bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender, Place, and Information Technology
Authors: Greenhill Anita
Published: May 2011

The individual sense of gendered identity and location are embedded within information technology (IT) usage (Meyrowitz, 1985). Exploring gender in relation to place and IT assists to reveal the impact that cultural knowledge has upon IT usage. This article illustrates the intertwined complex of issues that associate gender and place with IT by examining the currently dominant approaches to research conducted around this topic. The article begins with a presentation of the founding concepts regarding location and the construction of the gendered self, and then discusses investigations of gender, place and IT usage that utilize geographical and bounded constructs and, alternatively the concept of socially occupied space.
The Intersection of Gender, Information Technology, and Art
Authors: Doyle Linda , Valiulis Maryann
Published: May 2011

The interdisciplinary field of art and technology is now well established in artistic and academic communities (Wilson, 2001). However, this article will focus on how the combination of technology and art can be used to facilitate the expression of thoughts, the experience of ideas and the explorations of concepts dealing with gender. A research project called the Art of Decision, which focuses on women in decision making, is used as a means of investigating the ways in which creative technologies can illuminate aspects of gender studies.
Theorizing Gender and Information Technology Research
Authors: Trauth Eileen M.
Published: May 2011

A fundamental consideration when attempting to understand the complex factors leading to the underrepresentation of women in IT is the choice and use of theory. Theories about women and their relationships to information technology and the IT profession guide the conceptualization of the research problem, the methods of data collection, the basis for analysis, and the conclusions that are drawn. However, a criticism of gender and IT research is that the topic of gender and IT is currently undertheorized (Adam, Howcroft, & Richardson, 2001, 2004). This undertheorization takes on several different forms. First, there are cases in which there is no theory in evidence to guide the conceptualization of the research project or to inform the data collection and analysis. Rather, the focus is typically on compiling and representing statistical data regarding the differences between men and women with respect to technology adoption, use or involvement in the IT profession. This form of undertheorization can be labeled pre-theoretical research. Second, other research, while not explicitly articulating a particular theory, nevertheless, is guided by a theory-in-use. For example, quite often a theory of inherent differences between males’ and females’ relationships to IT is used implicitly to guide data collection and analysis. This form of undertheorization can be labeled implicit-theoretical research. This approach is considered to be a type of undertheorization in that the lack of explicit discussion of a theory makes it difficult for others to discuss, challenge or extend the research. Finally, the body of research that reflects explicit theory-in-use has been shown to have gaps in the theoretical landscape (Trauth, 2002). That is, an argument has been made that current theories about gender and IT do not fully account for the variation in men’s and women’s relationships to information technology and the IT field. This form of undertheorization can be labeled insufficient-theoretical research. It is this third condition that is addressed in this article: the need for new theoretical insights to guide our effort to understand the underrepresentation of women in the IT profession.
Information-Communications Systems Convergence Paradigm
Authors: Ruzic Fjodor
Published: May 2011

This chapter is on cultural aspects of information- communications systems embedded into new media environment and invisible e-technologies, and on a new age of social responsibility for information technology professionals. Besides the key issues in information technology development that create smart environment and ambient intelligence, the chapter also discusses digital e-culture and the new media role in cultural heritage. From the viewpoint of information technology, the current information-communications systems converge with media. This convergence is about tools-services-content triangle. Thus, we are confronted with a new form of media mostly presented with the term digital, reshaping not only media industry but also a cultural milieu of an entire nation on a regional and global basis. The discussion follows on the World Library idea that is rebuilding with new form of World Memory (World Brain), the shift from visible culture domination to the domination of invisible culture in the world of e-technologies predominance. From this scenario, information technology professionals coping with information systems projects, e-services development, and e-content design have more cultural responsibility than in the past when they worked within closer and inner cultural horizons and when their misuse of technologies had no influence on culture as a whole.
IT Artefacts as Socio-Pragmatic Instruments
Authors: Goldkuhl Göran , Ågerfalk Pär J.
Published: May 2011

There are many attempts to explain success and failure in information systems. Many of these refer to a purported sociotechnical gap. In this article we develop an alternative approach that does not impose such a strong dichotomy, but regards social and technical rather as dimensions along which to study workpractices. The developed theory involves not only the “social” and “technical” constructs, but also other generic ones, namely “instrumental,” “semiotic,” and “pragmatic.” We call this theory socio-instrumental pragmatism. To illustrate the theoretical concepts introduced, we use an example brought from an extensive action research study including the development of an information system in eldercare, developed through a participatory design approach.
Ignorance is Bliss
Authors: Van Dyke Thomas P.
Published: May 2011

