bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Efficient Compression Technique for Vertical Mining Methods
Authors: Ashrafi Mafruz , Taniar David , Smith Kate
Published: May 2011

Association rule mining is one of the most widely used data mining techniques. To achieve a better performance, many efficient algorithms have been proposed. Despite these efforts, many of these algorithms require a large amount of main memory to enumerate all frequent itemsets, especially when the dataset is large or the user-specified support is low. Thus, it becomes apparent that we need to have an efficient main memory handling technique, which allows association rule mining algorithms to handle larger datasets in the main memory. To achieve this goal, in this chapter we propose an algorithm for vertical association rule mining that compresses a vertical dataset in an efficient manner, using bit vectors. Our performance evaluations show that the compression ratio attained by our proposed technique is better than those of the other well-known techniques.
A Tutorial on Hierarchical Classification with Applications in Bioinformatics
Authors: Freitas Alex , Carvalho André
Published: May 2011

In machine learning and data mining, most of the works in classification problems deal with flat classification, where each instance is classified in one of a set of possible classes and there is no hierarchical relationship between the classes. There are, however, more complex classification problems where the classes to be predicted are hierarchically related. This chapter presents a tutorial on the hierarchical classification techniques found in the literature. We also discuss how hierarchical classification techniques have been applied to the area of bioinformatics (particularly the prediction of protein function), where hierarchical classification problems are often found.
Topological Analysis and Sub-Network Mining of Protein-Protein Interactions
Authors: Wu Daniel , Hu Xiaohua
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we report a comprehensive evaluation of the topological structure of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, by mining and analyzing graphs constructed from the popular data sets publicly available to the bioinformatics research community. We compare the topology of these networks across different species, different confidence levels, and different experimental systems used to obtain the interaction data. Our results confirm the well-accepted claim that the degree distribution follows a power law. However, further statistical analysis shows that residues are not independent on the fit values, indicating that the power law model may be inadequate. Our results also show that the dependence of the average clustering coefficient on the vertices degree is far from a power law, contradicting many published results. For the first time, we report that the average vertex density exhibits a strong powder law dependence on the vertices degree for the networks studied, regardless of species, confidence levels, and experimental systems. We also present an efficient and accurate approach to detecting a community in a protein-protein interaction network from a given seed protein. Our experimental results show strong structural and functional relationships among member proteins within each of the communities identified by our approach, as verified by MIPS complex catalog database and annotations.
Cost-Based Congestion Pricing in Network Priority Models Using Axiomatic Cost Allocation Methods
Authors: García-Díaz César , Beltrán Fernando
Published: May 2011

Congestion effects are the negative externalities or social costs that users generate on each other when using a shared network resource. Under a congestion-based pricing scheme, networks with enough slack capacity should reflect a very low priced negative externality, while a network with reduced capacity to provide one more unit of the requested resource should reflect the negative effects in the form of higher prices for the use of network resources. This chapter deals with the efficient distribution of congestion costs among network users. First, we present a review of different approaches found in the literature, ranging from methods that advocate for congestion-based pricing to methods that, after being critical about considering congestion, advocate for price definition based on the investors’ need for return on their investment. We then proceed to introduce an axiomatic approach to congestion pricing that takes into account some of the prescriptions and conclusions found in the literature. The method presented here is defined on the grounds of axioms that represent a set of fundamental principles that a good allocation mechanism should have.
Different Types of Business-to-Business Integration
Authors: Goethals Frank , Vandenbulcke Jacques , Lemahieu Wilfried
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we argue that there exist two basic forms of business-to-business integration (B2Bi), namely extended enterprise integration and market B2Bi. This chapter clarifies the meaning of both concepts, shows that the difference between both is fundamental, and discusses the consequences of the difference in the realm of Web services development. The importance of coordination and the role of standards are studied for both types of e-business. The authors hope this chapter clearly shows the foundations of B2Bi and that the chapter as such brings clarity into B2Bi practices.
A Simonian Approach to E-Business Research
Authors: Chen Ye-Sho , Chen Guoqing , Wu Soushan
Published: May 2011

