bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introducing Flowometer
Authors: Reese Debbie Denise
Published: May 2010

A CyGaME is an online instructional game designed to make concept learning more intuitive while assessing changes in players’ targeted knowledge and self-perceptions of flow. CyGaMEs stands for Cyberlearning through Game-based, Metaphor Enhanced Learning Objects, a research program supporting federal education road maps targeting cyberlearning and assessment as key to 21st-century learner-centered education. The author situates the CyGaMEs approach to instructional game design and assessment within structure mapping, flow, and game design theories. She introduces the CyGaMEs toolset for assessing game-based learning as realized in Selene: A Lunar Construction GaME. Identifying similarities between CyGaMEs and production-oriented approaches, she suggests CyGaMEs’ design and assessment generalize across both methods. She presents the CyGaMEs adaptation of the double transfer paradigm as a research design for studying game-based learning. Then she derives the flowometer tool, illustrates a flowometer research implementation, and suggests scholars use the CyGaMEs Selene environment to investigate the relationship between game-based learning and flow.
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Authors: Magerko Brian , Heeter Carrie , Medler Ben
Published: May 2010

Digital game-based learning experiences are typically presented to a captive audience that has to play, as opposed to entertainment games that players can select themselves and choose to play. The captive nature of learning games introduces an interesting issue: Not everyone may be familiar with the genre of the game they have to play or be motivated to play it. Students have individual differences that may make a learning game particularly ineffective, uninteresting, or inappropriate for some learners. The authors present work that frames important differences between students in terms of their game literacy, motivation, goal orientation, and mind-set. This understanding leads us to envision game design variations to serve specific combinations of particular individual differences at the intersection of learning and gaming. The authors present their initial work on identifying and automatically accommodating these differences within a single digital game-based learning experience.
Methodological Considerations in Educational Research Using Serious Games
Authors: Jin Putai
Published: May 2010

The literature on using serious games for learning has been growing exponentially during the last decade. It is time to examine some methodological issues associated with this line of research. There is evidence that research on serious games, if designed with methodological rigor and executed properly, such as the serial studies of prisoners’ dilemma, modality effect in individual interactive learning, and changes in attitude toward mathematics in a computer-based simulation game, can be fruitful and have a profound, positive impact on learning and training. Since adopting serious games as an educational technology tool is by no means cheap, we should ensure that methodological issues are carefully considered before conducting a study on educational games. Whereas there are excellent studies in the existing literature of simulations and games, it is not uncommon for some studies to adopt convenience samples or own-control designs. Studies on serious games tend to be conclusive if they have used true experimentation, well-controlled quasi-experimental design, surveys with representative samples and validated instruments, comprehensive design research, or training programs having a pretest–posttest design with group comparisons. The potential values and informative contributions of using different methodologies for serious game research should be recognized because of the ecological relevance. Future research should pay more attention to randomized sampling, controlled but feasible research design, validity of instruments, appropriate analytical methods, and interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary research to enhance the internal/external validity of various approaches. In regard to analytical methods, both quantitative approaches and qualitative evaluations, if applied appropriately, are considered as valuable, indispensable, and complementary to each other. It is hoped that this chapter can be helpful not only for future researchers in this field to design and execute rigorous projects but also for wider readership to understand and evaluate research outcomes in the discipline of serious games.
Evaluating Video Game Design and Interactivity
Authors: Sharritt Matthew J.
Published: May 2010

An emergent, bottom-up construction of video game interaction is presented, drawing from influences in ethnomethodology (Garfinkel, 1967), grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967), and activity theory (Cole & Engeström, 1993; Kaptelinin & Nardi, 2006; Vygotsky, 1978). Following, a qualitative case study highlights the use of affordances, or potentials for action, during video game player interaction among peers and the game interface. Relationships among affordances and levels of activity are presented, which broaden the concept of affordances to include motivations. Additionally, activity theory will complement analysis by introducing the mediational triangle (Cole & Engeström, 1993), providing a guide with which to analyze game player interactions and motives. The mediational triangle sheds light on the motivated activity itself, the tools available to complete the activity, and peer relationships (such as role specialization and rules of interaction) to evaluate game designs and their ability to fulfill serious purposes with meaningful outcomes.
Serious Games for the Classroom
Authors: Wilson Scott , Williams Leslie
Published: May 2010