Studies have shown that people claim that privacy matters to them but then they often do things while browsing that are risky in terms of privacy. The seeming inconsistency between professed privacy concerns and risky behavior on the Internet may be more a consequence of ignorance rather than irrationality. It is possible that many people simply don’t understand the technologies, risks, and regulations related to privacy and information gathering on the Web. In this study, we conducted an experiment to determine the answer to the following question: If people understood the risks and technology, would that knowledge alter their level of privacy concern and their preferences concerning e-commerce Web site personalization? Results indicate that increased awareness of information gathering technology resulted in significantly higher levels of privacy concern and significantly reduced preferences for Web site personalization. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Towards a Meta-Model for Socio-Instrumental Pragmatism
Authors: Rittgen Peter
Published: May 2011

We claim that a general conceptual framework for the IS field should provide some kind of common upper-level ontology to describe and explain artifact- mediated social interaction. Such an ontology, socio-instrumental pragmatism (SIP), has been suggested. Our aim is to refine and formalize this ontology by providing a meta-model in the form of a unified modeling language (UML) class diagram. We discuss the implications of such a model as well as its relation to other ontologies. The meta-model is validated by using it in the evaluation of an existing business modeling language.
The Effect of Choice and Announcement Duration on the Estimation of Telephone Hold Time
Authors: Kortum Philip , Bias Randolph G. , Knott Benjamin A. , Bushey Robert G.
Published: May 2011

If a caller is placed on hold when they call a business, about half will hang up before the call is answered. Of those that hang up, only half of those will call back (Staino, 1994). Optimizing the on-hold experience has the potential to reduce hang-ups and make being put on hold more palatable to the caller. The current study assessed the influence of the opportunity to make a music choice and the length of pre-music announcement duration on perceived on-hold durations and customer satisfaction. Subjective assessments of on-hold times were significantly shorter with longer announcements, but satisfaction did not change. The chance to choose music improved satisfaction, but did not significantly reduce subjective time estimates. To test if multiple withinsubject trials might have led to prospective time judgments, a between-subjects design replication was conducted, with each participant estimating only one time interval. A similar pattern of results was obtained.
Maximizing Web Accessibility Through User-Centered Interface Design
Authors: Seok Soonhwa
Published: May 2011

Digital inclusion and Web accessibility are integral parts of modern culture and, as such, have implications for social accountability. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has suggested standards and guidelines regarding the inclusion of people with special needs, with an emphasis on higher accessibility and adaptability as the main goal of Web design. The user interface is the place where users can interact with the information by using their minds. Users with special needs can acquire information by using a human centered user interface. This article highlights the need to investigate the relationship between cognition and user interface.
Voice-Enabled User Interfaces for Mobile Devices
Authors: Moser Louise E.
Published: May 2011

The use of a voice interface, along with textual, graphical, video, tactile, and audio interfaces, can improve the experience of the user of a mobile device. Many applications can benefit from voice input and output on a mobile device, including applications that provide travel directions, weather information, restaurant and hotel reservations, appointments and reminders, voice mail, and e-mail. We have developed a prototype system for a mobile device that supports client-side, voice-enabled applications. In fact, the prototype supports multimodal interactions but, here, we focus on voice interaction. The prototype includes six voice-enabled applications and a program manager that manages the applications. In this chapter we describe the prototype, including design issues that we faced, and evaluation methods that we employed in developing a voice-enabled user interface for a mobile device.
Vive la Différence
Authors: Gefen David , Geri Nitza , Paravastu Narasimha
Published: May 2011

In the ITC cross-cultural literature, we often talk about the differences among peoples and how their respective culture and history may affect their adoption and preference usage patterns of ITC. However, do we really need to look that far to find such cross-cultural differences? Considering language is one of the major defining attributes of culture, this article takes a sociolinguistic approach to argue that there is also a cross-cultural aspect to ITC adoption within the same culture. Sociolinguists have claimed for years that, to a large extent, the communication between men and women, even within the supposedly same culture, has such characteristics because men and women communicate with different underlying social objectives and so their communication patterns are very different. This article examines this sociolinguistic perspective in the context of online courses. A key finding is that although the stage is set to smother cultural and gender differences if participants wish to do so through ITC, gender based cultural patterns still emerge. These differences were actually strong enough to allow us to significantly identify the gender of the student, despite the gender neutral context of the course discussions. Implications for ITC, in general, in view of this Vive la Différence, are discussed.
Enabling Programmable Ubiquitous Computing Environments
Authors: Julien Christine , Kabadayi Sanem
Published: May 2011

