bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality MattersTM
Authors: Shattuck Kay
Published: May 2011

Finally, by following the threads of collaboration and continuous improvement, the chapter ends with highlighting the growth of, some emerging data from, and some challenges and recommendations for Quality Matters.
Technology-Supported Constructivism
Authors: Landis Melodee
Published: May 2011

This chapter asserts that the processes used in on-line, computer-based distance learning are a natural fit for constructivist learning. Learners today may be too dependent on teacher-centered instruction; the independent problem-solving required of the learner in on-line learning may be more likely to stimulate a deeper grasp of concepts under study. This case study was conducted with five face-to-face meetings and an online course management tool. While the enrollment of seventy-two new teachers appeared unmanageable, the use of on-line learning communities helped to personalize the course. The chapter includes an overview of constructivist approaches to instruction, citing both classic and contemporary experts, and continues with a description of how technology was used to support constructivism. The chapter concludes with an analysis of specific technology tools that can enhance different stages of constructivist learning.
Ethical Dilemmas in Gameplay
Authors: Schreiber Ian , Cash Bryan , Hughes Link
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses ethical dilemmas and their role in game design. The chapter first defines what ethical dilemmas are and then argues for why they are compelling in games. This argument will analyze the role of decisions in games, what makes for interesting decisions, and then address how avatars and the magic circle nature of games indulge several kinds of fun while still having players experience a sense of moral residue. Finally, the chapter will provide recommendations on how designers can incorporate and analyze ethical dilemmas into their own games, tying our recommendations to examples to show how ethical dilemmas can provide interesting gameplay.
Toward an Ethic of Representation
Authors: Shaw Adrienne
Published: May 2011

Often, literature on the representation of marginalized groups in videogames focuses on how groups have been and should be portrayed in games. Taking a different focus, this chapter offers a broader ethical basis for the production and critique of games. It begins by outlining the issues surrounding the representation of marginalized groups (focusing on sexuality, gender and race) in digital games. It then addresses the ethical importance of representation in games as fictional play spaces. Moving from there, the writings on hospitality, recognition, and truthfulness are examined with regard to the representation of marginalized groups in games. It then uses these concepts to create an integrated ethical argument for diversity in videogames that takes into account gameplay, representation, and their relationship.
The New Backyard
Authors: Freier Nathan G. , Saulnier Emilie T.
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the significant role that virtual worlds, particularly massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), such as Club Penguin and World of Warcraft, play in the social and moral development of children and adolescents. A central argument of the chapter is that MMOGs and other virtual worlds provide a new backyard within which children and adolescents engage in active social interaction and play out moral dilemmas. It discusses three important areas of development in the context of interactions in MMOGs. First, it explores the process of perspective-taking, which is an important factor in empathy and pro-social behavior. Second, it explores the impact that MMOGs might have on stereotyping behavior and the phenomenon of stereotype threat, a harmful outcome of stereotyping behavior. Finally, it considers the role of moral dilemmas in development and how MMOGs provide unique environments for social and moral problem solving.
Complexity Measures of Cryptographically Secure Boolean Functions
Authors: Srinivasan Chungath , Lakshmy K.V. , Sethumadhavan M.
Published: May 2011

Boolean functions are used in modern cryptosystems for providing confusion and diffusion. To achieve required security by resistance to various attacks such as algebraic attacks, correlation attacks, linear, differential attacks, several criteria for Boolean functions have been established over years by cryptographic community. These criteria include nonlinearity, avalanche criterion and correlation immunity and the like. The chapter is an attempt to present state of the art on properties of such Boolean functions and to suggest several directions for further research.
Organizational Slack and Information Technology Innovation Adoption in SMEs
Authors: Franquesa Jaume , Brandyberry Alan
Published: May 2011

This study explores the relevant dimensions of organizational slack in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and investigates their impact on adoption of different types of information technology (IT) innovations. Using recent data from a representative sample of 2,296 U.S. SMEs, we find that the slack-innovation relationships previously described in larger firms do not hold well for SMEs. Our results show potential slack (measured as access to external credit) to be a strong predictor of technology adoption in SMEs. By contrast, available slack appeared not to be a significant factor in SME innovation adoption. Moreover, the direction of the effects of potential slack was moderated by the capital-intensity of the innovation. In particular, e-commerce, which required lesser financial resources for SME adoption, was found to be pursued by those with lesser potential slack. We argue that, in some cases, innovation adoption may represent a form of “bricolage” by resource constrained SMEs.
Business Associates in the National Health Information Network
Authors: Szewczak Edward J. , Snodgrass Coral R.
Published: May 2011