The University of Oklahoma’s K20 Center shares the process of developing a massive multiplayer online game. This chapter identifies the process used to meet the challenge for the design, prototype, development, and beta test of a digital game-based learning environment. The project’s goal was to develop a self-regulated constructivist learning environment where students work in groups to solve a series of complex, ill-structured problems. The multiuser game provides an interactive learning experience which allows students to experience authentic intellectual work in a virtual representation of a real-world context. Students are challenged through their participation in an interdisciplinary environment that leverages a real-world problem to utilize the different perspectives of the four major disciplines. The authors provide a description of the project’s efforts to develop a shared learning space that creates scaffolding of social support of other students and a gaming environment that emulates successful elements of commercial video games to ensure an engaging learning experience for all students.
Rising Northern Light
Authors: Garcia Blanca C.
Published: May 2010

One of the difficulties in creating and sustaining knowledge cities is the lack of benchmarks to identify those cities and regions that are generating knowledge-driven initiatives, triggering development and collective value. One of such benchmarks is the value-based Generic Capital System (GCS) taxonomy. The rigorous application of GCS to cities in European contexts has already yielded its initial fruits, with Manchester as one of the cities in which a deeper perspective can be gained through the GCS lens. In this chapter, the author aims to introduce GCS as an integrative system of capitals for the case of the Greater Manchester city-region and its journey into developing its knowledge capitals. Through the lens of the GCS generic KC capital system taxonomy, some of Manchester’s systems of information, systems of learning and systems of knowledge are expected to emerge as a comprehensive meta system articulated by the extensive life-long learning initiatives implemented by Manchester’s development-based Knowledge-City schemes. The GCS lens will be introduced within the different system layers interacting in the city in order to discover how they tie the City’s learning, communicating and knowledge-sharing dynamics together in the emerging context of knowledge-based development initiatives. The chapter will attempt to highlight how ICT connectivity systems (managing information) could be viewed as closely linked to skill development (managing learning) and people’s management of tacit and explicit knowledge (knowing), with visible regional aspirations for development. Such systems view aims to cover a wider (although still limited) range of the instrumental, human and meta capitals observable in the city in a simultaneously rich mosaic of different layers. The city’s traditional and knowledge-intensive hubs, its communications and infrastructure, its identity, traditions and cultural diversity within the Greater Manchester city-region could therefore exemplify the consistent building of a system of capitals in a demanding knowledge-intensive context.
Speech Technologies for Augmented Communication
Authors: Bailly Gérard , Badin Pierre , Beautemps Denis , Elisei Frédéric
Published: May 2010

The authors introduce here an emerging technological and scientific field. Augmented speech communication (ASC) aims at supplementing human-human communication with enhanced or additional modalities. ASC improves human-human communication by exploiting a priori knowledge on multimodal coherence of speech signals, user/listener voice characteristics or more general linguistic and phonological structure on the spoken language or vocabulary being exchanged. The nature of this a priori knowledge, the quantitative models that implement it and their capabilities to enhance the available input signals influence the precision and robustness of the perceived signals. After a general overview of the possible input signals characterizing speech production activity and available technologies for mapping these various speech representations between each other, three ASC systems developed at GIPSA-Lab are described in detail. Preliminary results of the evaluation of these three systems will be given and commented. A discussion on scientific and technological challenges and limitations of ASC concludes the chapter.
A Tale of Transitions
Authors: Smith Martine , Murray Janice , von Tetzchner Stephen , Langan Pearl
Published: May 2010

Many aided communicators have used low-tech communication boards for extended periods of time when they receive a voice output device. Integrating sophisticated technology into conversational interactions draws on a range of skills for both the aided communicator and their speaking partners. A range of individual and environmental factors influences the transition from low-tech to hi-tech communication aids. This chapter considers the impact of these factors on intervention and the developmental course of two individuals, Niall and Cara. The potential benefits of synthetic speech are clearly illustrated in the stories of Niall and Cara and by the literature. However, the scaffolding needed to support effective use of voice output must be carefully constructed, if these benefits are to be realized in ways that lead to genuine social inclusion and to meaningful, positive changes in the communication experiences of aided communicators.
Computer-Supported Collaborative Scientific Conceptual Change
Authors: Liu Lei , Hmelo-Silver Cindy E.
Published: May 2010

One problem in science education is that students neither construct in-depth conceptual understanding nor are they able to apply scientific thinking processes. A myriad of studies on conceptual change have investigated the nature and process of conceptual change, and pedagogical strategies to foster conceptual change and improve higher-level thinking. We propose a new framework - the collaborative scientific conceptual change model – to stresses the importance of high quality collaborative discourse and scientific epistemic practices in the process of conceptual change. To investigate how group interactions influence individual students’ learning gains, multilevel analysis was used to analyze the hierarchically nested data and qualitative analyses were presented to compare high and low-achievement groups’ discourse and their application of epistemic practices. The results found that predicting and coordinating theory and evidence were key practices that predicted students’ individual posttest performance and the group interactions were related to the group understanding.
Supporting Virtual Learning through E-Tutoring
Authors: Kopp Birgitta , Germ Melanie , Mandl Heinz
Published: May 2010