Emerging pervasive computing scenarios involve client applications that dynamically collect information directly from the local environment. The sophisticated distribution and dynamics involved in these applications place an increased burden on developers that create applications for these environments. The heightened desire for rapid deployment of a wide variety of pervasive computing applications demands a new approach to application development in which domain experts with minimal programming expertise are empowered to rapidly construct and deploy domain-specific applications. This chapter introduces the DAIS (Declarative Applications in Immersive Sensor networks) middleware that abstracts a heterogeneous and dynamic pervasive computing environment into intuitive and accessible programming constructs. At the programming interface level, this requires exposing some aspects of the physical world to the developer, and DAIS accomplishes this through a suite of novel programming abstractions that enable on-demand access to dynamic local data sources. A fundamental component of the model is a hierarchical view of pervasive computing middleware that allows devices with differing capabilities to support differing amounts of functionality. This chapter reports on our design of the DAIS middleware and highlights the abstractions, the programming interface, and the reification of the middleware on a heterogeneous combination of client devices and resource-constrained sensors.
Implementation Considerations for Instructional Design of Web-Based Learning Environments
Authors: Fisher Mercedes M.
Published: May 2011

Today’s technology is delivering greater access of current information and knowledge for instructional use. The introduction of the Internet has brought forth a wide variety of educational possibilities for teaching and learning; however, experience with these opportunities has yet to occur for the great majority of teachers. In order to prepare students for success in the next century, all teachers must have the motivation, knowledge, and skills needed to use Web-based resources for improved teaching and learning in both face-to-face and on-line settings. Planning for effective use of the Internet can impact students’ ability to communicate and interpret information in and out of the classroom. Understanding and supporting teachers as they begin this journey is an important area that requires further exploration. As Kurshan and Dawson (1992) acknowledge, the growth of the Internet and telecommunications is changing the nature of today’s classroom. As new communications technologies link more computers into a worldwide network, the walls of the classroom are, metaphorically speaking, coming down. In effect, teachers are finding that with relatively modest investment of time and money, they can create “global classrooms” in which the world and its peoples become an integral part of a student’s learning environment. Teachers of the 21st century will, therefore, have to anticipate the impact that technological advancement may have on school systems and be prepared to implement solutions that maximize learning while minimizing complexity (Kurshan & Dawson, 1992).
A Case Study of Lessons Learned for the Web-Based Educator
Authors: Persichitte Kay A.
Published: May 2011

Like many instructors in higher education, I have found myself increasingly pressed to respond to demands for courses delivered with alternative technologies. This pressure is particularly dramatic today given the expanded access to and use of the Internet (NCES, 1997; NTIA, 1997). Web-based learning environments (WBLEs) are clearly the contemporary instructional “innovation of choice” in higher education. Feeling an obligation to extend my own professional preparation in this area, as well as a desire to determine the real issues associated with learning and teaching on the Web, I have ventured forward with a variety of WBLE experiences. This chapter is a case study description of my rookie experience teaching in an on-line environment that was custom designed to focus on learner and pedagogy issues found in the contemporary literature.
Examining the Range of Student Needs in the Design and Development of a Web-Based Course
Authors: Powers Susan M. , Guan Sharon
Published: May 2011