This article examines the role of the business associate of healthcare providers (BAHP) in the National Health Information Network. Current Health Insurance Portability and Accountability legislation has little to say about BAHPs and their potential impact on medical information privacy. For the good of the business enterprise, managers who are BAHPs or who supervise BAHPs need to be aware of the potential pitfalls of ignoring medical information privacy and take a proactive stance in protecting medical information privacy within the National Health Information Network. Among the approaches that managers can adopt include creating legal contracts between a business and BAHPs, proactively adopting more effective transmission security technologies, and insuring that BAHPs properly dispose of medical information after their use. Such proactive approaches will help to insure that the business is protected against a serious data breach that may result in popular and/or legal challenges to the business.
Web Services Communities
Authors: Maamar Zakaria , Thiran Philippe , Bentahar Jamal
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the structure and management of communities of Web services from two perspectives. The first perspective, called coopetition, shows the simultaneous cooperative and competitive behaviors that Web services exhibit when they reside in the same community. These Web services offer similar functionalities, and hence are competitive, but they can also cooperate as they share the same savoir-faire. The second perspective, called competition, shows the competition that occurs not between Web services but between their communities, which are associated with similar functionalities. To differentiate such communities, a competition model based on a set of metrics is discussed in this chapter.
Extending TAM and IDT to Predict the Adoption of the Internet for B-to-B Marketing Activities
Authors: Eid Riyad
Published: May 2011

There has been considerable Research into the usage of the Internet for Business-to-Business (B-to-B) marketing activities in recent years. The need to understand how and why B-to-B companies utilize the Internet is important for researchers and practitioners alike. This study combines Davis’ model-the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)- and Roger’s Theory- the Innovation diffusion Theory (IDT) to understand the process of Internet adoption for marketing purposes. It makes a comprehensive review of information technology, information systems, and marketing literature to locate factors that predict Internet use for marketing purposes. Moreover, it extends both TAM and IDT to find out factors that affect relative advantage, ease of use and compatibility of using the Internet for B-to-B marketing activities. Using a sample of 123 UK companies utilize the Internet, we found a substantial positive effect of the proposed factors on the Internet usage for B-to-B marketing activities.
Contracts based on Inventory Cost Share for Supply Chain Coordination
Authors: Gomez-Padilla Alejandra
Published: May 2011

In this document it is analyzed the importance of contracts for coordination between two companies in a supply chain. In the studied situation, one company, or supplier, supplies one product to the other company, who is a retailer. The companies are going to coordinate by two types of decisions: economic (concerning prices fixed on a contract), and physical exchange (concerning the inventory to be held). Two types of contracts will be presented: one contract with a simple pricing scheme and two contracts with inventory holding cost shared among the companies of the supply chain. The objective is to show that contracts with inventory holding cost share allow the two companies to efficiently coordinate the chain they form.
Production Lots as Determinant of Paper Production Lead Time Performance
Authors: Koskinen Pekka , Hilmola Olli-Pekka
Published: May 2011

In this research work we are interested about connection between lead time performance, and production order size as well as in how many production lots this order was eventually produced. Based on the system dynamics simulation model, the authors got a priori assumption that production lots have in multiproduct environment better explanation power. Our empirical findings give support for this – number of production lots explain in production environment manufacturing lead time much better than production order size. Further support is gained from supply chain phases, which are analyzed similarly, but as surprise explanation power of production lots decreases, and seems to be significantly lower in more distant markets. It is interesting to note that currently used IT applications of analyzed global case company do not give real time snapshot regarding to the development of overall supply chain lead time.
Service Science, Management, Engineering, and Design (SSMED)
Authors: Spohrer Jim , Kwan Stephen K.
Published: May 2011

The growth of the global service economy has led to a dramatic increase in our daily interactions with highly specialized service systems. Service (or value-cocreation) interactions are both frequent and diverse, and may include retail, financial, healthcare, education, on-line, communications, technical support, entertainment, transportation, legal, professional, government, or many other types of specialized interactions. And yet surprisingly few students graduating from universities have studied anything about service or service systems. Service Science, Management, Engineering, and Design (SSMED), or service science for short, is an emerging discipline aimed at understanding service and innovating service systems. This article sketches an outline and provides an extensive, yet preliminary, set of references to provoke discussions about the interdisciplinary nature of SSMED. One difficult challenge remaining is to integrate multiple disciplines to create a new and unique service science.
Access Control Method with XML Databases
Authors: Sun Lili , Li Yan , Wang Hua
Published: May 2011