The third industrial revolution, combining Internet technology with globalization, produces an increasingly complicated e-business environment. It is no wonder that skew distributions, a striking empirical regularity in the hypercompetitive digital economy, have attracted the attention of many researchers recently. Herbert Simon had studied similar regularities in the industrial economy and developed empirically grounded explanatory theories to help guide strategic decision making in the evolutionary processes of organizations in this area little-known to many. In this chapter, we draw upon five seemingly unrelated research areas of Simon (skew distributions, near decomposability, docility, causal and effectual reasoning, and attention management) and propose a holistic framework of attention-based information systems for firms to frame an enduring competitive strategy in the digital economy. As an ongoing project, the framework is applied to model Netchising, an emerging research topic in global e-business.
Business Process Modeling with the User Requirements Notation
Authors: Weiss Michael , Amyot Daniel
Published: May 2011

This chapter demonstrates how the user requirements notation (URN) can be used to model business processes. URN combines goals and scenarios in order to help capture and reason user requirements prior to detailed design. In terms of application areas, this emerging standard targets reactive systems in general, with a particular focus on telecommunications systems and services. This chapter argues that the URN can also be applied to business process modeling. To this end, it illustrates the notation, its use, and its benefits with a supply chain management case study. It then briefly compares this approach to related modeling approaches, namely, use case-driven design, service-oriented architecture analysis, and conceptual value modeling. The authors believe that a URN-based approach will provide usable and useful tools to assist researchers and practitioners with the modeling, analysis, integration, and evolution of existing and emerging business processes.
Predicting Electronic Communication System Adoption
Authors: Hunter Gary , Taylor Steven
Published: May 2011

This study examines whether perceptions of the type of innovation (discontinuous relative to continuous) influences predictions of electronic communication system adoption. The factors that influence adoption and their relative importance are hypothesized to differ depending on whether the electronic communication system is perceived as continuous or discontinuous by the adopter. A survey of firms’ intentions to adopt customer relationship management software is used to test the hypotheses. The theoretical bases of the study are the Gatignon and Robertson (1989) model of diffusion and the behavioral delineation of continuous and discontinuous innovations (Rogers, 1983).
Web Services Enabled E-Market Access Control Model
Authors: Wang Harry , Cheng Hsing K. , Zhao Leon
Published: May 2011

With the dramatic expansion of global e-markets, companies collaborate more and more in order to streamline their supply chains. Small companies often form coalitions to reach the critical mass required to bid on large volume or wide ranges of products. Meanwhile, they also compete with one another for market shares. Because of the complex relationships among companies, controlling the access to shared information found in e-markets is a challenging task. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive access control approaches that can be used to maintain data security in e-markets. We propose to integrate several known access control mechanisms such as role-based access control, coalition-based access control, and relationship driven access control into an e-market access control model (EMAC). In this chapter, we present a Web services-based architecture for EMAC and the associated concepts and algorithms. We also illustrate, via an automotive e-market example, how the EMAC model can support e-market access control.
A Brave New E-World? An Exploratory Analysis of Worldwide E-Government Readiness, Level of Democracy, Corruption, and Globalization
Authors: Kovacic Zlatko J.
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports research results on the relationship between e-government readiness and its components and the level of democracy, corruption and globalization for 191 countries. A supply-side approach to e-government analysis using data about national government Web sites, telecommunication infrastructure and human capital was taken rather than a demand-side approach, which is based on the real use of e-government Web sites by citizens, businesses and government, or their perceptions of the online services delivery. Statistically significant differences in the level of e-government readiness and its components between three groups of countries classified according to the level of democracy were identified using ANOVA. It was also shown, using correlation and regression analysis, that e-government readiness indices are related to the level of democracy, corruption and globalization.
The Quest for Advocates
Authors: Mahrer Harald
Published: May 2011

Throughout the world, democratic countries, whether old, new, or in transition, are facing innovations in communications and information technology. Especially within developed economies, the challenge toward e-democracy through the digital transformation of democratic institutions has become increasingly evident. With the identification of the notion of the “middleman paradox,” recent research findings have added a new dimension to existing theories on the hesitant evolution of e-democracy, which clearly identifies politicians as an inhibiting factor. Consequently, the research in this chapter attempts to explore further this newly discovered phenomenon by presenting theoretical and empirical evidence. The findings of a multiple case study carried out in all 25 EU member countries, based on an adopted exploratory research design are presented. These findings give more detailed insights on the nature of the middleman paradox and on the ambiguous role of politicians in the further evolution of e-democracy.
Comparing Expert Systems and Agent Technology for KM
Authors: Guimaraes Tor
Published: May 2011