E-tutoring is a hot topic in the context of virtual learning. As such learning environments become more prevalent in schools, universities or vocational training, providing adequate support for learners is becoming increasingly important – not only for individual, but also for collaborative learning. Therefore, there has been a lot of interest in using e-tutoring to foster learning processes and improve the performance of learners. Furthermore, an e-tutor can help prevent phenomena which are common in e-learning environments, such as feeling anonymous and isolated. In this chapter, we would like to first provide a theoretical introduction to e-tutoring that includes the definition, tasks and competencies of an e-tutor. Secondly, we will discuss the e-tutor in action, illustrated by a training for e-tutors and a virtual seminar which was supported by an e-tutor.
Games, Simulations, and Simulation Games for Learning
Authors: Sauvé Louise , Renaud Lise , Kaufman David
Published: May 2010

The authors of this chapter carried out a systematic review of the literature from 1998 to 2008 with the goal of developing conceptual definitions of game, simulation, and simulation game based on their essential attributes. This chapter first describes the motivation for this project and its methodological approach. It then introduces the databases consulted, and the analysis grid used. Finally, it presents the review results, which suggest a differentiation among games, simulations and simulation games. This analysis is intended to improve the precision of future research studies concerning the effects on learning of games, simulations, and simulation games.
Video Games and the Challenge of Engaging the ‘Net' Generation
Authors: Gurr Anthony
Published: May 2010

Video games are a popular form of entertainment for students in North America and around the world. They provide widely diverse experiences on a variety of platforms. Participants can engage in solo play, or in games that attract thousands of other players. The levels of player participation, skill mastery, and thought processes required by many video games attract and engage students because they are able to control and eventually master challenging virtual environments. The holding power of video games and their ability to engage players is the subject of much educational research as educators recognize that game technologies are highly sophisticated. Students are interacting with subject content in ways that differ greatly from established methods of classroom instruction. This chapter reviews the current discussion among educators, researchers, and professional game developers about using video games in the classroom.
Designing Socially Expressive Character Agents to Facilitate Learning
Authors: DiPaola Steve
Published: May 2010

This chapter discusses the design and implementation issues around creating an expressive but easy-to-author 3D character-based system. It then describes several application spaces, including simulated face-to-face collaboration, adaptive socially-based presentations in informal learning settings such as public aquariums and science museums, and multi-user, avatar-based distance education scenarios.
Designing a Generic Educational Game Shell
Authors: Sauvé Louise
Published: May 2010

This chapter describes the design phase of the creation of a generic educational game shell (GEGS) for the frame game Parcheesi™. The frame game structure was adapted through modifications to the game board, materials, and game scenario, and navigation aids were added to guide players. Learning content was integrated into the game, and pedagogical aspects of the game (i.e., objectives, target learners, school learning material) were specified. Mechanisms were added to create various question types and to provide for feedback, debriefing, and game evaluation. Finally, these modifications and additions were summarized into a design plan for the technical/ media development team. Screen and form layouts were used to communicate the plan in non-technical terms for feedback and to further guide the developers. Finally, the Web pages of the GEGS were designed in the form of a model. The chapter closes with suggestions for avoiding common errors in the design of online educational games.
Validation of a Generic Educational Game Shell
Authors: Sauvé Louise
Published: May 2010

This chapter describes the process of validation of a generic educational game shell (GEGS) with the target users for whom it was created, based on the trial method known as Learner Verification and Revision (LVR). It describes the validation objectives and evaluation criteria (pedagogic and ergonomic) used to develop the measurement instruments. It also describes the methodology for a trial conducted with nine pre-service (student) teachers, finishing with the validation results and resulting revisions to the GEGS.
Health in the Digital World
Authors: Ho Kendall
Published: May 2010

While information technologies, the Internet, and mobile technologies are introducing innovative approaches to knowledge exchange, communication, and new knowledge generation, the health system is comparatively slow in taking up these approaches towards healthcare service delivery. This chapter discusses the opportunities that information technology (IT) can offer to health care system innovation and improvement, highlights some key IT trends that will guide research and development, and highlights some current examples. Some action steps are suggested to accelerate the adoption of IT into routine health practices.
Health Service Quality Information Comparison
Authors: Wan Yun , Evans-Mueller Susan
Published: May 2010