Distance learning is by no means a new phenomenon. However, new technologies provide a twist to distance learning that is making it grow and expand at an overwhelming rate. The National Center for Educational Statistics reported that in 1995, a third of U.S. post-secondary schools offered distance education courses with another quarter of these schools planning to do so in the next three years. During the summer of 1999, the UCLA Extension Service will offer more than 100 Web–based courses in continuing higher education to anyone and anywhere (Business Wire, 1999). When the rapid proliferation of Web-based courses as a distance learning option is considered, and then couple that proliferation with the fact that the World Wide Web (WWW) has only been “popular” for the past five years, this expansion is indeed overwhelming. While the numbers alone are enough to amaze and dazzle, what is more interesting, and should be of greater concern, are the instructional design and pedagogical issues that should form the foundation of Web-based courses (Ritchie & Hoffman, 1997). The technical proficiencies necessary to build a course Web site and all of its technological accompaniments are merely psychomotor skills that range from the simple to the highly complex. However, one of the reasons for the rapid proliferation of Web-based courses is the development of courseware packages (Web Course-In-A-Box, WebCT, ILN CourseInfo, etc.) that remedy the needs for instructors to worry about acquiring these technical skills (Hansen & Frick, 1997). Unfortunately, while these courseware packages, and the many Web editors available, may facilitate the development of Web-based courses, these tools don’t address the myriad of instructional design and pedagogical issues that must be considered before and during development. Hill (1997) lists some of these key issues, which include pedagogical, technological, organizational, institutional, and ethical questions. Many of these issues must be resolved prior to the development of the first Web page. In this chapter, we explore some of the research that has been done on Web-based courses, but our intent is to largely delve into the practical realities of designing pedagogically effective and accessible Web-based instruction (WBI). Specifically, we explore the importance of a needs assessment of learner characteristics in the design process to determine and therefore design for the technological abilities and capacities of target students. Additionally, potential solutions and recommendations on how to design a virtual classroom environment that fosters and facilitates active student learning are discussed. Finally, the authors examine the very real issue of course accessibility for all students and how various design elements can enhance the accessibility.
Strengthening Learning on the Web
Authors: Smith-Gratto Karen
Published: May 2011

In the brave new world of cyberlearning, we need to look back as well as forward to create the best learning environments for students. All fields of study require the learning of facts and definitions that have been mediated within that field of study. In addition, individuals must learn to manipulate both information and procedures within any given field to achieve expert status within that field. It can be argued that learning facts is different from learning how to solve a problem within the same field. The mental processes needed to learn facts and those needed to solve problems involve different ways of learning. If we believe that there are different types of learning, then it is logical to assume that different learning theories will contribute more to one type of learning than another. Programmed instruction as developed by B. F. Skinner (1968) was based upon operant conditioning principles. The material to be learned by students is presented in small increments, students are given a chance to answer questions related to the information, given feedback (and reinforcement) and the process continues until the end of the programmed instruction. Earlier computer software tutorials most often followed modified forms of programmed instruction (Poppen & Poppen, 1988), and while Web-based instruction can follow this model, there are basic differences that will result in less designer control than was possible with stand-alone software. Students using Web-based instruction that follows the programmed instruction paradigm will have more opportunity to leave the planned instruction and go elsewhere on the Web. However, the basic principles can be used and combined with constructivism to address learning in different ways.
An Intelligent Data Mining System to Detect Healthcare Fraud
Authors: Forgionne Guisseppi A. , Gangopadhyay Aryya , Adya Monica
Published: May 2011

There are various forms of fraud in the health care industry. This fraud has a substantial financial impact on the cost of providing healthcare. Money wasted on fraud will be unavailable for the diagnosis and treatment of legitimate illnesses. The rising costs of and the potential adverse affects on quality healthcare have encouraged organizations to institute measures for detecting fraud and intercepting erroneous payments. Current fraud detection approaches are largely reactive in nature. Fraud occurs, and various schemes are used to detect this fraud afterwards. Corrective action then is instituted to alleviate the consequences. This chapter presents a proactive approach to detection based on artificial intelligence methodology. In particular, we propose the use of data mining and classification rules to determine the existence or non-existence of fraud patterns in the available data. The chapter begins with an overview of the types of healthcare fraud. Next, there is a brief discussion of issues with the current fraud detection approaches. The chapter then develops information technology based approaches and illustrates how these technologies can improve current practice. Finally, there is a summary of the major findings and the implications for healthcare practice.
Client-Server Computing
Authors: Raisinghani Mahesh S. , Char Ann Shou-an
Published: May 2011

Client-server architecture is a local area network (LAN) based computing environment in which a central database sever or engine performs all database commands sent to it from client workstations, and application programs on each client concentrate on user interface functions. Client-server computing is a phrase used to describe a model for computer networking. In this shared processing model, a server has an intelligent database engine functioning as a service on the network. This model offers an efficient way to provide data/ information and services to many users as needed. A network connection is only made when a user needs to access the information or obtain the needed service. This lack of a continuous network connection provides network efficiency. Any change made in the server is transparent to clients.
Multimedia Content Development
Authors: Belanger France , Jordan Dianne H.
Published: May 2011