Agent technology offers a new means of effectively managing knowledge and addresses complex decision processes which heretofore appeared intractable. This chapter presents an overview and comparison of expert system and agent technologies, and shows the latter as a powerful extension in artificial intelligence for systems development. To illustrate, a system developed first using an expert system approach and then an agent-based approach are used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the agent-based approach. Last, the practical implications of a company adoption of agent-based technology for systems development are addressed.
The Challenge of Web Site Design for Global Organizations
Authors: Cyr Dianne , Bonanni Carole , Bowes John , Ilsever Joe
Published: May 2011

The growth of Internet shopping motivates a better understanding of how e-loyalty is built online between businesses and consumers. In this study, Web site design and culture are advanced as important to Web site trust, Web site satisfaction, and e-loyalty in online business relationships. Based on data collected in Canada, the U.S., Germany, and Japan, the research considers (1) examining, within culture, preferences for design elements of a local vs. a foreign Web site, and subsequent participant perceptions of trust, satisfaction, and e-loyalty, and (2) comparisons between cultures for design preferences of local and foreign Web sites, and subsequent participant perceptions of trust, satisfaction, and e-loyalty. As predicted, similarities were greatest among Americans, Canadians, and Germans, with the Japanese representing a different and unique case. The results are discussed against hypothesized expectations. Implications for future research are outlined.
Information Systems Effectiveness in Small Businesses
Authors: Ortiz de Guinea Ana , Kelley Helen , Hunter M. Gordon
Published: May 2011

This study examines the applicability of the Thong, Yap, and Raman (1996) model of information systems (IS) effectiveness tested among Singaporean small businesses in a Canadian context. The model evaluates the importance of managerial support and external expertise (vendors and consultants) for IS effectiveness. This study extends the Thong et al. model by adding an intention of expansion construct. The sample included 105 small business users of IS in a small city in western Canada. The results show that both managerial and vendor support are essential for effective IS in Canadian small businesses, and supported part of the relations between IS effectiveness and intention of expansion. Overall, the results suggest that managers should engage quality vendors to obtain IS that contribute to the specific goals of the small business. The results of the Canadian study were, for the most part, similar to the results reported in the Singaporean study; however, a few notable differences appear to exist.
Understanding the Impact of Household End Users' Privacy and Risk Perceptions on Online Behavior
Authors: Drennan Judy , Mort Gillian Sullivan , Previte Josephine
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports research concerning privacy, risk perceptions, and online behavior intentions on a sample of expert household end users. Findings include identification of (1) an e-privacy typology, consisting of “privacy aware,” “privacy suspicious,” and “privacy active” types, and (2) an e-privacy hierarchy of effects. Results suggest the presence of a privacy hierarchy of effects where awareness leads to suspicion, which subsequently leads to active behavior. Perceived risk was found to interact with the e-privacy hierarch and to have a strong negative influence on the extent to which respondents participated in online subscription and purchasing. A key finding was that privacy active behavior which was hypothesised to increase the likelihood of online subscription and purchasing was not found to be significant. The chapter concludes with a number of important implications for managers, and directions for future research are discussed.
The Impact of Multilevel Computer Self-Efficacy on Effectiveness of Computer Training
Authors: Hasan Bassam
Published: May 2011

Identifying factors affecting effectiveness of computer training remains a key issue in information systems (IS) research and practice. To this end, the current study builds upon IS and training literatures to develop and test a research model to examine the impact of multilevel computer self-efficacy (CSE) on effectiveness of computer training. The model distinguishes between general and application-specific CSE and posits that both levels of CSE will have positive effects on perceived ease of use, near-transfer learning, and far-transfer learning of computer skills and a negative effect on computer anxiety. The results of a field experiment conducted to empirically test the model revealed that general CSE had positive effects on far-transfer learning and perceived ease of use, whereas application-specific CSE demonstrated positive effects on near-transfer learning and perceived ease of use. The results also showed that general and application-specific CSE had negative effects on computer anxiety. This study provides better insights into the relationships between the two levels of CSE and computer training outcomes and offers valuable research and practical implications.
How Computers Came Into My Life
Authors: Mau Margaret
Published: May 2011

My earliest experience with anything to do with information technology was the electric typewriter. That was in 1977 when I attended the Cairns Business College for a year. In that same year, I was recommended as a trainee to the Commonwealth Education Department where I learned how to work a telex machine.
Language, Identity, and Community Control
Authors: Hennessy Kate , Moore Patrick J.
Published: May 2011