This chapter investigates the provision of public health information, especially health service quality and cost information, to the general public in the United States. The authors first review the health system of the US from three aspects: its public policy, structure, and accreditation of health institutions. Then the complexity of health information provision and the challenges in its interpretation are identified and analyzed. “Comparison-shopping” is introduced as a new mode of decision support for individuals to select health services, and examples of its current applications are given. The comparison-shopping mechanism in the e-commerce industry and the health information industry are compared and the different driving forces in health information comparison-shopping are analyzed. Several directions for future research are provided for researchers and health practitioners.
New Technology and Implications for Healthcare and Public Health
Authors: Shah Gulzar H. , Lertwachara Kaveepan , Ayanso Anteneh
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, the authors provide a review of recent developments in probabilistic record linkage and their implications in healthcare research and public health policies. Their primary objective is to pique the interest of researchers and practitioners in the healthcare and public health communities to take full advantage of record linkage technologies in completing a health care scenario where different pieces of patient records are collected and managed by different agencies. A brief overview of probabilistic record linkage, software available for such record linkage, and type of functions provided by probabilistic record linkage software is provided. Specific cases where probabilistic linkage has been used to bridge information gaps in informing public health policy and enhancing decision-making in healthcare delivery are described in this chapter. Issues and challenges of integrating medical records across distributed databases are also outlined, including technical considerations as well as concerns about patient privacy and confidentiality.
Play's the Thing. A Wager on Healthy Aging
Authors: Nadin Mihai
Published: May 2010

This study highlights the findings of researchers who, since the early 1980s, recognized the potential of engaging seniors in game interactions as an alternative to passive activities. Against this background, the perspective of anticipatory processes for evaluating specific gaming needs of the aging and providing games with anticipatory features is introduced. The hypothesis informing this work is that aging results in diminished adaptive abilities, resulting from decreased anticipatory performance. To mitigate the consequences of reduced anticipatory performance, we address brain plasticity through playing. Since anticipation is expressed in action, the games conceived, designed, and produced for triggering brain plasticity need to engage the sensory, cognitive, and motoric. The AnticipationScope, i.e., integration of motion-capture data and physiological sensors, is the platform for identifying individual characteristics and for validating the results of game participation. The output is the Anticipatory Profile. Implementations inspired by this original scientific framework are presented.
Re-Purposing a Recreational Video Game as a Serious Game for Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Rankin Yolanda A. , Shute Marcus W.
Published: May 2010

Serious games designed for educational purposes promote acquisition of knowledge and skills that are valued in the both the virtual realm and the real world. However, the million dollar question is how do we design serious games that produce positive learning outcomes without sacrificing the element of fun? The authors’ answer is simple but no less profound. Don’t recreate the wheel; instead use it to create new technology! Using this premise, they re-purpose the recreational Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) EverQuest® II as a serious game, leveraging the entertainment value and readily accessible developer tools to promote learning in the context of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). They outline the process of transformation, first identifying the affordances attributed to MMORPGs and then evaluating the impact of gameplay experiences on SLA. Promising results from experimental studies reveal that in-game social interactions in the target language between native speakers and non native speakers provide a higher degree of engagement and significantly increase second language vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension skills compared to traditional classroom instruction. They conclude with the design of two game modules that promote vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension and conversational fluency.
Make a Change by Exchanging Views
Authors: Ahamer Gilbert , Jekel Thomas
Published: May 2010

Initially, this case presents a theoretical description highlighting how spaces are constructed. Perspectives onto reality are the elemental units of our world. They are changed through learning processes. Societal learning can enlarge and approximate spaces of understanding. Social spaces are a type of “social capital”. Design of learning procedures refers to the design of structures in time, space and in the space of opinions that facilitates multi-perspectivist and multidisciplinary understanding of involved stakeholders. The following section of this case dwells on several cases of cooperative learning through dialogue: the project Schools on Ice, the UniGIS online curriculum, the UniNet network in Kyrgyzstan and Nepal, Global Studies, the ESD forum, the Environmental Systems Analysis Curriculum USW, and the European Union Twinning tool applied in Slovakia, Slovenia, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
ORIENT
Authors: Aylett Ruth , Enz Sibylle , Hall Lynne , Lim Mei Yii , Paiva Ana , Schneider Wolfgang , Vannini Natalie , Zoll Carsten
Published: May 2010

