bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient Training Algorithm for Neuro-Fuzzy Network and its Application to Nonlinear Sensor Characteristic Linearization
Authors: Palit Ajoy K. , Anheier Walter
Published: May 2010

An ideal linear sensor is one for which input and output values are always proportional. Typical sensors are, in general, highly nonlinear or seldom sufficiently linear enough to be useful over a wide range or span of interest. Due to the requirement of tedious effort in designing sensor circuits with sufficient linearity for some applications, the word nonlinearity has acquired a pejorative connotation. Hence, a computationally intelligent tool for extending the linear range of an arbitrary sensor is proposed. The linearization technique is carried out by a very efficiently trained neuro-fuzzy hybrid network which compensates for the sensor’s nonlinear characteristic. The training algorithm is very efficient in the sense that it can bring the performance index of the network, such as the sum squared error (SSE), down to the desired error goal much faster than any first order training algorithm. Linearization of a negative temperature coefficient thermistor sensor with an exponentially decaying characteristic function is used as an application example, which demonstrates the efficacy of the procedure. The proposed linearization technique is also applicable for any nonlinear sensor (such as J-type thermocouple or pH sensor), whose output is a monotonically increasing/decreasing function.
Evolutionary Approaches and Their Applications to Distributed Systems
Authors: Weise Thomas , Chiong Raymond
Published: May 2010

The ubiquitous presence of distributed systems has drastically changed the way the world interacts, and impacted not only the economics and governance but also the society at large. It is therefore important for the architecture and infrastructure within the distributed environment to be continuously renewed in order to cope with the rapid changes driven by the innovative technologies. However, many problems in distributed computing are either of dynamic nature, large scale, NP complete, or a combination of any of these. In most cases, exact solutions are hardly found. As a result, a number of intelligent nature-inspired algorithms have been used recently, as these algorithms are capable of achieving good quality solutions in reasonable computational time. Among all the nature-inspired algorithms, evolutionary algorithms are considerably the most extensively applied ones. This chapter presents a systematic review of evolutionary algorithms employed to solve various problems related to distributed systems. The review is aimed at providing an insight of evolutionary approaches, in particular genetic algorithms and genetic programming, in solving problems in five different areas of network optimization: network topology, routing, protocol synthesis, network security, and parameter settings and configuration. Some interesting applications from these areas will be discussed in detail with the use of illustrative examples.
Statistical Analysis of Computational Intelligence Algorithms on a Multi-Objective Filter Design Problem
Authors: Teixeira Flávio , Soares Romariz Alexandre Ricardo
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents the application of a comprehensive statistical analysis for both algorithmic performance comparison and optimal parameter estimation on a multi-objective digital signal processing problem. The problem of designing optimum digital finite impulse response (FIR) filters with the simultaneous approximation of the filter magnitude and phase is posed as a multi- objective optimization problem. Several computational-intelligence-based algorithms for solving this particular optimization problem are presented: genetic algorithms (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and simulated annealing (SA) with multi-objective scalarization methods. Algorithms with Pareto sampling methods, namely non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) and multi-objective simulated annealing (MOSA) are also applied as a way of dealing with multi-objective optimization. Instead of using a process of trial and error, a statistical exploratory analysis is used to estimate optimal parameters. A comprehensive statistical comparison of the applied algorithms is addressed, which indicates a particularly strong performance of NSGA-II and pure GA with weighting scalarization.
Challenges Ahead for European Air Traffic
Authors: Young Dave , Pilon Nadine , Brom Lawrence
Published: May 2010

The complexity and volumes of the projected future traffic require very demanding air traffic management systems and operations, and the perspective of continuing growth have triggered on both sides of the Atlantic initiatives to modernise the Air Traffic Management systems, namely NextGen in the USA and SESAR in Europe. The present European ATM infrastructure must be transformed. It must be propelled into the modern age, industrialised and developed into an integrated ATM Network facilitating the sustainable development of air transport, which will in turn contribute to a strong and sustainable growth of national economies, while enhancing safety and minimising environmental impact. This transformation requires the application of new operational concepts which fully exploit developments in information technology and airborne intelligence, integrated and implemented in a uniform and consistent manner. This chapter summarises the views of many European opinion leaders and actors of the industry captured in a recent study. It does not pretend to address these all in detail, but aims to provide the reader with insight into aspects where research is required, where issues must be confronted and resolved – where the industry’s challenges lie. Whilst the chapter addresses these challenges with a distinct European flavour, it is quite possible that many aspects will find sympathy elsewhere around our increasingly interdependent globe.
Balance Modelling and Implementation of Flow Balance for Application in Air Traffic Management
Authors: Borges de Souza Bueno , Weigang Li , Ferreira Crespo Antonio Marcio , Rezende Celestino Victor Rafael
Published: May 2010