To all my children, we are losing our language. You are our future leaders; you must learn our language. It is the root and heart of our culture. I pass you our language. You must learn our language. — “A Message to our Children,” Tagish First Voices Web site. From the turn of the century into the early 1970s, the Choutla Anglican residential school at Carcross in the Yukon Territory was home to generations of Tagish and Tlingit children. Victims of an assimilationist educational ideology that separated them from their families for at least ten months of the year, many children were denied the teachings of their elders, the right to speak their native language and, as a result, many aspects of their identity as native people. The Tagish and Tlingit community at Carcross has since come to terms with the pain and loss associated with the Choutla school and has become empowered to move beyond the extreme paternalism of the residential school era to greater self-determination and a deep sense of cultural identity. It is symbolic that in the very place where the native languages were aggressively decimated by the residential school policies, members of the local community are taking control of information technology to ensure the revival of the Tagish language. Control over technology has in this case facilitated the assertion of authority over every way their language is represented and made it possible for their cultural values and practices to define the nature of such representations.
Computerised Tests of Brain Function for Use with Indigenous People
Authors: Cairney Sheree , Maruff Paul
Published: May 2011

An assessment of brain function (or cognitive function) has become an important process with applications in a growing number of areas including medicine, psychiatry, occupational selection, law and education. The most sophisticated, direct and precise measurements of brain function are obtained using brain imaging techniques (e.g., fMRI, MRI and PET). However these hospital-based techniques are expensive and immobile and are therefore not appropriate for use in many applications. When brain imaging techniques are not appropriate, cognitive tests have been shown to provide accurate measures of brain function that can be interpreted within robust brain-behaviour models, based on extensive research with healthy humans, primates and humans with specific brain lesions.
Agreements Treaties and Negotiated Settlements Database
Authors: Langton Marcia , Mazel Odette , Palmer Lisa
Published: May 2011

The Agreements Treaties and Negotiated Settlements (ATNS) database (www.atns.net.au) is an online gateway and resource that links current information, historical detail and published material relating to agreements made between indigenous peoples and others in Australia and overseas. Designed for use by indigenous and other community organisations, researchers, government and industry bodies, the ATNS database includes information on agreements not only relating to land, but those made in the areas of health, education, research, policy and indigenous relations. Since its public launch in 2003, the database has become an important research facility and is the only resource of its kind in Australia that demonstrates the range and variety of agreement making with indigenous peoples in various jurisdictions.
UHF-Based Community Voice Service in Ngannyatjarra Lands of Australia
Authors: Abolhasan Mehran , Boustead Paul
Published: May 2011

The Ngaanyatjarra land is located in the Gibson Desert in the state of Western Australia, and is the home of 12 major communities primarily made up of indigenous peoples. These communities are spread over a 250,000 square kilometre radius, with the population of each community ranging from 75 to 450. The remote location of these communities, far from major rural centres, has limited the roll-out of advanced communication technologies. One area of concern has been the limited availability of personal communication services to provide communication links within and between these communities.
How to Globalize Online Course Content
Authors: Schell Martin
Published: May 2011

Considering that 347 languages have over 1 million speakers each and account for 94% of the world’s population, localization is unsustainable as a strategy for making online courses globally accessible. Writing Web content in Global English is the best way to ensure that people from all linguistic backgrounds have a reasonable chance of comprehending course materials. This chapter shows how to transform native English text into Global English (simpler syntax, less jargon, fewer idioms, no slang). It also discusses e-learning design issues such as cultural perspective and Internet logistics (speed and cost of connection). Finally, it addresses the future of English as a global language, particularly in reference to its supposed “rivalry” with Mandarin.
Electronic Paralanguage
Authors: Watson Katherine
Published: May 2011

Psychologists and linguists agree that communicative elements other than words alone transmit more than 65% of the meaning of any linguistic message. New messages in new languages can be learned quickly and in their cultural context if instructional materials are sheathed in the L2 (“foreign”) “electronic paralanguage” rather than in the students’ native “L1” language. That is, L2 acquisition can take place at an extraordinarily rapid pace if the Netiquette and interfaces, page layouts, buttons, and alternative correspondence styles of the L2 mode of expression are employed. Exemplary adult students of French as a Second Language have demonstrated achievement of unusually high-level reading, writing, and cultural competence skills quickly in an online environment that immerses them in their new L2. Indeed, these students’ success demonstrates at least two things: First, learning a new language may be at least as effective, and is clearly more complete, in an online environment than it is in a traditional classroom, and second, that educators online should attend to all features of the electronic environment, rather than simply to the subject matter that it transmits.
Officer-to-Technology Systems
Authors: Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