In a globalised world, cultural diversity is a challenge for everyone. Even for those staying “at home” cultural diversity enters their daily lives by people migrating from other regions of the world, sharing their social world. While intercultural encounters pose a great enrichment to one’s experiences and perspectives, they also represent an immense challenge, confronting us with different languages, attitudes, habits, and social norms. The work presented in this chapter takes up this challenge by developing and evaluating a believable agent-based educational application (“ORIENT”) designed to develop intercultural empathy for 12-14 year olds. The following chapter: (1) discusses the approach to use the appealing character of games in order to foster social and emotional learning in the age group while drawing on effective pedagogical interventions like role-play that have previously been successfully used to trigger social and emotional learning in a variety of real-world contexts; (2) introduces the development of ORIENT as an affective agent architecture modeling culturally-specific agent behavior, drawing on the psychological and pedagogical theories outlined; (3) considers the role of novel interaction modalities in supporting an empathic engagement with culturally-specific characters as well as active engagement in collaborative learning within a group of learners; and (4) presents and discusses results of preliminary evaluation studies based on an early prototype.
E-Learning in Higher Education in China and Belgium
Authors: Zhu Chang , Valcke Martin , Schellens Tammy
Published: May 2010

This case study aims at examining issues related to the adoption and implementation of e-learning in the Chinese and Flemish context, and identifying the similarities and differences regarding the student, teacher and contextual variables. A parallel e-learning design was set up at Ghent University, (Flanders) Belgium and Beijing Normal University, China. A series of variables were considered at the student, teacher and contextual level. Chinese and Flemish students differed in many aspects in their perceptions of and satisfaction with the e-learning environment. Chinese and Flemish teachers were clearly in different stages regarding technology adoption for education. These disparities are related to the specific contexts (both institutional and cultural). Linkage is made to the current status quo of the two contexts and the cultural dimensions, such as individualism/ collectivism, power distance and competition.
Collaborative Knowledge Construction in Online Learning Environment
Authors: Rimor Rikki , Rosen Yigal
Published: May 2010

The current study is based on academic on-line course and examines the effectiveness of collaborative learning vs. individual learning. Fifty eight graduate students in the Open University participated in course entitled “From information to knowledge” collaborating in a Google Docs environment as their final task of the course. The purpose of the study was to examine whether students with a collaborative learning orientation differ from students with an individual learning orientation, as was measured through their contribution to the process of knowledge construction in a collaborative online database environment. The students’ contribution to the database was analyzed through personal and collective criteria of knowledge construction. The results showed differential achievements among learners with different learning orientations. While the ‘collaborative learners’ contributed more collective knowledge, the ‘individual learners’ focused on constructing their own personal knowledge. These findings have important implications on planning, coordinating and evaluating collaborative learning environments.
Effectiveness of Interactivity for Enhanced Undergraduate Learning
Authors: Evans Chris , Palacios Luis
Published: May 2010

This study focuses on how Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) can best be used by Brunel University students to enhance their learning. The study considers the impact that different levels of interactivity have on the memory and understanding of the students. In particular, it considers the use of interactive self-assessment questions (ISAQs) as a mechanism to help them learn from an eLearning system. One mechanism that has been employed for over four years is the use of a bespoke multimedia eLearning system available over the Web to first-year undergraduates. A common feature of many eLearning systems is the use of ISAQs to allow students to evaluate their grasp of the material with a view to revisiting it if they feel it necessary. However, ISAQs are time-consuming to develop and implement. This case study considers whether the incorporation of ISAQs has a measurable impact on learning as indicated by their performance in tests.
Professional Development Programme in the Use of Educational Technology to Implement Technology-Enhanced Courses Successfully
Authors: Simelane Sibongile
Published: May 2010

Universities globally have realised that they need to educate instructors, lecturers and teachers in how to integrate technology into education. Some higher education institutions have already introduced professional development programmes in educational technology to ensure that technology will be effectively utilised, which in turn will enhance the quality of their educational practices. In this chapter, a case study of the implementation component of the e-TUTO programme will be discussed in depth with the findings from the participants who participated in the programme during June 2005 to June 2006. An overview of professional development programme in the use of educational technology to assist lecturers to implement technology-enhanced courses successfully is presented, as well as an overly demanding e-TUTO programme, which might hinder the successful implementation of a technology-enhanced course. The professional development programme should empower faculty members to utilise and integrate technology to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
Learning without Boundaries
Authors: Verezub Elena
Published: May 2010