XML documents usually contain private information that cannot be shared by every user communities. It is widely used in web environment. XML database is becoming increasingly important since it consists of XML documents. Several applications for supporting selective access to data are available over the web. Usage control has been considered as the next generation access control model with distinguishing properties of decision continuity. It has been proven efficient to improve security administration with flexible authorization management. Object-oriented database systems represent complex data structure and XML databases may be stored in the objects-oriented database system. Therefore authorization models for XML databases could be used the same the models as object-oriented databases. In this paper, we propose usage control models to access XML databases and compare with an authorization model designed for object-oriented databases. We have analysed the characteristics of various access authorizations and presented detailed models for different kinds of authorizations. Finally, comparisons with related works are analysed.
Perceived Risk for Multiple Services in the Consumer Buying Cycle
Authors: Cunningham Lawrence F. , Gerlach James , Harper Michael D. , Kellogg Deborah L.
Published: May 2011

This study compares consumer perceived risk between five e-service delivery systems and their traditional (non-Internet) counterparts over each stage of the buying cycle. Using a survey methodology, the authors find that in general consumers perceive e-services as riskier than traditional services. The difference in perceived risk, which the authors define as the Internet risk premium, is significant for each service and each stage of the buying cycle. There is a spike in perceived risk at the purchase stage in the buying cycle for each of the five services. This pattern is also evident in the four services with traditional delivery systems. Perceived risk affects the consumer throughout the buying cycle and is not alleviated in the information search stage. Different risk factors drive perceived risk at various stages in the buying cycle. The authors provide both research and managerial implications of these findings.
Staying Competitive in the Political Unrest and Global Financial Crisis
Authors: Wall William P.
Published: May 2011

Global competition today is a complex dimension to add in the success of a healthcare organization. Providing state of the art technology along with the manpower and management skills to bridge boundaries and cultures, confronts today’s healthcare organizations with challenges that, while on the surface may appear simple, may also prove to be a bigger challenge to their success and survival than the medical care they are actually providing. This study is a follow up to an earlier study conducted on a major healthcare organization in Thailand posing the question of how the current political unrest in Thailand and the global financial crisis has affected their global competitiveness. An inductive approach was utilized for a method of determining competitiveness. The resulting qualitative analysis of that data addresses issues of threats to maintaining global competitiveness, providing superior quality care with competitive and reasonable pricing of sub-specialty and high acuity services and work effectively through strategic alliances. In the case of the healthcare organization in this study, their global competitiveness is threatened potentially by the global recession and most recently, the political instability in Thailand. Reputation and the ability to provide comfort and hospitality at the same time as providing excellent medical care and facilities give them both economy of scale to provide reasonable pricing and a uniqueness in the medical care provided. This uniqueness and quality in service attracts strategic alliances and allows for retention of competitiveness in global markets.
Going beyond Audio
Authors: Gonzalez Tony
Published: May 2011

Podcasting presents exciting new opportunities for delivering pedagogical content, but, for effective learning, teaching second languages and their associated cultural aspects often demands the use of textual and visual components. The flexible nature of distributing information via RSS feeds allows for a variety of approaches to delivering multimedia content. This chapter begins with a discussion of some important questions that must be asked at the planning stages of any multimedia podcasting project, followed by several strategies for incorporating multimedia content into podcasts, including situations where each strategy might be appropriate and some of the pros and cons of each approach. Also discussed are some issues related to copyright, and some ways that educators can legally obtain free content to use in their podcasts. The chapter closes with a look at some unanswered questions related to the use of multimedia content in second language education.
Getting Started
Authors: Corbeil Maria Elena , Corbeil Joseph Rene
Published: May 2011

Podcasting is an excellent way to engage students and to supplement the instructional materials used in face-to-face and online courses and in Mobile-Assisted Language Learning programs. A well-produced weekly podcast can enhance course content, learning activities, and student-teacher interactions, while enabling students to take their learning materials with them wherever they go, thus reinforcing and supporting language acquisition. While there are many resources that delineate how to create a podcast, few address the instructional, technological, and production factors that must be considered for the effective use of podcasting in instruction. This chapter includes a brief review of the literature that addresses the use of podcasts in language learning programs, and offers a simple guide for creating your first podcast, lessons learned, and the results of a student survey on the use of podcasts.
Perspectives on Patterns
Authors: Kohls Christian , Wedekind Joachim
Published: May 2011