Knowledge management, as a field of study, is concerned with simplifying and improving the process of sharing, distributing, creating, capturing, and understanding knowledge. Hence, knowledge management has direct relevance to policing. So much so that Europol has a Knowledge Management Centre (KMC) at The Hague in The Netherlands. Europol regularly updates its databases at KMC to ensure it keeps abreast of new developments in technology, science, or other specialized fields in order to provide optimal law enforcement.
Officer-to-Officer Systems
Authors: Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

Officer-to-officer systems are found at Stage 2 of the stages-of-growth model for knowledge management technology. Information about who knows what is made available to all police officers, and to selected, outside partners. At Stage 2, organizations apply the personalization strategy, which implies that knowledge is tied to the person who developed it, and is shared mainly through person-to-person contact.
Officer-to-Information Systems
Authors: Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

Information from knowledge workers is stored and made available to everyone in the police force who is in need of, and eligible for this information. Data-mining techniques can be applied here by law enforcement personnel to find relevant information, and combine information in data warehouses. Search engines and Web browsers enable police officers to quickly search and find information in criminal cases.
Mobile Phone and Autonomy
Authors: Chokvasin T.
Published: May 2011

This chapter is to offer a critical study of what the human living condition would be like in a new era of hi-tech mobilization, especially the condition of self-government or autonomy, and how, in the Thai perspective, the condition affects culture. Habermas’ analysis of individuation through socialization and Heidegger’s question concerning technology and being are used in the study, and it is revealed that we are now confronted with a new technological condition of positioned individuals in the universe of communication through mobile phones. This situation surely will be realized in a world highly mobilized by the phenomenon of connectedness. This means that we are concerning ourselves with our concrete individuality for our self-expression in that universe. I offer an interpretation that we would hold this kind of individuality to be valuable because of an effect from technological thinking. In addition, comparing this view on individuality with Buddhism, I found that the view offered here is not similar to the Buddhist concept of self as a construction. I offer an argument to show that these concepts are basically different for ethical reasons; while the Buddhist concept still preserves the nobility of the moral agent (Buddhism, after all, is a religion and needs to concern itself with morality), the concrete individuality discussed here is considered only as an instrumental value in a world of hi-tech mobilization.
Eliciting Organizational Discourse
Authors: Iandoli Luca , Zollo Giuseppe
Published: May 2011

Beginning with this chapter we will describe a methodological approach to identify, represent and model explanatory discourses. In the first part of this chapter we will present the overall methodological framework while in the second part we will focus on the first step of the methodology, that is, the identification and acquisition of explanatory discourses. An interview technique is presented to elicit explanations followed by a detailed example and practical advice.
The Management of Grey Knowledge Through Causal Maps
Authors: Iandoli Luca , Zollo Giuseppe
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, through the description of concrete examples drawn from a field study,1 our intention is to provide the reader with a detailed account of the application of the methodological approach presented in Chapter X. The example refers to knowledge management in software development. In particular, the aim of this chapter is to apply the methodology for the investigation and management of the grey knowledge created and elaborated by software development teams in the production of new software applications. The chapter focuses on the early stages of the process when development teams have to make a choice regarding the software life cycle model that best fits given constraints concerning ambiguity of the requirements, risks, costs evaluation and scheduling. A step-by-step application to a case-study of a software company is presented in order to illustrate the main critical methodological aspects.
University Students' Perceptions of Computer Technology Experiences
Authors: Inoue Yukiko
Published: May 2011

On the basis of a survey as a research method (from designing surveys to reporting on surveys), the author examined students’ perceptions of computers and information technology (IT). In fall 2005, a survey questionnaire was administered to students enrolled in education courses at a university in the western Pacific. Attention was given to four variables—gender, ethnicity, academic status and age. A Likert-scale instrument was designed for data collection. Overall, students of this sample (N = 174) had positive perceptions toward using computer technology. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses indicated, however, that none of the four variables were statistically significant. There were no gender, ethnicity, academic status and age differences in perceptions of technology experiences for this sample. Qualitative data (students’ essays on the use of technology) were also analyzed to support quantitative data. Implications for practice were discussed, future trends were identified and recommendations were made for further research.
Internet Overuse on College Campuses
Authors: Miller Mary Jane
Published: May 2011