Instructional materials used in a traditional classroom setting can include text (books, handouts, articles), graphs, photos, films, and audio tapes. In the DL environment, these materials are digitized for delivery via a computer and/or a network. This chapter presents topics related to multimedia content development for delivery in a DL environment. First, a discussion of file and format specifications for digital multimedia content is presented; second, levels of courseware complexity are discussed; third, steps in the courseware development process are described; and fourth, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) tools for developing multimedia instructional content and computer managed instruction (CMI) are presented.
A Web-Based Solution for Enhancing Diabetic Well-Being
Authors: Söderlund Riitta , Reijonen Pekka , Brännback Malin
Published: May 2011

In most Western countries, healthcare systems are in economic crisis. It is not possible to increase available resources, but at the same time, there is a growing demand for publicly funded healthcare services, e.g., because the number of aged people is rising. To solve this problem, countries can either increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their present healthcare activities and/or decrease public demand. Public demand can be controlled by raising user charges for publicly funded services, redefining those services, encouraging self-care, and/or subsidizing services that are privately financed. However, so far there are not many countries that encourage self-care in order to control demand, but it is considered one possibility with strong future potential (Moore, 1996). Self-care means shared responsibility in healthcare. The formal system is no longer the only institution that is responsible for individuals’ health status; individuals must also take care of their own health. One of the most widely used methods for encouraging self-care is providing and sharing knowledge (Smee, 1997).
Providing Multilingual Internet Services in the Global Information Environment
Authors: Wang Xuemao , Das Malabika , Sunio Maria V. , Schlein Andrew N.
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the Queens Borough Public Library’s WorldLinQ™ (URL: http://www.worldlinq.org), a unique Internet-based multilingual information system to provide user access to global and local information resources, currently in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Russian and French. WorldLinQ™ comprises a multilingual Web resource collection, multilingual access to the Library’s online catalog (InfoLinQ™) and international resource sharing. The W-Team selects and maintains the content, with a goal of covering the major languages spoken by immigrants in Queens. Content includes topics academic, business, technology and entertainment, in multilingual and multimedia format, from anywhere on the Internet. Alliances with corporate (AT&T) and library partners (the Shanghai Library and the National Library of China) have played a crucial part in the project’s development. The network configuration of the Queens Library and the software setup of WorldLinQ™ are also described.
Progress and Prospects for Estonian Libraries
Authors: Virkus Sirje
Published: May 2011

The rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) over the past decades has created new challenges and opportunities for libraries and librarians. As a result of ICT, library services to users have changed, the management of libraries has evolved and the roles of librarians have multiplied. The new millennium presents new opportunities to exploit an ever-growing array of information and communication technologies in the provision of library services. As one millennium draws to a close and a new one begins, there are a lot of questions to answer:
Remote Access
Authors: Zoe Lueinda R.
Published: May 2011

When the development of equitable worldwide telecommunications became recognized as a critical component for global competition and economic growth, the technological status of economically developing countries appeared on the international agenda. The primary problem was one of infrastructure, with two thirds of the world population without access to telephone services. As multinational corporations pushed for a global restructuring of the telecommunications sector issues regarding control of worldwide telecommunications networks by the industrialized nations, and the imbalance in the flow of information, left the economically developing nations of the global south reticent to fully cooperate. This chapter examines the development of information technology and services in the global south and provides an historical overview of significant events and factors that influenced the introduction and growth of communications and information technology globally from the 1960s to the 1990s. The technological foundations that are discussed in this chapter provide a contextual framework for understanding the burst of activity that followed in international Internet-based library services in the 1990s.
Software Reuse and Object Technology
Authors: Fedorowicz Jane , Lee Denis
Published: May 2011

Companies are increasingly requiring that new information systems development projects employ object oriented (OO) analysis, design and programming approaches. The hottest new Web tools and languages have object capabilities built into them. Much of the movement toward the OO paradigm for systems development is based on claims of pioneers and vendors that adoption will lead to better and faster designs, more maintainable systems, and most audibly, reusable software. A typical set of attributions appears in CACM: “OO technology promotes a better understanding of requirements and results in more modifiable and maintainable applications, providing other benefits such as reusability, extensibility, robustness, reliability, and scalability. OO technology promotes better teamwork, good communication among team members, and a way to engineer reliable software systems and applications” (Fayad and Tsai, 1995).
Community Networks for Reinventing Citizenship and Democracy
Authors: de Cindio Fiorella
Published: May 2011