This work describes a decision making support system with Graph Theory and Artificial Intelligence methodologies applied to the Brazilian Air Traffic Flow Management. It consists of a flow management model based on graphs with heuristic adaptations for the dynamic regulation of the air traffic flow. The model lays the foundation of the architecture of the Flow Balancing Model (FBM) which integrates the Distributed Decision Support System applied to the Tactical Management of the Traffic Flow (SISCONFLUX), under development, and has the objective of improving the national airspace management. The FBM was proposed to give support to the system in operation at the First Air Defence and Air Traffic Control Integrated Centre (CINDACTA I), by providing additional information to the process applied by the controllers, in order to mitigate the workload and improve the results of their actions. Using flow maximization techniques adapted from Graph Theory, FBM was developed as a model of analysis which determines the separation time between departures from terminals integrating the Brasilia Flight Information Region (FIR-BS), and distributes the slack capacity along the controlled airspace, in order to prevent or reduce traffic congestion in various sectors of FIR-BS. The FBM gives support to traffic flow regulation, assisting the controllers and other units within the SISCONFLUX.
Using the Continuum Equilibrium Approach to Solve Airport Competition Problems
Authors: Loo Becky P.Y. , Ho H.W. , Wong S.C. , Zhang Peng
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents a computational method using the continuum equilibrium approach to solve airport competition problems. The mathematical formulation and solution algorithm are given. The Hong Kong-Pearl River Delta region is used as a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach in solving real-life large-scale airport competition problems. Behavioral choices of both international and domestic air travelers in the region are modeled. The results show the distinctive value of the continuum approach in understanding the spatial dynamics of air passenger flows in multi-airport regions.
A Distributed Systems Approach to Airborne Self-Separation
Authors: Moniz Henrique , Tedeschi Alessandra , Neves Nuno Ferreira , Correia Miguel
Published: May 2010

This chapter introduces the reader to the benefits of distributed computing in air transportation. It presents a solution to airborne self-separation based on RAPTOR, a stack of distributed protocols that allows aircraft to reach different types of agreement in the presence of faults, both of accidental and malicious nature. These protocols are used as primitives to implement specific services for airborne self-separation, which are created within the context of a conflict resolution algorithm based on game theory.
The Semantic Side of Service-Oriented Architectures
Authors: Ferreira da Silva Catarina , Rupino da Cunha Paulo , Ghodous Parisa , Melo Paulo
Published: May 2010

In Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA), service descriptions are fundamental elements. In order to automatically execute SOA tasks, such as services discovery, it is necessary to capture and process the semantics of services. We review several Semantic Web Services frameworks that intend to bring semantics to Web Services. This chapter depicts some ideas from SOA and Semantic Web services and their application to enterprise application integration. We illustrate an example of logic-based semantic matching between consumer services and provided services, which are described in ontologies.
Supporting Semantically Enhanced Web Service Discovery for Enterprise Application Integration
Authors: Kourtesis Dimitrios , Paraskakis Iraklis
Published: May 2010

The availability of sophisticated Web service discovery mechanisms is an essential prerequisite for increasing the levels of efficiency and automation in EAI. In this chapter, we present an approach for developing service registries building on the UDDI standard and offering semantically-enhanced publication and discovery capabilities in order to overcome some of the known limitations of conventional service registries. The approach aspires to promote efficiency in EAI in a number of ways, but primarily by automating the task of evaluating service integrability on the basis of the input and output messages that are defined in the Web service’s interface. The presented solution combines the use of three technology standards to meet its objectives: OWL-DL, for modelling service characteristics and performing fine-grained service matchmaking via DL reasoning, SAWSDL, for creating semantically annotated descriptions of service interfaces, and UDDI, for storing and retrieving syntactic and semantic information about services and service providers.
Light-Weight Semantic Integration of Generic Behavioral Component Descriptions
Authors: Lemcke Jens
Published: May 2010