The changes wrought in the last 10 years alone are sufficiently awesome to astound and confuse any Rip Van Winkle who may have managed to sleep through the decade. As with all man-made marvels, however, along with the much touted fabulous benefits and glittering accomplishments, it seems there always exist undesirable side effects. One side effect of the technological revolution with the potential to cause harm is an inclination by some people, most notably students in higher education, for excessive and compulsive Internet use. Often called Internet addiction, this disorder is particularly prevalent on the campuses of colleges and universities, and for some students, it has the potential to be as destructive as excessive use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs. This chapter talks about Internet overuse on college campuses in general and discusses a survey of 305 University of Guam students regarding their Internet use.
Research in the Pacific
Authors: Uehara Denise L.
Published: May 2011

Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) initiated the Pacific Communities with High-performance In Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD) research project in response to an overwhelming need in PREL’s service region to improve teachers’ knowledge and instructional practices in early reading. A conscious effort was made to use indigenous knowledge while at the same time satisfy the federal requirement of adhering to a set of rigorous methodological standards. The research design is a balance of scientific research methodology and the incorporation of cultural, language, political, social and environmental realities of the Pacific. This chapter highlights some of the technological methods used to collect data from staff members who provided on-site professional development. Data was also collected via video cameras that offered immediate feedback to teachers regarding strategies acquired during professional development activities. Also described are the rewards and potential pitfalls of utilizing technology for both formative and summative use.
Higher Learning int eh Pacific
Authors: Johnson Kirk , Lee Jonathan K. , Stephenson Rebecca A. , Cena Julius C.S.
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides an overview of particular issues of diversity and technology within an island university. The chapter’s central focus rests on the complexity of both concepts within the context of higher education in the Pacific. In particular, the chapter highlights both the challenges and opportunities that the university faces as it attempts to address the unique multicultural landscape of the Western Pacific region and its technological realities. It focuses on a capstone senior-level course as a case study, and explores the possibilities inherent in directly addressing issues of diversity and technology while at the same time accomplishing the course’s prescribed academic goals. The chapter concludes by outlining 10 important lessons learned from the experience that others can benefit from, and establishes the importance of such a capstone experience for both students and faculty alike.
Online Education for Lifelong Learning
Authors: Inoue Yukiko
Published: May 2011

The term lifelong learning (which has played an important role in policy discussions as well as in studies of the sociology and economics of education) is increasingly important in the 21st century for college graduates to be able to take their place in the changing world scene and to be adaptable and creative within the organization that employs them. Lifelong learning has increasingly been cited but there is no shared understanding of its usage at the global level. The objective of the present chapter is to provide an extensive overview of the current literature to inform the shared understanding of lifelong learning in general and the concept of online lifelong learning specifically. The overview is represented in six themes: lifelong learning, self-directed learning, technology and globalization, open and distance learning, online learning assessment, and higher and adult education.
Online Learning and Lifelong Learning
Authors: Finger Glenn
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores ways in which new and emerging information and communication technologies (ICT) might transform the learning experience through online delivery. After presenting a conceptualisation of ICT use by educators in terms of inaction, investigation, application, integration, and transformation, two diverse learning settings are examined to develop insights into the implications of online learning for lifelong learning—namely, the delivery of educational services to preschool children (aged 4 years old) through to Year 10 students (aged 15 years old) in rural and remote communities in Australia, and the dimensions required for designing online learning for adult learners in higher education. Through the presentation of a case study of a School of Distance Education in Australia, which reflects technological improvements using telephone teaching, and the affordances of improved connectivity, the case study demonstrates that this has enabled the use of more constructivist approaches to teaching and learning to transform the delivery of education to rural and remote students. Subsequently, this chapter provides a synthesis of the literature relating to the critical factors influencing learner satisfaction in online learning.
Exploring the Tensions in Educational and Instructional Design in Australian Universities
Authors: Bird Jenny , Morgan Chris , O’Reilly Meg
Published: May 2011

Recent trends in higher education have led to notable impacts upon the profession of educational or instructional design. This chapter presents some of the major challenges faced by the profession and explores the tensions arising when current practices are pushed by the momentum of a quality assurance agenda, technology and flexible learning imperatives, an increasing diversity within our student demographics and the emerging models of educational design practice across national contexts. The chapter also discusses the current status of the profession itself, debates and trends towards professionalisation and accreditation, and the manner in which designers and developers operate as a community of practice.
Strategies and Heuristics for Novice Instructional Designers as They Work with Faculty Content Experts in a University Setting
Authors: Liu Min , Kishi Coco , Rhodes Suzanne
Published: May 2011