Technological innovations have transformed the boundaries of research priorities within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. In line with research priorities set by NCVER, Swinburne University of Technology has made an ongoing commitment to the development of research that aims at improving the flexible delivery of program for students in the Training and Further Education (TAFE) sector. The present study showcases a research project conducted at Swinburne. The aim of the project was to design an e-learning program for students studying within the Department of Horticulture and Environmental Science, with an additional focus on improving students’ reading comprehension of hypertexts in the subject-specific context. This case study also discusses social and educational, technological, economic as well as political/organizational issues the project had to deal with.
Analysing Interaction Data
Authors: Stillwell John , Harland Kirk
Published: May 2010

Large and complex interaction data sets present researchers with analytical challenges and this chapter attempts to identify and illustrate a number of ways to analyse origin-destination flows. Given the impossible task of providing a comprehensive review in such a limited space, certain analytical measures, modelling methods and visualisation techniques have been selected for inclusion, following an introduction to the notation commonly employed to represent interaction variables. Various Census and NHS patient register data sets are used to exemplify interaction measures, beginning with simple net balances and inflow/outflow ratios and moving onto indices of connectivity, inequality and distance moved. The multiplicative component framework is introduced as a particularly useful analytical approach. More sophisticated methods of modelling interaction data using statistical or mathematical calibration techniques are reviewed, examples of log-linear regression and spatial interaction model structure are highlighted in the context of historical calibration and a brief discussion of the use models for future projection is included. Maps that show patterns of geographical movement function as effective illustrative and research tools. Computerized mapping of geographical movement has evolved since the 1970s and 1980s and, in this chapter, we introduce a new method of mapping flows using vectors and illustrate this approach with micro data on pupils travelling to school. The chapter aims to provide a broad introduction to analysis methods for interaction data, many of which are subsequently applied in later chapters of the book.
Internal Migration Propensities and Patterns of London's Ethnic Groups
Authors: Stillwell John
Published: May 2010

The ethnic dimension of internal migration in Britain below the district scale has been understudied despite its importance for understanding local and community development. Data from the 2001 Census shows that migration propensities by ethnic group and age for London migrants differ considerably from national migration propensities, especially when migrants within London are distinguished from those arriving in or leaving the capital. Whilst disaggregating ward net migration on this basis reveals processes of deconcentration within London, dispersal from outer wards to the rest of the country and net in-migration to inner wards from outside London and from overseas, patterns of net movement vary by ethnicity and age, influenced by the geographical pattern of ethnic population residential location. Evidence from an analysis of net migration, population concentration and deprivation by quintile group suggests that migrants from most of the non-white ethnic groups are tending to move within London to areas containing lower proportions of those in the same ethnic group. White migrants, on the other hand, are moving towards areas with higher white population concentrations. Finally, there is a tendency for all ethnic groups to move away from more deprived wards towards less deprived areas within London, particularly Indians aged over 25.
Analysing Structures of Interregional Migration in England
Authors: Raymer James , Giulietti Corrado
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, we explore the age and ethnic structures of interregional migration in England, as measured by the 1991 and 2001 Censuses. In doing so, we first analyse the main effect and two-way interaction components of migration flow tables cross-classified by (1) origin, destination and age and (2) origin, destination and ethnicity. Second, we test the significance of three-way interaction terms over time by comparing various unsaturated log-linear model fits. The aim is to identify the key structures in the migration flow tables and how they have changed over time. This is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying the more general patterns of migration. These analyses could also be used to inform the estimation or projection of migration flows. Our findings are that, despite a large increase in the levels of interregional migration, migration structures in England have remained fairly stable over time. The main changes have to do with the increases in the relative levels of ethnic migration over time, which has been unequal across space.
Introduction
Authors: van Wessel Robert
Published: May 2010

The main research objective of this book is to investigate how organizations can realize the intended business benefits from IT standardization. In order to investigate this, we will also study what this standardization process entails and how the usage of the resulting standards impacts business performance. Although ultimately the interest lies in the business performance effectiveness and efficiency, for practical reasons, the focus of this study will be on its intermediate level: the performance of business processes. The justification for carrying out this research, on how to ensure effective and efficient IT standardization and IT standard usage in a company, stems from the fact that this phenomenon has hardly been investigated in the academic literature and that results are not well understood in everyday practice. A globally operating financial services enterprise, FINCORP, will be used as a case company.
A User Context-Aware Advertising Framework for the Mobile Web
Authors: Jing Nan , Yao Yong , Ru Yanbo
Published: May 2010

