bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Healthcare Ethics in the Information Age
Authors: Bauer Keith
Published: May 2010

This chapter reviews key debates about the meaning of telehealth and also considers how new and emerging systems in telehealth work to protect patient confidentiality, improve healthcare relationships, and diminish instances of compromised access and equity in the healthcare system. This chapter also looks at how these same telehealth systems could undermine those goals, making it important to assess the way in which these emerging technologies are implemented. Various technologies are examined to show how their implementation can ensure that their benefits outweigh their risks.
The Weakest Link
Authors: West Ryan , Mayhorn Christopher , Hardee Jefferson , Mendel Jeremy
Published: May 2010

The goal of this chapter is to raise awareness of cognitive and human factors issues that influence user behavior when interacting with systems and making decisions with security consequences. This chapter is organized around case studies of computer security incidents and known threats. For each case study, we provide an analysis of the human factors involved based on a system model approach composed of three parts: the user, the technology, and the environment. Each analysis discusses how the user interacted with the technology within the context of the environment to actively contribute to the incident. Using this approach, we introduce key concepts from human factors research and discuss them within the context of computer security. With a fundamental understanding of the causes that lead users to make poor security decisions and take risky actions, we hope designers of security systems are better equipped to mitigate those risks.
Experiences in Building Mobile E-Business Services
Authors: De Furio Ivano , Frattini Giovanni , Romano Luigi
Published: May 2010

Organizations in all sectors of business and government are pursuing service-oriented architecture (SOA) initiatives in response to their need for increased business agility. This is particularly true for mobile telecommunications companies. That is why mobile telecom operators need to research new and innovative sources of revenue. Innovation is not an easy task. It requires embracing a new way of doing business, where new technologies are fundamental. SOA architecture and Web services technology are proposed by IT industry as the best solution to create a network of partnership and new services, but despite software producer claims, interoperability issues arise with service composition. Such a problem can be significantly reduced by adopting a semantic approach in service description and service discovery. Our research is focused on new methods and tools for building high personalized, virtual e-business services. A new service provisioning architecture based on Web services has been conceived, taking into account issues related to end-user mobility. The following pages deal with a proposal for creating real localized, personalized virtual environments using Web services and domain ontologies. In particular, to overcome interoperability issues that could arise from a lack of uniformity in service descriptions, we propose a way for controlling and enforcing annotation policies based on a Service Registration Authority. It allows services to be advertised according to guidelines and domain rules. Furthermore, this solution enables enhanced service/component discovery and validation, helping software engineers to build services by composing building blocks and provision/deliver a set of personalized services.
Mobile Loyalty Programs
Authors: Mann Andreas , Prein Jan
Published: May 2010

Mobile loyalty programs hold various advantages to companies compared to traditional card-based programs. Mobile customer cards enable companies to precisely assign advertising reactions and purchase data to individual customers. For this reason customer retention activities can be adjusted to individual preferences and the situational context. However, any successful implementation of mobile technologies in consumer contexts depends primarily on consumer acceptance. In this chapter, we begin by illustrating characteristics of mobile loyalty programs, particularly as it relates to relationship management. Following that we identify and analyse drivers affecting the acceptance of mobile loyalty programs and present our results of an exploratory survey on consumer acceptance by using a fictional mobile customer card offer.
Coding and Messaging Systems for Women's Health Informatics
Authors: Parry David
Published: May 2010

Recording information about symptoms, observations, actions, and outcomes is a key task of health informatics. Standardization of records is vital if data is to be used by different groups, and transferred between organizations. Originally, coding focused on causes of death and other outcomes. Such systems include the international classification of diseases (ICD). However, more recently the need to allow communication between health organizations has encouraged the development of standards such as health level seven (HL7). Further work has focussed on vocabularies such as systematic nomenclature of medical terms (SNOMED), which allow standardised recording of any health-related information. Coded data is necessary to allow computers to assist in decision making and for audit purposes. With the rapid development of computer networks and the Internet, there has been a growing effort to include semantic information with computer data so that the meaning of the data can be bound to the data store. The chapter discusses these standards and the areas that are undergoing rapid development.
Statistical Measures in Maternity Care
Authors: Parry Emma
Published: May 2010