As stated by the Aberdeen group, integration costs 40% of a company’s IT budget today. The difficulty of integration arises because the description of software components–in service-oriented architectures (SOA) predominantly done by XML schema definition (XSD) and the Web service definition language (WSDL)–is on the technical level. The technical description neglects important detail of the intended usage of software components, which is also referred to as their semantics. Particularly, semantics needs to be considered in two major integration tasks. First, semantically corresponding data types that can be used for communication between components need to be identified. Second, natural language documentation needs to be studied today in order to understand component behavior, that is, dependencies between operation invocations and how semantically different outcomes of operation calls are represented in the technical output format. The approach presented in this chapter supports the two tasks as follows. First, closed frequent itemset mining (CFIM) is employed to help identifying semantically corresponding data types. Second, a formal representation for component behavior is introduced. However, as component behavior is specified during component development, but used during integration–two distinct phases involving distinct teams–we provide model transformations to ensure the consistent transfer of generic behavioral information to specific integration constraints before automated integration techniques can be applied. We applied the CFIM on the message types exposed by SAP’s standard software components and show that we are able to find semantically relevant correspondences. Furthermore, we demonstrate the practical applicability of our behavioral model transformations on the basis of an SAP best practice business scenario. With the little more effort to specify behavioral information at development time in a formal way instead of in natural language, our approach facilitates the reuse of behavioral component descriptions in multiple integration projects and eases the construction of correct integrations.
Data Warehouse Architecture
Authors: Huang Xuegang
Published: May 2010

The wide adoption of business intelligence applications has let more and more organizations to build and maintain data warehouse systems. Concepts like “unified view of data” and “one version of the truth” have been the main drive of creating data warehouses. The dynamics of the business world poses the challenges of managing large volume, complex data in data warehouses while the real-time integration and master data needs are presented. This chapter summarizes the past and present patterns of typical data warehouse architectures and describes how the concept of service-oriented architecture influences the future evolvement of data warehouse architecture. The discussion takes many real world requirements in data warehouse solutions and lists considerations on how architecture patterns can solve these requirements.
From Conventional to Multiversion Data Warehouse
Authors: Shahzad Khurram
Published: May 2010

The Data warehouse is not an autonomous data store, because it depends upon its operational source(s) for data population. Due to changes in real-world scenarios, operational sources may evolve, but the conventional data warehouse is not developed to handle the modifications in evolved operational sources. Therefore, instance and schema changes in operational sources cannot be adapted in the conventional data warehouse without loss of information. Multiversion data warehouses are proposed as an alternative to handle these problems of evolution. In this chapter we discuss and illustrate how versioning is implemented and how it can be used in practical data warehouse lifecycle. It is designed as a tutorial for users to collect and understand the concepts behind a versioning solution. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to collect and integrate the concepts, issues and solutions of multiversion data warehouses in a tutorial-like approach, to provide a unified source for users that need to understand version functionality and mechanisms.
Progressive Tourism
Authors: Pultar Edward , Raubal Martin
Published: May 2010

This research examines tourism behavior using Internet-based websites that provide free lodging with local residents. Increases in computing power and accessibility have led to novel e-tourism techniques and the users of such systems utilize an amalgamation of social networks, transportation networks, and data communication networks. The chapter focuses on how the geographical spread of people in a modern, digital social network (CouchSurfing) influences the travel choices of each individual in the network. Activities performed in coordination with this type of system can vary greatly in travel mode, accessibility, mobility, and time, among other factors. This research studies factors that influence a general model describing traveler behavior using a cost-free lodging network. The authors present an information representation and visualization methodology utilizing time-geographic dimensions.
Awareness and the Use of Mobile Phones for Market Linkage by Smallholder Farmers in Kenya
Authors: Okello Julius Juma , Okello Ruth M. , Ofwona-Adera Edith
Published: May 2010