When the Milan and Bologna community networks were designed and launched in 1994, the goal was not simply to give access to all, but, by doing so, to take a step toward reinventing citizenship and democracy. This chapter first presents the “vision” behind that goal and then summarizes the outcomes of these early experiences in terms of the original goal. Citizens’ communities emerge as the true engine of innovation and therefore the chapter outlines how to translate the “community network vision” into design principles and implementation guidelines.
Standards, Strategy and Evaluation
Authors: Moreton Robert
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this chapter is to define the context of standards within an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) strategy and to suggest how the benefits arising from the use of standards might be evaluated. Within any organization, standards will be defined at a number of different levels, dependent upon the focus/span of operation. Classically, standards might be defined at three levels: • strategic: the standards that should be used for all systems across an organization, including for instance standards which apply across national boundaries; • tactical: standards which might apply for systems in a more limited context, such as a regional supplier; • local: standards chosen in restricted or exceptional circumstances to satisfy the needs in a specific location. This distinction is not always clear cut, and may be applied iteratively, dependent upon the context of use. For instance, a Business Unit will define its own strategic standards, or standards to support its ICT strategy. These ‘strategic standards’ will, of course, be defined in the context of the organization’s ‘strategic standards’. The local standards will ‘inherit’ characteristics of the strategic standards (which may be national or international in scope). It is our contention that in order to be successfully promoted, ICT standards need to be formulated within the context of an ICT strategy. (By ‘ICT strategy’, we mean the use and management of ICT by an organization to achieve its desired goals in a changing and competitive operational environment.) This theme forms the main basis for the discussion within this chapter on the benefits and evaluation of ICT standards.
Securing the Internet in New Zealand
Authors: Gutierrez Jairo A.
Published: May 2011

The growing popularity of the Internet has taken many organisations by surprise. Established mechanisms such as fax technology, electronic data interchange (EDI), electronic messaging, and file transfers over private networks have dominated electronic commerce until now. The advantages of the Internet are changing that technological landscape very rapidly. Those advantages include: a) Worldwide connectivity. b) Hardware and software independence provided by ubiquitous Web browsers. c) User friendliness. d)Interactive nature of Web-aware technologies. e) Affordable technology.
Social Impacts of Computer-Mediated Communication on Strategic Change Processes
Authors: Cecez-Kocmanovic Dubravka , Busuttil Andy
Published: May 2011

Communication in the workplace has been revolutionized by workers having individual access to networked computers. Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) enables staff members to interact electronically and actively participate in a group or organization-wide debate from their desk. Email, video-conferencing, groupware, and intranet-based systems are all examples of CMC technologies. Universities have been early adopters of CMC because of a number of factors, including easy individual access to a networked computer and readily available software. This has also meant that universities have been amongst the first to experience the socio-organizational effects of these media of communication. This case is about a University, named Uni-X, which adopted and appropriated CMC to support a University-wide consultative process to inform its future strategic directions. Strategic change was required in response to a number of external political and economic factors. The President and the Executive Committee decided to use the consultative process both to increase staff awareness of the circumstances being faced by the University and to engage them in an exploratory process leading to the decisions that were to be made. The CMC system used was intended to provide equal access to information by all staff, to enable a University-wide electronic forum for discussion, and to support the coordination of a multitude of the other in-vivo tasks arising from the process. The case enables examination of (at least) three controversial issues of CMC deployment: equality of access, equality of participation, and democratizing potential. Equality of access means that all the participants have an equal opportunity to access the communication network and information resources in the system. Equality of access has to be distinguished from the equality of participation, which denotes equal opportunity to contribute to the discussion, both to affect and be affected by the opinion of others. CMC’s democratizing potential is an even more complex issue that refers to CMC’s contribution to the openness and transparency of organizational processes and to consensus-based participatory decision-making. Understanding the use and appropriation of CMC by individuals as members of different groups and as members of the Uni-X University, together with understanding the uniqueness of their specific local contexts, is a prerequisite for exploring the richness of social impacts, and why and how they emerged.
The Role of Computers and Technology in Health care Education
Authors: Hart Jan K.
Published: May 2011