Patterns are systematic approaches to documenting and classifying recurrent problems and their solutions. Patterns are usually based on empirical observations of good practices. This chapter provides a brief introduction to the core concepts of patterns, and distinguishes between patterns in the real world, patterns in the heads of designers, and pattern descriptions. It starts with basic definitions and explains the relationship between context, problems, forces, and solutions. Key concepts such as connecting patterns into pattern languages, finding whole forms, and sharing best practices among peers are elaborated. To distinguish between patterns in the world, in the heads of designers and in documentations it introduces a vocabulary that may clarify the different meanings of the term “pattern” in the context of design. A discussion of how patterns are recognized and induced by practitioners resolves why there are patterns at different levels of granularity and abstraction. Schema theory provides a theoretical framework to understand how successful strategies of problem solving are stored in the mind of an expert. To share this knowledge, patterns can be described in various ways using different pattern formats or templates. While there are many benefits of the pattern approach, both the pattern author and the pattern user face some challenges. Therefore some of the major benefits and challenges are discussed at the end of the chapter.
The Essential Structure of Teaching Method Descriptions
Authors: Neumann Susanne , Derntl Michael , Oberhuemer Petra
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a study regarding the construction and evaluation of a description template that captures teaching methods. Different formats for describing teaching methods such as pattern catalogues or pedagogic scenario collections exist. The goal of this work was to derive the essence of teaching method descriptions based on the results of other projects, and to evaluate the so obtained description template. The created template underwent a two-phase evaluation. During the first evaluation phase, 21 instructors described a teaching method from their context using the template and rated the template according to criteria for good descriptions. This phase showed that authors of teaching methods regarded the template as complete and thought that their method was well represented. Instructors disagreed whether the elements contained in the template were distinct. During the second evaluation phase, 33 instructors read selected teaching methods provided during the first evaluation phase. The results of the second phase showed that readers of teaching methods do not necessarily feel confident about implementing the described teaching method, which was thought of as “well described” by the teaching method’s author. Readers reported that they lacked an example implementation of the teaching method. Suggestions for adjusting the template were made based on the evaluators’ feedback including renaming and restructuring of elements. We conclude that a generic teaching method should always be accompanied by an example unit of learning, which implements this teaching method. Further research needs to be performed regarding the factors that enhance teaching method adoption and exchange outside the documentation of methods.
Towards Pedagogical Patterns on Feedback
Authors: Schmolitzky Axel W. , Schümmer Till
Published: May 2011

Patterns are a practical means for transferring experience from experts to laymen as well as to other experts in a field. Patterns have been very successful in software engineering, but over the last decade they have enriched the practice in other disciplines as well, such as: interaction design, computer mediated interaction, project management, and several more. There have also been initiatives on pedagogical patterns, but these have so far mainly stayed undiscovered by the pedagogical community. With a background in patterns as well as in computer science education, this chapter foresees see a large potential for pedagogical patterns. In this chapter we provide motivations for the applicability of patterns in the realm of pedagogy by discussing three example patterns that focus on the concept of feedback in learning.
Didactic Design Pattern
Authors: Wippermann Sven
Published: May 2011

According to the theory of moderate constructivism, learning processes contain a social dimension. In this context, a continuous feedback is essential for supporting (students’) learning. Especially, digital learning environments should offer ways to give and receive feedback, because they lack the possibilities of personal interaction. The pattern presented in this chapter captures a best practice on evaluating certain aspects of the learning process in regard to the learning content and learning atmosphere. Feedback on the content is given non-anonymously in a discussion forum, whereas the learning atmosphere is rated anonymously within a virtual learning environment. The pattern captures a specific, didactic driven method within a learning environment and is therefore particularly useful for lecturers who want to give and receive feedback on specific learning topics, and lecturers who want to gain an insight in their student’s learning emotions.
VideoClipQuests as an E-Learning Pattern
Authors: Kortenkamp Ulrich , Blessing Axel M.
Published: May 2011

From a teacher’s perspective, the main advantages of VCQs are that they allow great latitude concerning the subject and the topic as well as the assessment; they can be created very easily, and they work with a multitude of learning platforms. As first evaluation results show, learners rate VCQs as being highly motivating. Thus, VCQs can be one effective element to sensibly integrate the opportunities and advantages of the virtual world into teaching.
Technology in Higher Education
Authors: Ensminger David C. , Lewis Joél
Published: May 2011