In many developing countries smallholder farmer participation in agricultural input and output markets continues to be constrained by lack of market information. Actors in most developing country markets operate under conditions of information asymmetry which increases the costs of doing business and locks out smallholder farmers. Attempts to address this problem are currently focusing on the use of ICT technologies to provide market information and link farmers to markets. This study examines the awareness and use of one such technology – mobile phones. It finds for male and female smallholder farmers in Kenya a high level of awareness and widespread use of mobile phones, mainly for social purposes. This study further finds that a low level of education, the cost of mobile phone airtime recharge vouchers and the lack of electricity for recharging phone batteries are the major impediments to the ownership and use of mobile phones, with female farmers more constrained than males. A high awareness of mobile phones among smallholder farmers presents an opportunity to strengthen smallholder farmers’ market linkage. However constraints to the usage of mobile phones will need to be addressed. The study findings indicate priorities for policymakers dealing with the specifics of ICT adoption as a tool to promote rural viability via rationalization of Kenyan agricultural markets.
Building Capacity for Electronic Governance in Developing Countries
Authors: Okot-Uma Rogers W’O , Ssewanyana J.K.
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents the essence of critical success factors with focus on building capacity for electronic governance (eGovernance) in a developing country jurisdiction. The results are borne of the authors’ years of experience with regard to national eGovernance implementations in developing member countries of the Commonwealth. Critical success factors (CSFs) denote those aspects of, or associated with, the new information and communication technologies (ICTs), which may be perceived as comprising core, key or critical factors against which the level of capability of National Capacity for ICT or eGovernance may be assessed, measured and/or interpreted. CSFs, perceived to be critical for the success of any eGovernance initiative is best modelled as a three-tier minimalist framework, comprising CSFs at levels described as macro-, meso-, and micro- levels. The nature of any given ICT initiative which is appropriate nationally in central government, locally in local government, or in the public service, in the civil service, or in some selected sector or jurisdiction of the national economy, whether existing or planned, and whether implicit or explicit, must take cognisance of the need for the identification of CSFs at the inception stage of the initiative.
The Technology Domain of the Distance Learner
Authors: Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2010

Distance learning is a relatively recent innovation in education. Without question, it has taken root in higher education and is experiencing rapid growth as a modality for instruction. The potential impact of distance learning on education is only now being realized and includes innovative teaching strategies and learning styles based on several unique features of this media. Many educators accept teaching with technology as perhaps the most important instructional strategy to impact the classroom since the text book. The Taxonomy for the Technology Domain was originally introduced as a paper at the 2001 Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators Conference (PACTE, Oct 2001). It met the scrutiny of the international community during the 2004 IRMA (Information Resource Management Association) Conference. Ultimately, it found its way into publication as a standalone text book from the Idea Group International Publishers in 2005. The Taxonomy for the Technology Domain, like its predecessors in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains, continues to develop. This chapter presents the latest in the theoretical underpinnings and investigative research into its practical application as an instructional strategy for distance learning.
Text-Based Resources for Teaching
Authors: Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2010

In 2001, Christopher-Gordon Publishers printed the book entitled, Teaching Digitally: a Guide for Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum. This highly successful publication has already been incorporated into many undergraduate and graduate teacher-preparation courses in instructional technology. While the original Christopher-Gordon text is now out of print, the publisher agreed to restore all copyrights to the author allowing this book to incorporate an modernized version of this valuable hands-on guide to preparing technology-based materials. The features, commands, menu items, and screen shots have been updated to reflect the latest Microsoft Office 2007 package and included as three separate Primers for Text, Visual, and Web-based Materials at the end of this book.
Web-Based Resources for Teaching
Authors: Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2010

Whether the instructor prefers handouts, study guides, and workbooks or overheads, 35mm slides, and projected images, the fact remains that the Internet is much too valuable a resource to dismiss as a passing fad. Yet, if the Internet is to reach its full potential as a teaching and learning strategy, educators must come to know and understand not only how to find these resources but how to create them as well. Over the past 10 years since web browsers first became popular, a rivalry emerged among the leading competitors to become the single provider of web browsers in the industry. Mosaic, Netscape, Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla/ Firefox, and others remain in an on-going battle for supremacy of the web browsing public. Unfortunately, users of the Internet often become victims as companies compete – and such is the case with browsers and authoring tools. In the beginning, browsers did not come bundled with authoring tools – there simply were no authoring tools. Developers were hostage to the html programming language and its string of tags, commands, and scripts. One of the first packages to offer WYSIWYG authoring was Netscape’s Composer followed closely by Internet Explorer’s Front Page. Composer was included free-of-charge by Netscape. Front Page began as a costly add-on, but was eventually packaged free along with its browser to chip away at Netscape’s dominance in the marketplace. Simultaneously, other vendors (Adobe’s Dreamweaver being the most prominent) were delivering their own proprietary products for designing web pages at a considerable cost to the user.
Delivering Instruction to the Traditional Learner
Authors: Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2010

