective information system should provide them just with the most useful partial information, and should avoid redundant information that wastes their limited attention resources. These assertions were empirically examined via simulation of a speech-reading process that measured the real and perceived value of two levels of partial speech-reading support. The findings indicate that additional partial information improved performance, but there was practically no significant difference between one and two signals support levels. High correlation was found between the different methods of evaluation, suggesting that perceived value may be used as substitute to real value measurement after considering the circumstances of the system involved. This research may provide important insights for designing information systems in general, as well as speech-reading support systems that will improve communication opportunities of hearing impaired people.
Informing through User-Centered Exploratory Search and Human-Computer Interaction Strategies
Authors: Petratos Panagiotis
Published: October 2017

In this article the subject of Informing through user-centered Exploratory Search and Information Retrieval utilizing human-computer interaction strategies is analyzed. Exploratory Search is a new field that has sprung from the more general Information Retrieval. Informing Science is a trans-discipline which transcends a large variety of fields and seeks how to best inform all the clients of interest. One facet of Informing Science, the process of elucidating the best methods of informing inquiring clientele, is served by user-centered Exploratory Search and human-computer interaction strategies. This work explains a human factors method which allows the comparison of the performance of multiple IR systems and can enhance the comparative topic focused IR search quality. This human factors method also allows the human participants to provide their IR explicit feedback and record these judgments as a gold standard for future comparison. This human factors method is tested by established statistical analysis and allows the statistical comparison of the IR performance of a selection of IR systems. This work also demonstrates the results of this human factors method after testing it upon three leading IR systems, Google, Yahoo and Live Search.
Analysis of Cultural Effects on Business Curricular Subject Matter
Authors: Burcik Vladimir , DeLorenzo Gary , Kohun Fred , Skovira Robert
Published: October 2017

It has been argued that culture effects how individuals implement, understand, and teach the curriculum of business courses within a society’s educational institutions (Burcik, Kohun, & Skovira, 2007; DeLorenzo, Kohun, & Skovira, 2006; Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005). The curricula and their subject matter of business faculties reflect the societies in which the curricula are developed and in which they are taught. The essay presents a rubric for analyzing this curricular phenomena based on Hofstede and Hofstede’s (2005) conception that a society’s culture constituted in and presented in individuals’ views and routines is determinate of professorial understandings and teachings of business subject matter. In particular, Hofstede’s indices on Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance is applied to select business curricula from the Slovak Republic and the United States. The analysis includes a rubric of curricular attributes from a convenience sample of select university business programs in the Slovak Republic and the United States for comparative purposes.
Measurement of Resources and Investments to Develop Digital Learning Objects
Authors: Machado Mariana , Augusto Marcelino Luiz , Mustaro Pollyana
Published: October 2017

The present research aims to evaluate digital learning objects architecture and build metrics -based on analyze of the financial, administrative and software engineering aspects - to define a prevision of the necessary investment to develop digital learning object. To develop some metrics it was necessary an online survey research with professionals that works with digital learning objects development. The study of the answers and some theoretical approaches of instructional design, software engineering, and learning objects characteristics turned possible create a Web application in Java that provides a prevision of the initial investment for the development of digital learning object. This program is based on the definition of a methodology that considers activities and professionals involved in the process and the execution time of each stage of digital learning object development in a dynamic way.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration for the Community: Technical Communicators in a Service-Learning Software Engineering Course
Authors: Chao Joseph , Brown Jennifer
Published: October 2017

This paper discusses a collaborative service-learning approach to a software engineering course that involved partnering with local non-profit organizations and collaborating with a technical communication class. The main goals of the collaboration with the technical communication class were to provide the students with a real-world project that gave them experience with a crossdepartmental team collaboration and to improve the documentation accompanying the software that was developed for the non-profit organizations. Another goal was to, in turn, reduce the burden on the computer science instructor to provide technical support for the software after the end of the semester. We describe the courses involved, the goals for and method of collaboration, limitations, student survey responses, and lessons learned from this collaboration. As expected with a first attempt at a cross-departmental collaborative project, student survey results showed both positive and negative impressions of the collaboration. With further transforming of the curriculum, we believe this type collaboration holds value as an effective method of providing real-world experience, not only with developing software and working with a client, but also with collaborating with team members from other disciplines.
Design Alternatives for a MediaWiki to Support Collaborative Writing in Higher Education Classes
Authors: Kasemvilas Sumonta , Olfman Lorne
Published: October 2017

Constructivist learning mechanisms such as collaborative writing have emerged as a result of the development of Web 2.0 technologies. We define the term mandatory collaborative writing to describe a writing activity where the group has a firm deadline. Our study focuses on how a wiki can fully support mandatory group writing. The motivation of this design science research study emerges from a graduate Knowledge Management class assignment to write a wiki book. The project outcome shows that the wiki instance used for the project, MediaWiki, could better facilitate the process with a set of extensions that support discussion, evaluation, and project management. We outline designs for these mechanisms: 1) a discussion mechanism that changes the way users discuss content on a wiki page and increases group awareness; 2) an evaluation mechanism that provides a tool for the instructor to monitor and assess students’ performance; and 3) a project management tool that increases awareness of the status of each component of the writing project and provides an overall summary of the project. A demonstration of the principles to a focus group provided a basic proof of the validity of these mechanisms.
Didactics of ICT in Secondary Education: Conceptual Issues and Practical Perspectives
Authors: Hadjerrouit Said
Published: October 2017

While there is a huge research literature on the field of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) as a tool in teaching and learning, there is much less research on the area of ICT as a subject or similar designations such as school informatics. As a result, there is a lack of theoretical grounding of the didactics of ICT and associated teaching and learning processes. One of the main reasons for the lack of theoretical underpinnings of the didactics of ICT is that there have been in the past and there persist even now strong disagreements and confusion about the nature of ICT as a school subject. While the content of the subject has been clearly defined in the school curriculum, the didactics of ICT is still unclear. This paper suggests ways forward in formulating a framework for conceptualizing the didactics of ICT. The framework draws on research in learning paradigms, epistemology, general didactics, conceptual, and curricular issues of ICT. The article also reports on implementations and evaluations of the framework that were carried out by trainee teachers in secondary schools.