Technology has played a significant role in changing the face of higher education. In order to successfully use technology, institutions of higher education must recognize that students play a central role in their decision making regarding the application of technology for the purpose of communication, and learning. This chapter addresses several issue related to the student issues and the use of technology in higher education. The notion of a particular type of student (i.e. “digital native”) is examined, as well as the current skills and use of technology by college students. The chapter continues on to discuss the concepts of digital recreation, digital communication, and their related issues to instruction in University settings. Finally the chapter explores the need for universities to examine diversity issues when integrating technology. The chapter concludes by recommending a tailoring perspective to technology integration that utilizes a decentralized approach to helping faculty integrate technology.
Feeling Like a First Year Teacher
Authors: Rieber Lloyd P. , Francom Gregory M. , Jensen Lucas John
Published: May 2011

An ever increasing number of college instructors are finding themselves asked or required to teach online. While some embrace this opportunity, others are making this transition with some reluctance. The move from face-to-face to online teaching can be difficult, and unprepared instructors may become discouraged or, even worse, may allow mediocrity to creep into their teaching. In this chapter, a different perspective is offered to instructors who are experienced, but new to online learning to help them make the adjustment—imagining once again themselves as first year teachers. Doing so should help them to revisit the enthusiasm, daring, exhilaration, and yes, even terror that they experienced when they first began teaching. Three fundamental principles are offered to guide college teachers in their earliest online teaching experiences. Examples are provided to show how one instructor found innovative ways to use online technology that were consistent with his teaching style.
Supporting Technology Integration in Higher Education
Authors: Polly Drew , Grant Michael M. , Gikas Joanne
Published: May 2011

As access to technology becomes prevalent in institutions of higher education, it is critical to find effective ways to support university faculty in the process of integrating technology into their classroom. This chapter surveys the literature on professional development, identifying successful characteristics in higher education. Next, the authors describe two cases in which university faculty have supported their colleagues’ attempt to integrate technology into university courses. Finally, promises and challenges of various professional development efforts are also shared.
Technology in the Supervision of Mental Health Professionals
Authors: Stefurak James R. , Surry Daniel W. , Hayes Richard L.
Published: May 2011

As communication technology is increasingly applied to the training and supervision of mental health professionals, a more robust analysis of how such approaches fundamentally change the relationship between supervisor and supervisee and how these approaches both enhance and limit the outcomes of supervision is sorely needed. In this chapter clinical supervision is defined and discussed and the various technology platforms that have been used to conduct supervision at-a-distance are reviewed along with the supervision outcomes observed in the research literature with each method. The potential for technology to reduce geographic and financial barriers to the provision of quality supervision is discussed. However, the chapter also outlines the potential negative impacts technology might have to the supervisory relationship, the ethical dilemmas posed by technology-mediated supervision, and the ways in which technology-mediated supervision may place limits upon the elements of supervision that rely upon a constructivist epistemology.
Toward a New Standard of Quality in Online Learning
Authors: Gray Robert , Dwight James
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores how Barthes’s concept of writerly/readerly texts can be applied to enrich our understanding of interaction in online courses. Writerly texts are texts that require the reader to actively participate in the production of the text’s meaning, whereas readerly texts offer only a limited number of possible interpretations. Barthes privileges the writerly text because it pictures the reader in an active posture, in the role of co-writer, jointly producing meaning rather than passively receiving it. The authors argue that the writerly/readerly opposition provides a powerful tool with which we can reconceptualize the relationship between the instructional content of online courses and the students who encounter them. Such an approach will allow us a fuller understanding of not only the interpretive nature of the learning process, but also of the advantages inherent in empowering students in that process. Furthermore, this approach will allow us to better understand and measure quality in online courses.
Using the Social Web Environment for Software Engineering Education
Authors: Kamthan Pankaj
Published: May 2011

The software engineering educational system influences, and is influenced by, a number of social and technical factors of the ecosystem in which it resides. The Social Web environment includes a number of technologies and applications based on those technologies. The aim of this chapter is to examine a technological revitalization of software engineering education (SEE) from the perspective of the Social Web. In doing so, a systematic approach towards integrating the Social Web environment in SEE is explored. The potential prospects and associated concerns of such integration, both inside and outside the classroom, are illustrated by a number of practical examples.
Brain Based Learning Environments in an Online Setting
Authors: Braidic Silvia
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the reader on how to foster successful learning communities to meet the diverse needs of university students by creating a brain based online learning environment. Students come in all shapes and sizes. At the university level, students enrolled in online programs, have made a choice to do so. Today, online education is a unique and important venue for many students wishing to continue (or start) their education. It is part of a new culture with many distinct characteristics (Farrell, 2001). For instructors, online instruction creates its own set of challenges in terms of the course design and implementation. The author hopes that developing an understanding of how to create a brain based online learning environment will inform the reader of ways to foster successful learning communities to most effectively meet the diverse needs of the students it serves.
The Professional Development School
Authors: Semich George W. , Gibbons Beatrice
Published: May 2011