Pregnancy is unique in medicine in providing a discrete event with a fixed end. It is well suited to data collection and statistical assessment. This chapter systematically reviews the antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal (both maternal and neonatal) aspects of care. The range of events that can occur and their classification is discussed. In many cases there is variation in classification around the world and between different organizations. These complexities are discussed. Once data is collected there are a number of ways to analyze it depending on what is wanted. Issues of appropriate numerator and denominator are discussed and the pitfalls which can occur. Use of data, both original and derived, is discussed in terms of type of use: planning, benchmarking, process review and research, and by whom: individual, local unit, country level, or internationally.
Computer Assisted Cervical Cytology
Authors: Pantanowitz Liron
Published: May 2010

Automation and emerging information technologies are being adopted by cytology laboratories around the world to augment Pap test screening and improve diagnostic accuracy. Informatics, the application of computers and information systems to information management, is therefore essential for the successful operation of the cytopathology laboratory. This chapter describes how laboratory information management systems can be used to achieve an automated and seamless workflow process. The utilization of software, electronic databases and spreadsheets to perform necessary quality control measures will be discussed. The emerging role of computer assisted screening and application of digital imaging to the field of cervical cytology will be described, including telecytology and virtual microscopy. Finally, this chapter will reflect on the impact of online cytology resources and the emerging role of digital image cytometry.
The Competitive Forces Facing E-Health
Authors: Wickramasinghe Nilmini , Misra Santosh , Jenkins Arnold , Vogel Douglas R.
Published: May 2010

Superior access, quality and value of healthcare services has become a national priority for healthcare to combat the exponentially increasing costs of healthcare expenditure. E-Health in its many forms and possibilities appears to offer a panacea for facilitating the necessary transformation for healthcare. While a plethora of e-health initiatives keep mushrooming both nationally and globally, there exists to date no unified system to evaluate these respective initiatives and assess their relative strengths and deficiencies in realizing superior access, quality and value of healthcare services. Our research serves to address this void. This is done by focusing on the following three key components: 1) understanding the web of players (regulators, payers, providers, healthcare organizations, suppliers and last but not least patients) and how e-health can modify the interactions between these players as well as create added value healthcare services. 2) understand the competitive forces facing e-health organizations and the role of the Internet in modifying these forces, and 3) from analyzing the web of players combined with the competitive forces for e-health organizations we develop a framework that serves to identify the key forces facing an e-health and suggestions of how such an organization can structure itself to be e-health prepared.
Individual Differences in Social Networking Site Adoption
Authors: Gangadharbatla Harsha
Published: May 2010

This chapter focuses on detailing the role of five individual level factors—Internet self-efficacy, self-esteem, need to belong, need for information, and gender—in influencing the attitudes toward social networking sites (SNS) and the adoption of such sites. First, the growing importance of social networking sites in business is discussed, and their usage as advertising vehicles is outlined. Individual differences in SNS adoption are presented from a technology acceptance model framework. A paper-pencil-based survey is conducted and data obtained is used to test a structural model that explains the role of individual-level factors in influencing individuals’ attitudes toward SNS, their willingness to join SNS, and their actual membership on SNS. Results are presented and managerial implications are drawn.
Student Use of Social Media
Authors: Wandel Tamara L.
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents information on the usages and intent of social media by college students and administrators. Primary and secondary quantitative data is provided, as well as qualitative information obtained from interviews of multiple constituents. Researchers and postsecondary employees can more effectively examine technological trends in regard to online social networking for non-academic purposes after considering this data. Theories of self-esteem, interpersonal communication, decision making, and innovation diffusion are integrated throughout the chapter.
Symmetries of the Degeneracy of the Vertebrate Mitochondrial Genetic Code in the Matrix Form
Authors: Petoukhov Sergey , He Matthew
Published: May 2010