The characterization of what constitutes a “good teacher” is probably as varied as the number of teachers in the classroom. Essential factors come into play, including the academic subject, the grade level and maturity of the learner, the preparation of the teacher, and others. Certain teachers are able to successfully impart even boring material while others render even the most appealing content unpalatable. Teacher preparation programs, for their part, pride themselves on transforming their charges into effective teachers by combining a firm grasp of subject knowledge with good teaching practice. This chapter offers the reader a look at the principles, practices and tools that make for an effective teacher of traditional students.
Delivering Instruction to the Distance Learner
Authors: Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2010

During the 1960s and 1970s, a number of alternatives to traditional higher education developed in the United States as a direct result of numerous social upheavals. National trends that included the rapidly rising costs of traditional education, curiosity with informal and nontraditional education, increasingly mobile populations, growth of career-oriented predilection, the quickening pace of new technologies (and, therefore, the need for learning new skills), and general public dissatisfaction with educational institutions brought about a mounting interest in distance learning.
Social Software as Tools for Pedagogical Transformation
Authors: Lee Mark J.W. , McLoughlin Catherine
Published: May 2010

The main agents of change in the present era can be posited as globalization and the diffusion and uptake of technologies that have given rise to a knowledge-based, networked society. The latest evolution of the Internet, Web 2.0, is resulting in significant transformations in terms of how we live, work, and communicate. In the higher education arena, the drive towards self-organizing communities and collaboration through social networking applications has triggered widespread debate on the purpose of education, with a growing emphasis on the need not only to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and information, but also to cultivate in students the skills and digital literacies necessary to engage with social and technological change. In this chapter, the authors discuss the affordances of Web 2.0 and social software tools, and provide examples of current conceptualizations and metaphors of learning that leverage these affordances to support learner choice, autonomy, and agency in the creation of ideas and knowledge artifacts. An innovative learning paradigm is proposed that the authors call Pedagogy 2.0, based on the key elements of personalization, participation, and productivity. Finally, the authors argue for a more holistic and evidence-based approach to research and evaluation of Web 2.0-based learning programs and initiatives that supports the development and sharing of best practices across academic disciplines, institutions, and countries.
Publishing with Friends
Authors: Roush Paula , Brown Ruth
Published: May 2010

London South Bank University; London South Bank University, UK
Empowering Adult Learners through Blog
Authors: Griffith Michael , Woong Loong
Published: May 2010

New Web 2.0 technologies have been eagerly adopted by educators both for on-line and for face to face teaching. These relatively simple technologies have been found to be extremely effective for supporting teaching, for cultivating student creativity and student interaction with their peers. This chapter explores a specific example of such adoption by an Australian academic both within his home university (Australian Catholic University) and with groups of disadvantaged students seeking alternative paths to university entrance. Within the context of an overview of the emergence of this technology during the last two decades, this chapter explores the successes of this particular adoption, but also identifies problem areas and suggests pathways for the future.
Perspectives on the Realities of Virtual Learning
Authors: Carrier Kristina K.
Published: May 2010

Thought-provoking awareness and reflection often initiate meaningful discourse and positive models for change. Globally diverse practitioners teaching online courses may benefit from examining how online practice, commitment, conduct, and standards can affect teaching, learning, and the adult student experience.
Using Moodle to Teach Constructivist Learning Design Skills to Adult Learners
Authors: Holton Doug L.
Published: May 2010

This chapter describes a case study of the design and implementation of an online project-based course for learning constructivist instructional design techniques. Moodle, a free and open source learning management system, was chosen as a tool to meet both the goals of the course and the needs and abilities of the adult learners in this course. Despite the instructor’s and students’ inexperience with both Moodle and online courses, Moodle greatly facilitated the process, resulting in a largely successful and motivating learning experience.
Social Networking, Adult Learning Success and Moodle
Authors: Martinez Margaret , Jagannathan Sheila
Published: May 2010

We know that technology is rapidly changing the world and it is hard to keep up. Social networking is the latest online trend we need to learn about. This chapter will consider the enormous changes that impact learners of all ages and offer some insights and resources for those professionals who want to provide more than just another lonely online learning experience. Social networking activities – including sites, blogs, chats, forums and wikis - are emerging to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among adult online learners. The loneliness of the Web 1.0 is passé and the read-only, passive mode of adult learning is fading away. The term Web 2.0 has been used to describe all the new applications useful for a new collaborative or social approach to sharing and repurposing Web content to learn. Just as communities were important in prehistoric times, today online communities are an inherent and critical part of the Web learning experience. Implicit in most Web 2.0+ applications are social activities which help users network, share, create content, seek or research information, or contribute and interact with others. Youthful online learners are a driving force in this new social change, a change that adults can learn from and embrace. Our young Web users find technology is second nature and are unconsciously changing the paradigm of online learning as they communicate and socialize in a variety of new ways on the Web. Many adults are already following this trend. However, these ways of learning can only become mainstream only when many more adults who are responsible for adult learners learn to use the host of networking tools available. Moodle is an example of a popular open source application used successfully by many around the world. Understanding how to support collaborative online learning activities successfully can offer a huge leap towards greater online learning confidence, contribution and achievement. More is yet to come to change the paradigm of online learning and social networking in the future.
MIPO Model
Authors: Peres Paula , Pimenta Pedro
Published: May 2010