In his recent text (2011), Educational Leadership and Planning for Technology, Picciano noted that “an important ingredient for implementing change, improvement, and innovation in education is a knowledgeable and vibrant staff “(p. 215). However, there is a body of research (Goodson,1991; Becker, 1994; U.S. Congress, 1995; Northrup & Little, 1996; Trotter, 1999;Cuban, 2001; Park & Staresina, 2004; Christensen, Horn, and Johnson, 2009;Hargreaves, Earl, & Schmidt, 2002), that clearly indicates that teachers are not making the best use of technology in classroom. To meet this challenge,the authors secured a professional development grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education which provided an opportunity for them to hire a highly skilled workshop facilitator who conducted a full day workshop that covered smart board technologies, web quests, and synchroneyes software to a group of teachers from our local PDS school. In an earlier chapter, the authors shared information about the workshop. The primary focus of this chapter is to revisit our findings from the faculty training workshop and present additional information from the faculty perspective and the current relate literature.
Collaboration between Academia and Industry
Authors: McAvoy J. , Van Sickle E. , Cameron B.
Published: May 2011

In industry, up to 40% of an IS budget can be spent on Storage technology, making it the fastest growing segment of IT/IS. While industry has recognised the need to diffuse this technology, academia has been slow to respond to this diffusion need. Universities are not teaching courses in this area and a variety of reasons are presented ranging from lack of skills, to bureaucratic delays, to cost (the cost of installing a Storage system for use by students is a massive expenditure well beyond the budgets of most IS academic departments).This chapter concentrates on the lack of skills (knowledge barriers in the parlance of diffusion of innovation theory) and examines ways to overcome this. The knowledge skills are present in industry, so collaboration between industry and academia is a suggested solution. Collaboration between industry and academia, though, is fraught with problems. The aim of this research therefore is to examine how this collaboration can be effective. Interestingly, the result of this research suggests true collaboration is not the solution, but a win-win situation is still possible for all stakeholders.
The Dragon in the School’s Backyard
Authors: Kidd Terry
Published: May 2011

The introduction of technology into classrooms during the 1980s was heralded by many as the dawn of a new era in American education. Proponents argued that technology had the potential to fundamentally transform the nature of teaching and learning. However, over time, this dream became a nightmarish reality. Likewise, educators concerned about the chronic underachievement of urban learners often fell prey to the allure of technology as a tool for reversing the historical influences of poverty, discrimination, inequity, chronic underachievement, and lack of opportunity. However, twenty-five years after the introduction of the computer into the classroom, many of the expectations associated with technology in education remain unrealized. This chapter hopes to discuss some of the issues and trends associated with technology adoption and usage at urban schools.
Student and Teacher Perspectives Testing a System for Adaptive e-Learning
Authors: Limongelli Carla , Sciarrone Filippo , Temperini Marco , Vaste Giulia
Published: May 2011

Personalization is becoming a mandatory requirement in Web-based Education and long distance learning in general, representing a flexible way of learning the exact amount of knowledge to reach a given learning goal. This approach saves time and money and it is particularly suited for life-long learning. The drawback is that the teacher has to produce some effort to prepare didactic material and while research in this field proposes several intelligent systems providing personalization with advanced didactic strategies, teacher’s point of view is less considered. In this chapter we extend our previous work that aimed to build an adaptive system for education called LS-Plan, taking into account both teacher’s and student’s needs. In particular we carried out a comprehensive evaluation of the system embedded into an Adaptive Educational Hypermedia called Lecomps5, in order to experiment and prove the added value of the system.
A Case-Based Approach to Adaptive Hypermedia Navigation
Authors: Micarelli Alessandro , Sciarrone Filippo , Gasparetti Fabio
Published: May 2011

Hypermedia, with its combination of multimedia and non-linear organization of links among informative nodes, provides a highly interactive environment. In structured domains such as Web-based Educational Systems, the complexity of the learning domain often requires a large set of learning nodes and conceptual interrelationships that can cause several issues, e.g.: lack of comprehension, disorientation and inefficacious learning strategies. In this article we propose a new approach to guided navigation in hypermedia-based domains, suitable for helping users in structured and complex learning environments such as cultural heritage domains. Our proposal draws inspiration from the Case-Based Reasoning paradigm associated with a hypermedia structural analysis. In particular, our presentation highlights the use of a hybrid architecture for Adaptive Navigation Support, where the indexing problem of the case-based reasoner is solved by way of a sub-symbolic approach. A case study in the Neo-Realist Italian Cinema domain is discussed along with a formal and controlled evaluation that proves the advantages of the proposed approach.
Animated Pedagogical Agents
Authors: Heller R. , Procter M.
Published: May 2011