Symmetries of the degeneracy of the vertebrate mitochondrial genetic code in the mosaic matrix form of its presentation are described in this chapter. The initial black-and-white genomatrix of this code is reformed into a new mosaic matrix when internal positions in all triplets are permuted simultaneously. It is revealed unexpectedly that for all six variants of positional permutations in triplets (1-2-3, 2-3-1, 3-1-2, 1-3-2, 2-1-3, 3-2-1) the appropriate genetic matrices possess symmetrical mosaics of the code degeneracy. Moreover the six appropriate mosaic matrices in their binary presentation have the general non-trivial property of their “tetra-reproduction,” which can be utilized in particular for mathematical modeling of the phenomenon of the tetra-division of gametal cells in meiosis. Mutual interchanges of the genetic letters A, C, G, U in the genomatrices lead to new mosaic genomatrices, which possess similar symmetrical and tetra-reproduction properties as well.
Genetic Code and Stochastic Matrices
Authors: Petoukhov Sergey , He Matthew
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, we first use the Gray code representation of the genetic code C = 00, U = 10, G = 11, and A = 01 (C pairs with G, A pairs with U) to generate a sequence of genetic code-based matrices. In connection with these code-based matrices, we use the Hamming distance to generate a sequence of numerical matrices. We then further investigate the properties of the numerical matrices and show that they are doubly stochastic and symmetric. We determine the frequency distributions of the Hamming distances, building blocks of the matrices, decomposition and iterations of matrices. We present an explicit decomposition formula for the genetic code-based matrix in terms of permutation matrices. Furthermore, we establish a relation between the genetic code and a stochastic matrix based on hydrogen bonds of DNA. Using fundamental properties of the stochastic matrices, we determine explicitly the decomposition formula of genetic code-based biperiodic table. By iterating the stochastic matrix, we demonstrate the symmetrical relations between the entries of the matrix and DNA molar concentration accumulation. The evolution matrices based on genetic code were derived by using hydrogen bondsbased symmetric stochastic (2x2)-matrices as primary building blocks. The fractal structure of the genetic code and stochastic matrices were illustrated in the process of matrix decomposition, iteration and expansion in corresponding to the fractal structure of the biperiodic table introduced by Petoukhov (2001a, 2001b, 2005).
Multidimensional Numbers and the Genomatrices of Hydrogen Bonds
Authors: Petoukhov Sergey , He Matthew
Published: May 2010

This chapter returns to the kind of numeric genetic matrices, which were considered in Chapter 4-6. This kind of genomatrices is not connected with the degeneracy of the genetic code directly, but it is related to some other structural features of the genetic code systems. The connection of the Kronecker families of such genomatrices with special categories of hypercomplex numbers and with their algebras is demonstrated. Hypercomplex numbers of these two categories are named “matrions of a hyperbolic type” and “matrions of a circular type.” These hypercomplex numbers are a generalization of complex numbers and double numbers. Mathematical properties of these additional categories of algebras are presented. A possible meaning and possible applications of these hypercomplex numbers are discussed. The investigation of these hyperbolic numbers in their connection with the parameters of molecular systems of the genetic code can be considered as a continuation of the Pythagorean approach to understanding natural systems.
Genetic System, Fibonacci Numbers, and Phyllotaxis Laws
Authors: Petoukhov Sergey , He Matthew
Published: May 2010