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the development of a practical model that emerged from the inquiry made. The initial model has been created based on experiences and literature review. After that, it was tested on the information and technology system units at higher school and adapted as a result of four cycles of an action-research work combined with a case study research. This process resulted in a new framework that helps the integration of web technologies, at the higher education, in order to enhance learning, especially for the information and technology area. The MIPO model described in this chapter presents a b-learning instructional design that relates practical information applicable to a number of situations. It combines ideas from different authors and incorporates behavioral, cognitivist, constructivist and socio-constructivist approaches, in order to obtain the benefits of each one. This model is based on what we know about learning theories, information technology and blended-learning. The information, concepts and procedures presented here give support to teachers and instructors, instructional designers and planning teams – anyone who wants to develop effective b-learning instructions.
Today's Technologies
Authors: Cain Jeff
Published: May 2010

This chapter provides commentary on the broad-based effects that current instructional technologies have had on higher education instruction. Adoption and utilization of instructional technologies have done more than simply supplement teaching and learning; they have altered the environment in multiple ways. The unintended consequences of these technologies have changed and may continue to change the interaction among faculty, students, and learning materials. Some of the factors that have contributed to certain technologies becoming popular in today’s higher education teaching environment will also be discussed. Awareness of these factors and unintended consequences will help practitioners plan for the emergence of newer technologies and better understand their potential impacts on higher education.
Empowering the Culture of Quality Research within Ethical Standards in Distance Education
Authors: Osiki J.O.
Published: May 2010

Fundamental in today’s Distance Higher education (DHE) in the African sub-regions, is how to continue to harness the dividends inherent in the multi-dimensionality of empowerment, for inducing a virile tradition of research, through the shared-benefits of academic/intellectual symbiotism. In such atmosphere, the mentor is less egoistic and willing to provide leadership as a motivator for a value-driven research orientation of the committed protégés. Using the cyclical model, while the novelty of early academic irritants are to be acknowledged, learners’ emotionality is identified as raw material for boosting both qualitative and quantitative research skills, within clearly defined workplaces’ standards. The acquisition of relevant skills and its benefits is therefore sinequanon for nurturing and sustaining research culture especially in DHE.
Developing Social Skills through an On-line Learning Environment
Authors: Phillips Niki , Karatza Marianthi , Tzikopoulos Argiris
Published: May 2010

The rapid pace of social change deriving from technological and financial revolution and globalization, effects greatly people’s lives. Adults nowadays need to stay relevant with their environment, to be proactive and to take important decisions that affect their personal and professional future. Thus, they need to be equipped with advanced social skills such as time management, leadership, communication, teamwork, problem solving, flexibility etc. Such skills can be developed through training programs, designed and delivered upon the Adult Education and Experiential Learning theories and principles. A central aim of this chapter is to highlight the methods through which e-learning can contribute to the development of social skills, implementing at the same time the above mentioned principles, in the context of a large organization.
Benefits, Classifications and Research Surrounding Standardization and IT Standards
Authors: Wapakabulo Thomas Josephine
Published: May 2010

Standards have been in existence since the beginning of recorded history. One of the earliest indications of a standard is the beginning of written alphabets by the Egyptians and Babylonians around 4000 BC (Krechmer, 1996). Another example of early standards effort is the work done by Shih Huang-Ti, the founder of the Chinese Empire, under whose reign the Great Wall was built. He enforced one law, one weight, and one measure to rule out discord and confusion between petty states. The standards proposed by the Chinese Emperor were used only for the construction of the Great Wall and are no longer used today, but the testament of his efforts are still seen today. (Perry, 1955 as cited in Deshpande & Nazemetz, 2003a) The term “standard” has multiple definitions. Indeed the Oxford English dictionary offers up to thirty different definitions of the word “standard” (OED Online, 2005). However, a commonly cited definition is one offered by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which defines a standard as: “A document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context” (ISO/IEC, 1996). Although this definition sheds light on what a standard is, it does not give an indication of the multiple dimensions of a standard. These additional dimensions relate to issues like how a standard is developed, when a standard is developed and why a standard emerges. The remainder of this section addresses some of these dimensions by looking at the standardization process, the benefits of standardization and the classification of standards.
Research Philosophy and Strategy
Authors: Wapakabulo Thomas Josephine
Published: May 2010