The role of Animated Pedagogical Agents (APAs) depends on an understanding of the persona effect as a mechanism for increasing student engagement and motivation. We argue that historical figure applications of APAs may be helpful to identify the parameters that give rise to a persona effect. Given the importance of visual information, an experimental approach was used to examine how different image conditions would affect perception of a historical figure APA interaction. Eighty-eight participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions; no image, static image, or animated image. Contrary to expectations, the no image condition was associated with significantly higher ratings for 6 of the 12 measures, including 3 measures of social presence. These findings stand in contrast to previous research and suggest that historical figure applications may be unique in their evocation of a persona effect and valuable for understanding the nature of the persona effect.
Redefining Web Users’ Optimal Flow Experiences In Online Environments
Authors: Arora Anshu Saxena , Raisinghani Mahesh S.
Published: May 2011

The article highlights a research study on consumer navigation behavior through the Web users’ optimal Flow experiences in the online environments. The research study establishes the empirical groundwork for measuring Web users’ Flow experiences in the Web environment. The article proposes a comprehensive definition of Flow on the basis of Comprehensive Process (Flow) Model of Network Navigation, considering that the Flow concept is a multidimensional concept in the “multi-activity” medium of the Web. Flow has been defined as a multi-dimensional and context-specific concept. Furthermore, the research article proposes that there are 10 Flow constructs (also called “the antecedents of Flow”) along with the three states of Flow, namely, Perfect Flow, Imperfect-Intensive Flow, and Imperfect Flow. Consumer Behavior on the Web is studied using the Flow concept for three categories of Flow users, namely, Perfect and Imperfect-Intensive Flow (PIIF) users, Imperfect Flow (IF) users, and Non-Flow (NF) users. These users achieve Flow depending on 10 Flow-constructs and three Flow states. Empirical results suggest a direct relationship between the Flow states and the Flow user categories and between expected Web user in the future (EXPUSE) and the Flow user categories. This research study provides a basis for future researchers to study consumer navigation behavior on the Web using the Flow concept for three categories of Flow users through 10 Flow constructs and three Flow states. The research has significant implications for theory and practice.
Autism and Family Interventions Through Technology
Authors: Ferdig Richard E. , Amberg Hilary G. , Elder Jennifer H. , Donaldson Susan A. , Valcante Gregory , Bendixen Roxanna
Published: May 2011

Most research on family interventions of children with autism has focused on the role of the mother, and little is known about the effects of training fathers. Through a series of National Institutes of Health–funded studies we have demonstrated treatment success by focusing on fathers who are trained at home. Although our research has been successful, this work introduces questions related to how best to train fathers when on-site, in-home training is not a viable option due to geographical distance or a variety of other logistical constraints. This article describes the development and initial use of an Internet-based tool to offer this training more broadly. We briefly describe past research as well as the need for the implementation of an Internet-based tool. We then describe the system, document early indicators of success, and discuss metrics we are using with our fathers. The article concludes with a discussion of future goals and research needs.
The Role of Learning Styles and Technology
Authors: Collins Royce Ann
Published: May 2011

Learning style research has informed effective classroom teaching strategies for decades. Technology has allowed faculty and students to move the learning environment from the four-walled classroom to a fluid global virtual space. Knowledge gained through the application of learning style research to online instruction has enhanced practice; however, research demonstrating the alignment of learning styles with current technological resources has been limited. Learning styles and their interrelationship with technology and adult learners is as important today as initial learning style research was in the six decades after its beginnings in the 1940s. Education today must meet the needs of students who are more comfortable in electronic environments, as well as those who need the four-walled classroom. The ability to use learning style research to accomplish both will lead to enhanced student learning and a more productive experience.
Stochastic System Dynamics Integrative Model
Authors: di Pierro Francesco , Khu Soon-Thiam , Oxley Tim
Published: May 2011