Universities increasingly expect faculty to integrate technology in their teaching and deliver instructional materials in innovative ways. The responsibility for creating technology-enhanced instruction typically falls on faculty who want to deliver instruction more effectively and efficiently and on students who are hired or assigned to assist them. In creating an instructional technology product, faculty members usually serve as content experts and students often serve as technology developers. In this chapter, we describe the development process we have used in training and working with student developers and faculty-student project development teams. We outline critical issues instructional designers face when working with faculty content experts, and provide suggestions for becoming effective designers and overcoming the obstacles in this academic setting. We hope the strategies and heuristics discussed will assist novice instructional designers to become better prepared, avoid pitfalls, and find the design experience to be both challenging and rewarding.
Bridging the Instructional Designers and Lecturers in Technology Education
Authors: Kok Samuel Ng Hong , Choo Tang Buay , Khine Myint Swe
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines an initiative to create educational technology (ET) Champions and leaders within a higher education institution in Singapore. It examines how the concept of communities of practice was applied to an initiative for transforming teaching and learning through educational technology. Instructional designers coached ET Champions in the principles of creating learning objects who later returned to their respective colleges to work with other lecturers. ET Champions progressed through five stages, which included peripheral, legitimate, core, strategic and transformational membership. Each stage required support and guidance within the community.
Terms of Engagement
Authors: Webster Len , Mertova Patricie
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we tell a story of a discipline-specific instructional design unit located in a Faculty of Law of a large Australian university. This unit is engaged in the instructional design and development of a variety of units/subjects, courses and projects for undergraduate, postgraduate and professional practice programs as well teaching a Graduate Certificate in Law Teaching. Other activities in this specific community of practice include assisting staff with new approaches to their teaching, developing longer-term relationships with teaching staff and fostering reflective practice. The story of practice will attempt to describe the challenges and ways in which this small “band” of instructional designers has embedded themselves in the life and directions of a Law Faculty.
Introducing E-Learning in a Traditional Chinese Context
Authors: Leung Pamela Pui Wan
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes an attempt to introduce e-learning to a group of language teacher educators in a traditional Chinese context. It reports on the strategies adopted in a one-year teaching development project, responses of participants, typical instructional designs generated and the causes for innovation-decision. It argues that even in a context with a strong transmission tradition, an ordinary member can still function as a “change agent” in diffusing teaching innovation and developing a focused learning community. By revealing the process and results of the attempt, the author hopes that other practitioners can continue to explore feasible ways of stimulating active learning in both teachers and students. Lessons learned from this study may also enable instructional designers to gain a better understanding of how to promote their work in similar cultural contexts.
Moving Toward the Digital Learning Environment
Authors: Lee Kar-Tin
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports on a case study that examines the process of implementing an e-learning management system (ELMS) for learning science in secondary schools in Hong Kong. It describes the challenges, issues and problems associated with creating science content and then integrating it with both a diagnostic and an open-content marking tool. The study had two broad objectives: (1) to analyze and document the process of designing and implementing the ELMS and (2) to evaluate the overall impact of these practices. To achieve its purpose a team of instructional designers worked closely with content and technology experts to digitize science content for online delivery. The system facilitates timely and dynamic diagnosis of student weaknesses. It is argued that when teachers are actively involved in an implementation of a technology-rich environment, they begin to see the benefits of teaching science differently. Given the opportunity to use the online system, students also tend to take more responsibility for their own learning. Data from participants indicate that the ELMS provides added value to the teaching of science. Lessons learned from this case study should assist others who wish to implement similar systems in the future.
Mobile Learning Technologies
Authors: Gayeski Diane M.
Published: May 2011

While educational and corporate training environments have made large investments in getting wired to high-speed Internet connections, our work and social environments are rapidly becoming more mobile and flexible. The Internet and organizationally based intranets are powerful learning and performance tools, as long as users have a high-speed connection and up-to-date computing equipment. Online learning and information is not nearly as convenient or reliable when learners need to access sites from their homes, hotel rooms, client locations, or while on the road. In corporate settings, large numbers of critical employees such as factory engineers, health care professionals, builders, and maintenance workers often do not even have offices in which to use a computer.
Ethical Issues in Web-Based Learning
Authors: McMahon Joan D.
Published: May 2011