Context-aware advertising is one of the most critical components in the Internet ecosystem today because most WWW publisher’s revenue highly depends on the relevance of the displayed advertisement to the context of the user interaction. Existing research works in context-aware advertising mainly focus on analyzing either the content of the web page (in which it is also called contextual advertising), or the keywords of the user search. However, we have identified the limitations of these works when being extended into mobile web, which has become a major platform for users to access Internet with thanks to the new lightweight web technologies and the development of mobile devices. These mobile devices are equipped with networking capabilities and sensors that provide versatile contexts including physical environment, user internal and social community. These contexts, which are far beyond just page content and search keywords, should be well organized and utilized for online advertising to gain better user experience and reaction. In this chapter, we point out the aforementioned limitations of the existing works in context-aware advertising when being applied for mobile platforms. We also discuss the characteristics of the contexts that are available on mobile devices and clearly describe the challenges of utilizing these contexts to optimize the advertisement on mobile platforms. We then present a context-aware advertising framework that collects and integrates the user contexts to select, generate, and present advertising content. The purpose of this framework is to provide the mobile users with targeted and purposeful advertisement. Finally, we discuss the implementation aspects and one specific application of this framework and outline our future plans.
Design and Performance Evaluation of a Proactive Micro Mobility Protocol for Mobile Networks
Authors: Singh Dhananjay , Lee Hoon-Jae
Published: May 2010

This chapter introduces the Proactive Micro Mobility (PMM) Protocol for the optimization of network load. We present a novel approach to design and analyze IP micro-mobility protocols. The cellular Micro Mobility Protocol provides passive connectivity in an intra domain. The PMM Protocol optimizes miss-routed packet loss in Cellular IP under handoff conditions and during time delay. A comparison is made between the PMM Protocol and the Cellular IP showing that they offer equivalent performance in terms of higher bit rates and optimum value. A mathematical analysis shows that the PMM Protocol performs better than the Cellular IP at 1 MHz clock speed and 128 kbps down link bit rate. The simulation shows that a short route updating time is required in order to guarantee accuracy in mobile unit tracking. The optimal rate of packet loss in the PMM Protocol in a Cellular IP are analyzes route update time. The results show that no miss-routed packets are found during handoff.
How to Develop Intelligent Agents in an Easy Way with FAIA
Authors: Roa Jorge , Pividori Milton , Gutiérrez Ma. De los Milagros , Stegmayer Georgina
Published: May 2010

In Artificial Intelligence courses, the development of intelligent agents is a common practical work. However, it is a programming extensive and consumed time practice that much of the time the student cannot solve in full and in time. In this work the authors present FAIA, a framework to develop intelligent agents giving a partially design solution. With FAIA the teacher and student will have benefits. On the one hand, it helps to guide in the correct design and learning process. On the other hand, it helps in the teaching and evaluation process.
An Investigation Into The Use Of Pervasive Wireless Technologies To Support Diabetes Self-Care
Authors: Wickramasinghe Nilmini , Troshani Indrit , Goldberg Steve
Published: May 2010

Diabetes is one of the leading chronic diseases affecting Australians and its prevalence continues to rise. The goal of this study is to investigate the application of a pervasive technology solution developed by INET in the form of a wireless enabled mobile phone to facilitate superior diabetes self-care.
Pervasive Process-Based Healthcare Systems on a Grid Environment
Authors: Koufi Vassiliki , Malamateniou Flora , Vassilacopoulos George
Published: May 2010

Healthcare is an increasingly collaborative enterprise involving many individuals and organizations that coordinate their efforts toward promoting quality and efficient delivery of healthcare through the use of pervasive healthcare information systems. The latter can provide seamless access to well-informed, high-quality healthcare services anywhere, anytime by removing temporal, spatial and other constraints imposed by the technological heterogeneity of existing healthcare information systems. In such environments, concerns over the privacy and security of health information arise. Hence, it is essential to provide an effective access control mechanism that meets the requirements imposed by the least privilege principle by adjusting user permissions continuously in order to adapt to the current situation. This chapter presents a pervasive grid-based healthcare information system architecture that facilitates authorized access to healthcare processes via wireless devices. Context-aware technologies are used to both automate healthcare processes and regulate access to services and data via a fine-grained access control mechanism.
Building Digital Libraries
Authors: Prakash Kshema , Pannone Jason A. , Swarup K. Santi
Published: May 2010