Although it is widely recognized that urban planning has a large implication on the provision of utilities, services and other urban infrastructures, it is usually undertaken in isolation. Increasingly over the last 15 years, various types of integrated models have been developed to support policy making in addressing specific problems related to the changing land-use and land-cover pattern and their effect on the land system. However, the deepening of the understanding of the implications of these changes on the land and social system, the increasing awareness of their strong interconnections with design and provision of large infrastructures (transportation, water and energy), and the fragmentation of the regulatory bodies and stakeholders, all compound the matter and call for integrative approaches and tools that can reconcile large process specific information and provide practical support for participated decision making. This chapter provides an extensive review of the latest work in the field and presents Stochastic System Dynamics Integrative Model (SSDIM), a modeling framework that improves upon the existing ones on some important respects. By modeling the interconnections between land use change, waste water infrastructures (drainage and treatment) and water quality in receiving water bodies through a chain of physically-based simulation models, it provides high level integration across important domains and detailed information across different physical and temporal scales to adequately support impact assessment of urban plans through the analysis of various influential factors. These include, but are not limited to, alternative planning policies at a local or regional level (for example, urban growth patterns), location and extent of protected areas, different demographic scenarios, refined characteristics of new developments, (for instance, maximum housing densities), alternative design and expansion options of the sewer network; provision of added treatment facilities or new treatment technologies. Examples of applications are presented through two case studies. The SSDIM framework is an effort to provide developers, regulators and water companies a common test bed to assess the impact of their decisions on the performance of existing assets and quality of water bodies, and devise coordinated plans.
Air Quality Modeling by Fuzzy Sets and IF-Sets
Authors: Olej Vladimír , Hájek Petr
Published: May 2011

The chapter presents a design of parameters for air quality classification of districts into classes according to their pollution. Therefore, the chapter presents basic notions of fuzzy sets introduced by L. A. Zadeh for design hierarchical fuzzy inference systems Mamdani type and IF-sets introduced by K. T. Atanassov for design of hierarchical IF-inference systems Mamdani type. In the next part of the chapter the authors describe air quality modeling by hierarchical fuzzy inference systems, hierarchical IF-inference systems and we analyze the results. Moreover, the chapter describes air quality modeling, the design of membership functions and non-membership functions, if-then rules of individual subsystems and inference mechanism. Further, the authors present basic notions of IF-relations and their determination by Kohonen’s Self-organizing Feature Maps and K-means algorithms and process air quality classification.
Modeling the Influences of Heating Fuel Consumption in Gaseous Emissions and Solid Waste Generation
Authors: Bata Robert , Jordão Ticiano Costa
Published: May 2011

The chapter deals with the modeling of materials and energy flows associated with different types of heating fuels used in the household sector in the Czech Republic in order to assess the material flow balance from heating energy consumption by all dwellings in the Czech Republic. Statistical data on heating fuel consumption was gathered and Petri net models were used to quantify the variety and amount of resulting air pollutant emissions and solid waste generated. The results indicate that a particular net with a type Place-Color is the appropriate for modeling these processes, because the model is optically identical to the schematic representation of modeled flows.
Economic Performance and Environmental Quality at the Regional Level An Approach to Modeling Depletion Adjusted Macro Aggregates for the Czech Coal Mining Regions
Authors: Sidorov Egor , Ritschelová Iva
Published: May 2011

The chapter describes an approach for the calculation of coal depletion adjusted regional macroeconomic aggregates for the coal mining regions of the Czech Republic. In the first part of the chapter, the concept of depletion adjusted macroeconomic aggregates is discussed. The next two parts provide a description of the coal mining regions as well as the position of the coal mining industry in the Czech economic structure. The final part of the chapter describes the methodological approach to resource rent and depletion modeling. After that, the coal depletion adjusted macroeconomic aggregates are presented, followed by our conclusions.
Remote Sensing of Bush Encroachment on Commercial Cattle Farms in Semi-Arid Rangelands in Namibia
Authors: Schröter Matthias , Jakoby Oliver , Olbrich Roland , Eichhorn Marcus , Baumgärtner Stefan
Published: May 2011

Bush encroachment is one of the most extensive changes in land cover in semi-arid rangelands and an urgent problem for cattle farming, rapidly reducing the productivity of the rangeland. Despite the severity of these consequences, a complete and accurate assessment of bush encroached areas is still missing at large. This study aims at assessing bush encroachment on commercial cattle farms in central Namibia by employing remote sensing methods to distinguish between areas covered by bush and open rangeland. The authors use different classification techniques and vegetation indices to characterize the nature of vegetation cover. Their analysis shows that results are sensitive to specific classifications of indices. As an accuracy assessment could not be run on these results the authors could not analyze which classification approximates real bush encroachment best. Hence, this study highlights the need for further analysis. Ground truth data, in the form of field mappings, high resolution aerial photographs or local expert knowledge are needed to gain further insights and produce reliable results.