If you were to survey course syllabi on your campus, you would probably find the standard syllabi to include: • Course title and number • Instructor’s name and contact information • Course objectives • A list of required and recommended readings/materials • A detailed outline of the topics for consideration • Detailed descriptions of assignments and due dates • Percentage of final grade • A schedule of topics by date You would also find a campus curriculum or departmental committee that initially approves such courses. Once the course is approved, it is not usually subject to review or scrutiny by the campus, unless the department requests a course change.
Components of Effective Evaluation in Online Learning Environments
Authors: Terrell Steven R.
Published: May 2011

Dringus and Terrell (1999) defined evaluation in an OLE as: …an iterative process for assessing the efficacy and validity of online learning environments (OLEs). Evaluation should take place from the conceptual stage of OLE development through the measurement of learning outcomes of an online course. Accurate and ongoing assessments of learners, teachers, the instructional process, the course content, and the OLE as an entity will include a combination of formative and summative evaluations for each of these components and their effectiveness as a unit. (p. 61) Other authors (e.g., Bunderson, 2003; Govindasamy, 2001; Hirumi, 2000; Khan, 2000; Williams, 1999) have addressed similar issues on a conceptual and theoretical level, but there is a need for further examination at the application level.
Project Student Rescue
Authors: Axmann M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports on an ongoing trial project that is being conducted at seven Australian Universities. The chapter summarizes the project and suggests methods to facilitate effective online facilitation based on the preliminary findings, as well as findings from the literature. This chapter will provide a brief outline of elements that can be identified in an online facilitation system to help improve retention rates for distance learners.
Enhancing Learning Through Mobile Computing
Authors: Berry M.
Published: May 2011

The mission of this chapter is to explore ways in which mobile computing via the employment of Tablet PCs can assist the human computer interaction in the design and project development process and thereby enhance learning. We follow the process of ethnographic action research and report on the learning, observations, and communications of students in a multimedia program who were given the use of a Tablet PC for their second year of their degree. We discuss the educational design and customized agent software developed for this project and draw conclusions for wireless networks, and benefits and issues involved in enabling mobile computing and encouraging group dynamics among students.
APEC Cyber Academy
Authors: Lin C. S. , Chou C. C.
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces how APEC Cyber Academy, an international networked learning environment designed for K-12 students, can foster global collaboration through the integration of sound pedagogy and human computer interaction (HCI). Pedagogical principles that encourage project-based learning, knowledge construction, collaborative learning, community building, and critical thinking are incorporated into the design of this human computer interface. Furthermore, HCI is enriched by 3D virtual reality, multi-player games, an intelligent agent, video/voice conferencing, text-to-speech technologies, and instructional modules that are rooted in constructivist and self-regulated learning. APEC Cyber Academy provides a platform for engaging students in global collaboration and increasing information and communications technology (ICT) skills.
Problem-Based Learning at a Distance
Authors: Horne R. , Kellett J.
Published: May 2011

A case study approach is taken to illustrate a design approach to the development of a Masters course. Over a 10-year period, the course was developed from traditional delivery and teaching modes, through the introduction of problem-based learning, and the incorporation of human computer interaction (HCI) elements. The latter development coincided with a shift from classroom-based teaching to distance learning mode, and the resource and design issues in this dual transformation are discussed. Pedagogic principles of problem-based learning were applied along with a range of other case conditions in framing the design intent. It is concluded that the design process in HCI and problem-based learning applications is central in ensuring that appropriate learning environments are established. While there is no single formula for designing problem-based learning or integrating HCI into learning programmes, the application of appropriate principles and methods is essential.
Virtual Field Trips
Authors: Spaulding Dean T.
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief history of videoconferencing when used as virtual field trips in educational settings and to discuss some of the various aspects in which they can be implemented. In addition, this chapter focuses on the unique benefits to students and teachers noted in the literature that videoconferencing field trips can bring to the learning community and some of the challenges that many educators, eager to use this technology, have experienced. Speculation as to what the future will hold for virtual field trips and where the technology will possibly take us is also discussed.
Videoconferencing
Authors: Mountain Leigh A.
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces ways in which videoconferencing can be used to support professional development provided to educators. It looks at the ways in which adults learn, the need for quality professional development in education, and the different types of professional development being provided. It then goes on to discuss ways in which videoconferencing can be used to make the transfer of knowledge more effective. After reading this chapter educators will be able to identify ways in which they can utilize videoconferencing to make professional development more beneficial and cost efficient. It also shows educators how they can breakaway from ineffective traditional modes of providing in-service training and move toward more high quality, comprehensive, and embedded professional development, which addresses individual needs of teachers and buildings.