Chapter 2 highlighted both the critical need for data-exchange standards and the current limit of empirical research in the adoption of information technology standards and more specifically data-exchange standards such as STEP. These two issues were key motivations for this research. Therefore, to achieve the aims of this research, a qualitative approach was used to support the exploratory and descriptive nature of the research. This chapter discusses the justifications for the overall research philosophy and approach subscribed to, and the multiple data collection and data analysis activities used to collect sufficient data to answer the study’s research questions.
Summary and Recommendations
Authors: Wapakabulo Thomas Josephine
Published: May 2010

The benefits of standardization are realised through the effective adoption, implementation and use of standards. Nonetheless, there are a cross-section of factors that impact the adoption and diffusion of standards. Indeed, within the IT standards research community, there is a research area devoted to looking at IT standards adoption. However, there are currently a limited number of peer-reviewed, empirical studies that look at the adoption of IT standards. One particular set of IT standards where this is true is ISO data-exchange standards, particularly those produced by the ISO subcommittee ISO/TC184/SC4, and to date there are only two known studies that have looked at the adoption of the 614 standards published by the SC4 subcommittee.
Citizens, the Internet, and Terrorism Information
Authors: Reddick Christopher G.
Published: May 2010

This chapter examines the role that citizens play when using the internet for gathering information. It is vital to understand the use of the Internet by citizens to address the issue of access to homeland security information. This chapter also provides information on how terrorism information is presented online and citizens’ use of this information is discussed. Jones, Hackney, and Irani (2007) believe that the key to the successful development of e-government is its citizens. There needs to be efforts to engage citizens in the adoption of e-government. These authors believe that this engagement will truly create a transformation of e-government that was envisioned by earlier writers in the field. This chapter discusses this level of engagement and shows that citizens are the least likely to use Internet for homeland security information if a terrorist attack occurs. Existing research on the adoption of e-government tends to focus on the supply of e-government in terms of the breadth and sophistication of government Websites. However, Streib and Navarro (2006) have examined the role the internet plays in public organizations using public opinion data, examining the demand for e-government. There is a need for more research on the demand for e-government and that is the focus of this chapter. The argument made in this chapter is that you need to understand citizens, and why they go online, to more effectively cater homeland security information to their needs. This chapter first discusses the important issue of the digital divide, the disparity between those that have Internet access and those that do not. This is followed by a discussion of citizen trust and satisfaction with e-government Websites. Followed this, there is a discussion of the citizen-initiated contacts literature as a framework that helps us understand why citizens contact government for information and services.
Information Security in Government
Authors: Reddick Christopher G.
Published: May 2010

This chapter examines the important issue of the impact of information security in government. Information security is one of the critical issues of Homeland Security Information Systems (HSIS). As we know from Chapter 4, information security is one of the leading concerns of Chief Information Officers (CIO) in the realm of homeland security. This chapter explores the impact of information security on government similarly to a framework provided by Straub and Welke (1998) who believe that the organizational environment, individual characteristics, the information systems environment, and level of threats are related to management perceptions of information security risk. The argument is that the stronger the correlation between changes in these four factors this would have an influence on the perception of management of information security risk. Therefore, the more the organizational culture supports information security the greater the managerial concern. In this chapter there is an argument made that there needs to be more knowledge of the leading issues facing information security in order to influence the organizational culture. The first part of this chapter focuses on several information security issues that have been identified in the literature. These issues deal with management, policy, and end users of IT and their impact on information security. The second part of this chapter provides evidence from several information security surveys. The last part of this chapter deals with survey results from an information security survey of Texas state agencies.
Emergency Management Websites
Authors: Reddick Christopher G.
Published: May 2010