This chapter describes data suggesting a connection between matrix genetics and one of the most famous branches of mathematical biology: phyllotaxis laws of morphogenesis. Thousands of scientific works are devoted to this morphogenetic phenomenon, which relates with Fibonacci numbers, the golden section, and beautiful symmetrical patterns. These typical patterns are realized by nature in a huge number of biological bodies on various branches and levels of biological evolution. Some matrix methods are known for a long time to simulate in mathematical forms these phyllotaxis phenomena. This chapter describes connections of the famous Fibonacci (2x2)-matrices with genetic matrices. Some generalizations of the Fibonacci matrices for cases of (2nx2n)-matrices are proposed. Special geometrical invariants, which are connected with the golden section and Fibonacci numbers and which characterize some proportions of human and animal bodies, are described. All these data are related to matrices of the genetic code in some aspects.
Reflections
Authors: Taxén Lars
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, I take a step back from the whirling flow of events related in the previous chapter, and try to make sense of what happened during these years. In the first section, I analyze the evolution of the Framework using the vocabulary of the Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Latour, 1992). Next, I relate some observations from Ericsson outside the activities I was directly involved in; observations that somehow seemed to be in line with the pattern that began to emerge. Finally, I summarize the insights and needs from the practical trail.
The Philosophical Roots
Authors: Taxén Lars
Published: May 2010

The notion of praxis was elaborated by Marx and Engels during the early years of their life-long cooperation. Praxis in the way put forward by Marx has, quite naturally, been further elaborated in many ways, and a number of works have been written on this topic. I will mainly make use of the account of praxis given by Bernstein in his seminal book “Praxis and Action” (Bernstein, 1999). Another source of inspiration have been the ideas of the Soviet philosopher Ilyenkov as explicated by Bakhurst in the equally outstanding book “Consciousness and Revolution in Soviet Philosophy: From the Bolsheviks to Evald Ilyenkov” (Bakhurst, 1991). The heritage of Marx has hardly left any footprints in the annals of product development, and it might seem farfetched to use the ideas of a controversial thinker like Marx as a point of departure for an investigation into the nature of coordination. After all, the ideas of Marx and his forerunner Hegel have been relentlessly criticized and scorned by, for example, Popper (1945). It is but all too easy to dismiss the ideas of Marx in the light of his historicism and the way these ideas materialized in the socialist states. However, if we are able to see behind the political veil of Marxism we may be amply rewarded. It is my conviction that the ideas of the young Marx are highly relevant for coming to grips with the problems organizations face today. In any case, we should not dismiss the potential that might be hidden in this heritage simply because its political connotations. So, let’s put our blinders aside and embark on the route towards ADT!
The Constitution of the Activity Domain
Authors: Taxén Lars
Published: May 2010

The purpose of the activity domain construct is to capture the essence of the coordination of human activity. As indicated by the mammoth hunting example, this essence is assumed to be invariant to the various forms activities take in time and place. The same basic constitution of activity applies to the collection of edible roots at the dawn of humankind as to the production of sophisticated products and services by global enterprises of today. The invariance of the fundamental features of the activity domain implies that its constitution can ultimately be traced back to the phylogenetic evolution of the human species. We have developed the faculty of cognizing constituting elements of activities, and this faculty is inherent in all healthy human beings.
Cognitive Grounding
Authors: Taxén Lars
Published: May 2010

A crucial element in the ADT is the assumption of congruence or correspondence between observable “traces” of the activity modalities in our environment, and the cognitive constitution of humans. In this chapter, I will provide some arguments in favor of this assumption. Given the enormous amount of research in cognitive science, these arguments can only of a “rhapsodic” character; a first indication of paths to follow in further research.
Positioning Against Other Theories
Authors: Taxén Lars
Published: May 2010

Complex systems theory (e.g. Bar-Yam, 1997) is a rich and vital research area that has a huge potential for organizational research (Lewin, 1999). In particular, the study of complex adaptive systems (CASs) provides many insightful results concerning the adaptability and strategic management of organizations in turbulent environments (ibid). In the following, I will take this characterization of CASs as a starting point for exploring possible connections between CAS and ADT. This is done against the background of the previously reported complexity inherent in both telecom systems and projects developing these systems.
Alignment
Authors: Taxén Lars
Published: May 2010