The goal of health care education at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is a good nurse, doctor, pharmacist, or allied health professional—a well-prepared health care professional who is knowledgeable, knows how to get information as needed, and knows how to use information in a clinical practice setting. The health care professional is trained and practices in a computer- and network-intensive environment where distributed access to electronic information—the medical literature, medical records, and laboratory data—is needed and is increasingly expected. It is during their education that professionals learn to use and value the electronic tools at their disposal. Institutions like UAMS search for ways to support teaching faculty, clinical educators, and students in making the most of useful computer-based practice tools, information resources, and educational technologies. Computer literacy, faculty development, facilities planning and support, access issues, and incorporation of increasingly sophisticated educational modalities are key elements in successful education at UAMS. The use of technology in health care and health care education is unavoidable and growing more so daily. The convergence of the Internet and Internet 2 and other federal and state initiatives for faster and more extensive networks, combined with continually falling prices for increasingly powerful computers, has created a climate full of promise as well as unmitigated hype. It is often assumed that everyone is being swept along by the tide of computer technology and that the impetus of the tide will prepare faculty and students for this new age in medical education. It is wrong to assume that all faculty and students are prepared to use and manage sophisticated medical informatics tools. UAMS is looking beyond the myths of computer literacy to make a realistic appraisal of the computer readiness of their faculty and students, so that appropriate help and support is available. This case study illustrates the ways that information technology is used in health care education at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and other health care education institutions. It addresses the problems that must be overcome and the advantages and opportunities that information technology tools provide for health care education. It examines this in light of the changing face of health care and, consequently, health care education.
Adopting Information Technologies for Instructional Environments
Authors: Kumari Siva
Published: May 2011

The introduction of new information technologies has created a turbulent environment for change in higher education; this has caused institutions, faculty and administrators to rethink their roles, teaching venues, and delivery options in markedly new ways than those currently available. The promise that accompanies any such remarkable change also brings with it some realities as these ideas are tested, implemented and adopted. Neal (1998), an outspoken critic of the unbridled enthusiasm of technology, advocates investigating experiences of individual faculty members since they are the end-of-the-line implementers of technology in higher education. He says that their opinions about the benefits of technology should be of ultimate value in discovering useful and effective strategies that have the capacity for long-term survival. This case study presents a synthesis of data derived from interviews with six faculty members in an urban public institution of higher learning. These innovators, who have been implementing information technologies in their teaching, provide valuable information about the possibilities and the restrictions, and discuss support structures that are needed to advance the adoption of this innovation on a larger scale. This chapter addresses four core areas of concern relating to the integration of IT in higher education. The first is to understand the factors that led faculty to adopt IT in their teaching. The second is to explore the interplay between particular technologies and teaching practice. The third to ascertain the relationship between teaching architectures and learning outcomes.
Promoting Electronic Commerce in the Defense Industry
Authors: Trappey Charles , Trappey Amy , Gulledge Thomas , Sommer Rainer
Published: May 2011

Beginning in 1993, when the U.S. Federal Government proposed the “framework of electronic commerce (EC),” the call went out for the wide-scale deployment of EC solutions in government. The Department of Defense immediately became the center of attention since it has the largest procurement budget of all. Initiatives were launched to move from a paper-driven procurement process to an electronic, on-line concept satisfying federal mandates. However, the defense industry consists of thousands of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that were far from ready to conduct business with the government electronically. In order to help the Department of Defense (DoD) and its suppliers to comply with the EC mandates, 17 Electronic Commerce Resource Centers (ECRCs) were established across the U.S. to transfer process improving and enabling EC technologies to small and medium sized businesses and government agencies. Each ECRC comprises business partners (and several university partners) that provide EC outreach, training and technical support to DoD supply chains. The goal of the nationwide network of centers is to facilitate the transition from paper-dependent supply chains to fully electronic-based procurement environments. In order for SMEs to do business with the U.S. government electronically, the mission of the ECRC must grow beyond training and outreach to hands-on implementation and intervention in SMEs. In this chapter, the key issues, approaches and challenges of bringing EC to defense supply chains are described. The chapter first discusses the complexity of defense supply chains and the efforts underway to make the procurement processes EC compliant. The related government laws and regulations are outlined to set the legal foundation for EC implementation. Then, the elaboration of the ECRC model provides a detailed view of the collaboration between industry, academia, and government to improve defense industry supply chains. Details of a local ECRC’s operations are provided to demonstrate its functions and accomplishments. Case examples of the center’s operations and technical support are provided to show how the technology is transferred to the SMEs. The chapter concludes with a description of future directions in EC promotion, education and support necessary for the defense industry to change and to do business electronically
The Evolving Future of Agent-Based Electronic Commerce
Authors: Rodrigo T. Deshani , Stanski Peter A.
Published: May 2011