This chapter examines the provision of emergency management information on government websites. E-government websites can be an effective tool for communicating with residents of a community on preparedness measures that they can take, and provides information for those that have been impacted by disasters. This chapter demonstrates that there is much variability in the content provided on emergency management websites. This chapter focuses on the role of websites in emergency management through a content analysis of their websites. There chapter will first provide a rationale for studying e-government through emergency management websites. It will then examine the commonly found e-government growth models indentified in the literature. The factors that influence the adoption of government websites are also examined in this chapter. The most commonly found studies of the content provided on websites are benchmarking reports, which are discussed. Accessibility and transparency are two important issues in the advancement of e-government websites, and are also mentioned in this chapter. The main thrust of this chapter is a content analysis of state government emergency management websites. The conclusion to this chapter summarizes the main research findings of the chapter.
Conclusion
Authors: Reddick Christopher G.
Published: May 2010

This book examined Homeland Security Information Systems (HSIS) and how this technology has influenced IT at all levels of government. The first part of the book provided background information on homeland security preparedness, e-government, and collaboration. The second part examined the impact of HSIS on federal, state, and local governments in the United States. The final part of this book examined some emerging issues in HSIS of citizens and their interaction with homeland security, information security, and online emergency management information. This chapter summarizes the key findings of the book and provides future research recommendations. The results in this book show that there is a need for homeland security preparedness and planning at all levels of government and HSIS are one critical component of planning efforts. The results demonstrate that top management support is critical for effective planning in order to ensure that these managers are fully on board with HSIS. Scarce resources at all levels of governments means that there is a priority setting process taking place, when choosing which HSIS should be incorporated. Citizen involvement is a key component to HSIS since citizens are normally the first on the disaster scene and their use of technology can help response efforts.
Designs of Meaning
Authors: Mahar Donna
Published: May 2010

This chapter focuses on Colleen, one of 22 youths who took part in a two year qualitative study designed to explore young adolescents’ use of information communication technology (ICT) and popular media texts to make sense of themselves and their world. The rationale for the study stemmed from limited research concerning the overlaps and schisms between adolescents’ use of ICT and popular media texts in their everyday lives (home, community, peer group) and how adolescents’ engagement with ICT and popular media texts affects established social institutions. The New London Group’s (1996) conception of multiliteracies (Cope & Kalantzis, 2000) and an activity theory-influenced framework (Beach, 2000; Cole, 1996; Engestrom & Miettinen, 1999) were used to guide the study. Colleen’s use of ICT and popular media texts, both in and outside of school, illustrates the non-linear, non-hierarchical complexity of the pedagogy of multiliteracies (Cope & Kalantzis, 2000).
Hybrid Identity Design Online
Authors: Doerr-Stevens Candance
Published: May 2010

The pedagogy of multiliteracies aims to push our understanding of literacy beyond that of traditional reading and writing practices to include multiple practices of designing meaning that are often multimodal in nature. This chapter explores one of these multiliterate practices, that of hybrid identity design online. This process examines how native English speakers intermix local and global resources in strategic ways in a process the author has termed glocal appropriation. The chapter reviews the growing body of research on English Language Learners who utilize local and global resources to construct hybrid identities, which in turn allow for participation in English language literacy practices. To shift the focus to native English speakers, she presents a case study of one native English speaker’s use of local and global resources to design an online identity. She argues that through the hybrid identity practice of glocal appropriation, he is able to design new imaginaries of self, which promotes continued participation and, in turn, allows for literacy learning and spaces of civic pluralism.
Developing Literate Practices in Design and Technology Education
Authors: Brown Mike
Published: May 2010

This chapter reports on research that details the emerging literacy demands faced by both the teachers, and the students who are participating in Design and Technology education within secondary schools across Victoria, Australia. The processes of design are at the centre of the curriculum for Design and Technology education and they are the main content focus of both the teacher’s work of developing curriculum and teaching, and for the learner’s engagement. In this chapter the field of Design and Technology education is presented and discussed as a site where communication, interpretation and articulation of learning and understanding are inexplicably bound up with texts and literacies. In order to ground the discussion in the specifics of an authentic program, the curriculum and pedagogical practices associated with the current Year 12 Design and Technology program are analysed to illustrate the development and use, (production and consumption) of texts, particularly multimodal texts, within new, emerging and multi-literacies. In this way the chapter acknowledges the significance of literacy development across the school curriculum. This chapter also takes up a point made by Unsworth (2001) that literacy as a social practice takes up numerous and different forms in the various fields across the curriculum, therefore this research analyses explicitly what the development of literate practices specifically look like in the field of Design and Technology education.