Blogging is a relatively recent phenomenon, and its use in academic libraries is in nascent stage. The authors of this chapter use blogs as part of their outreach to patrons, though in slightly different contexts and for slightly different purposes. Blogging can be an important component of digital libraries, one that allows for timely two-way communication of news, information, bibliographic instruction, and the like. While challenges have been raised to the worth and value of academic library blogs (e.g., Gorman, 2005), the authors believe, based on the research and their experience, that blogging is a useful tool for academic librarians and digital libraries.
Intellectual Property Rights
Authors: Sharma Jaideep
Published: May 2010

This chapter explains the concept of IPR. The author throws light on the global problem of copyright violation and software piracy and discuss the legal measures to control these at international level as well as in India. The authors also discuss the scenario of digitization of information and the digital measures to overcome copying and ensure IPR.
Harnessing Technology for Providing Knowledge for Development
Authors: Bhatt M. Ishwara
Published: May 2010

Rural poor people particularly in developing countries do not get the knowledge and information which they need for their day to day living. Yet, there are no mechanisms for making this knowledge available. This marginalized sector includes small farmers, fishermen, micro-entrepreneurs, small businessmen, unemployed youth etc. They need information for day to day life, such as daily weather forecast, market prices of agricultural produce, how to treat a crop disease, where to get application for the policemen’s vacancies, addresses of local masonry persons, etc. Local content is what is most important. Many times, such information is available freely, but the needy person does not get it because of lack of awareness. Such information has to be collected on daily basis from the right sources such as agricultural departments, meteorology offices, bank branches, primary health centers or wholesale markets. The information has to be disseminated through the fastest media such as Internet, community radio, loudspeakers, community newspapers or interactive meetings. Libraries need to work closely with the various agencies, both in government and private sectors and the civil society in order to find out the knowledge requirements of the poor and research into how to package it and deliver efficiently. The chapter gives examples of successful knowledge initiatives for the poor in five countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, and Malawi.
Digital Library And E-Governance
Authors: Upadhyay Pradip Kumar , Moni Madaswamy
Published: May 2010

Rural Connectivity is the lifeline of Indian economy. India is a land of diversity with different types of terrain, various agro-climatic conditions, different levels of socio-economic conditions, and varied levels of regional development. At the beginning of the new millennium, 260 million people in the country did not have incomes to access a consumption basket, which defines the poverty line. Sustainable livelihood is a multi-faceted concept. Rural India thus desires to take advantage of “knowledge-intensive” techniques for its sustainable development and sustainable consumption. Grassroots level Information access (Contents) and Grassroots level access to Information (Networking) are the two essential components for grassroots level development strategies through ICT. Community Information and Communication Centres (CICC), as a concept and model, aim to “boost efficiency and enhance market” integration through Internet/ Intranet technologies for sustainable remote/regional development at grassroots level. Libraries can play an important role and participate in community action and enhance their function as proactive catalysts of social change. Community Information & Communication Networks in India empower disadvantaged community for effective information & communication, in view of the stated pronouncement of “India to become Knowledge Society”, and also facilitate “social inclusion” of marginalised rural poor to access knowledge and information. There are about 56000 Public Libraries (which include 51000 at village level), 400000 School Libraries, 11000 University/College Libraries, 13000 R&D Libraries, 28 State Libraries, and 526 District Libraries in India. Only 8.4% of the Villages have access to Public Libraries in India. Rural Public Libraries are a part of this revolution and will serve as the backbone for “literacy mission and poverty alleviation”. There are empirical evidences to support that rural digital libraries will sustain Community Information & Communication Centres (e-Community Centres). Granthalaya, a Sanskrit word means ‘Library’. This chapter deals with “e-Granthalaya: a digital agenda of library automation and networking” facilitating “rural digital libraries” and promoting “local contents” through UNICODE and interoperability capabilities of XML. Networked Library environment play an important role in rural revitalization, as libraries have emerged as asunrise industrydue to globalization and liberalization at regional level, and decentralization trends at grassroots level.
GUESS
Authors: Santos Maribel Yasmina , Moreira Adriano
Published: May 2010

The increasing availability of mobile networks and devices motivate the development of new paradigms of interaction between users, and between a user and the surrounding environment. When the position of a user is known, location-aware applications can adapt their behaviour accordingly to that position. This usual behaviour of location-aware applications can be enhanced in order to turn these applications pro-active, providing services that can be helpful to the user before he/she asks for them. For this kind of behaviour, location-aware applications need to anticipate the user’s position, predicting where the user is going to be in the future. This chapter discusses the prediction of movement in space by looking at the topological constraints existing in the geographical space in which the user is moving. The obtained results show that the topological distance can be used as an alternative or as a complement to the geometrical distance normally used in map-matching techniques.