E-commerce technologies are continually evolving, bringing about innovative developments and resultant benefits. Herein one such visionary path for existing on-line systems to adopt is presented. An emerging set of models is discussed which combines intelligent systems, mobile code applications (MCAs) and Web-based systems. Such technologies are presented to illustrate the impact upon the numerous new value-adds for users brought about by e-commerce vendors. These are discussed in context of current developments in related fields, to expose the full gains from the integrated systems synergy. Furthermore, we conclude with an expected business model for electronic commerce in the new millennium and beyond.
Coherent, Consistent and Comprehensive Modeling of Communication, Information, Action and Organization
Authors: Dietz Jan L.G.
Published: May 2011

We live in a time in which more and more organisations need to become innovative, competitive, and flexible enterprises, in order to survive. This does not only hold for commercial companies, but also for organisations with a public function. A prerequisite for being an innovative, competitive and flexible organisation, is that the business processes are efficient, easy to manage and easy to change, and that they are effectively supported by information systems. To enable this, all hope is placed in technology, particularly modern information and communication technology (ICT). However, this hope turns out to be vain if one does not dispose of the right expertise.
Mapping UML Techniques to Design Activities
Authors: Bush Ashley , Purao Sandeep
Published: May 2011

Over the years, the information system design process (Gero and Kazakov, 1996; Goldschmidt, 1997; Guindon, 1990; Jeffries et al., 1981; Parnas and Clements, 1986) has been investigated using a variety of perspectives. Researchers have examined cognitive aspects of design (Goldschmidt, 1997; Guindon, 1990; Guindon, Krasner, and Curtis, 1986; Rowe, 1987; Sen, 1997), design strategies (Adelson and Soloway, 1988; Batra and Antony, 1994; Guimaraes, 1985; Jeffries et al., 1981), and reuse tasks (Sen, 1997). A variety of modeling techniques, such as the entity-relationship model (Chen, 1976), data flow diagrams (Gane and Sarson, 1979), and object-oriented models (Booch, 1994) have also been developed to document the artifacts generated during the design process. Increasingly, the object-oriented design paradigm and related modeling techniques have been the choice of system designers. It is reasonable to expect that these modeling techniques (proposed to document the design products) will assist or at least not hinder the designer behaviors (that is, the process of IS artifact design). The expectation has, however, not been subjected to investigation.
Information System Design Based on Reuse of Conceptual Components
Authors: Bertolazzi P. , Fugini M. G. , Pernici B.
Published: May 2011

Current trends in modern Information System development are more and more based on the exploitation of the experience gained in previous developments of similar systems. While in the early years of Information System development each system was analyzed and designed from scratch, it alreadybecame clear in the 1980s that developing a system which meets user expectations implies being widely aware of the characteristics of the specific application domain and being able to build upon previous experience. Such “reuse of experience’’ was initially performed informally. Meanwhile, in recent years, systematic approaches based on reuse of code and design experience have appeared in the literature of software engineering and in various commercial development environments (Biggerstaff, 1989; Krueger, 1992). For example, application frameworks (Johnson, 1997), seen as code and related specification and design artifacts, are typical structures that have been studied in various projects as large-grained components or application skeletons (see for instance (Fusaschi and Montini, 1997) and (D’Souza and Wills, 1998).
From Information Model to Controllable Implementation
Authors: Kahn Hilary J. , Filer Nick P.
Published: May 2011

This chapter considers the use of specifications such as information models as the basis for implementations. Where the models are at a conceptual level, direct mapping to implementations such as databases is unlikely to produce optimum results. The chapter discusses the use of model transformations as a way of converting conceptual models to implementation models. It also introduces an informal categorisation scheme for transformations. Examples are used throughout. These are based on the EXPRESS information modeling language that has been defined as part of ISO 10303. Finally, a brief description of the STEPWISE model transformation environment is presented.
Ethical Elements of Security and Developments in Cyberspace that Should Promote Trust in Electronic Commerce
Authors: Storey Andrew , Thompson J. Barrie , Bokma Albert
Published: May 2011

The following sections of this chapter report current and future aspects of EC related to the concept of trust. In the next section we review the current climate surrounding electronic business. In particular we consider: customer relationship management, risks related to business on the Internet, the factors that are driving electronic business and issues related to infrastructure and security. We also consider issues related to cyber crime such as the threat from hackers, Web fraud, and the perils of neglecting threats of internal attack. Then in the third section we concentrate on the technological developments in EC related to security and consider in detail two particular aspects: the authentication of transactions and mechanisms which support electronic payments. Following this in the fourth section we look to the future and provide our recommendations with regard to Trusted EC. Here we look at three areas: the role of computer ethics, management issues and a future model for EC. In the last section we present our overall conclusions.