The purpose of this chapter is to permeate the alignment area from the ADT perspective. In doing so I will focus on the alignment of B and K strategies, since this can be apprehended as a wider scope than the more tangible alignment of, say B strategies and IT strategies. The reason is that knowledge according to ADT is directly related to the work object of the activity domain. It is in the activity domain that capabilities of both humans and mediational means are enacted, and mediational means are, among other things, ISs and IT. Thus, business strategies and IS/IT cannot be directly aligned since that would “short-cut” the enactment process in the activity domain.
The Emergence of Agency in Online Social Networks
Authors: Code Jillianne R. , Zaparyniuk Nicholas E.
Published: May 2010

Social and group interactions in online and virtual communities develop and evolve from expressions of human agency. The exploration of the emergence of agency in social situations is of critical importance to understanding the psychology of agency and group interactions in social networks. This chapter explores how agency emerges from social interactions, how this emergence influences the development of social networks, and the role of social software’s potential as a powerful tool for educational purposes. Practical implications of agency as an emergent property within social networks provide a psychological framework that forms the basis for pedagogy of social interactivity. This chapter identifies and discusses the psychological processes necessary for the development of agency and to further understanding of individual’s engagement in online interactions for socialization and learning.
Using Social Software for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Authors: Lameras Petros , Paraskakis Iraklis , Levy Philipa
Published: May 2010

This chapter focuses on discussing the use of social software from a social constructivist perspective. In particular, the chapter explains how social constructivist pedagogies such as collaborative learning and communities of practice may be supported by the adoption of social software tools. It begins by briefly discussing the social constructivist perspective considering certain pedagogies such as collaborative learning and communities of practice. Then, it explains how these pedagogies are reflected in actual practice by using a variety of social software tools such as discussion boards, blogs and wikis. Finally, the chapter presents the implications of using social software based on the impact of certain factors such as teachers’ understandings of, and beliefs about, teaching in general. The purpose of this chapter is to support higher education practitioners in theory-informed design by distilling and outlining those aspects of social constructivism that addresses the use of social software tools. It is perceived that a gradual introduction of social software to institutional Virtual Learning Environments, with a strong focus on collaborative learning processes and engagement in online learning communities, will highlight the need for discursive tools, adaptability, interactivity and reflection.
"Social Potential" Models for Modeling Traffic and Transportation
Authors: Oleson Rex , Kaup D. J. , Clarke Thomas L. , Malone Linda C. , Bölöni Ladislau
Published: May 2010

The “Social Potential”, which the authors will refer to as the SP, is the name given to a technique of implementing multi-agent movement in simulations by representing behaviors, goals, and motivations as artificial social forces. These forces then determine the movement of the individual agents. Several SP models, including the Flocking, Helbing-Molnar–Farkas-Visek (HMFV), and Lakoba-Kaup-Finkelstein (LKF) models, are commonly used to describe pedestrian movement. A systematic procedure is described here, whereby one can construct and use these and other SP models. The theories behind these models are discussed along with the application of the procedure. Through the use of these techniques, it has been possible to represent schools of fish swimming, flocks of birds flying, crowds exiting rooms, crowds walking through hallways, and individuals wandering in open fields. Once one has an understanding of these models, more complex and specific scenarios could be constructed by applying additional constraints and parameters. The models along with the procedure give a guideline for understanding and implementing simulations using SP techniques.
Open Formats, Open Information and Future Trends in Software Engineering
Authors: Saarelainen Teemu
Published: May 2010

The amount of information surrounding us is ever increasing. Usable information is our most valuable asset both in our professional and personal lives. People are constantly struggling to find the information needed in various every day situations. Search engines have given us the tools to cope with the problem so far, but what lies ahead? This chapter describes some of the current trends in information management in software systems and discusses the aspects of using natural language, open formats and open source software in the field of software engineering while keeping in mind the needs of our future society.
P2P-Based Management of Collaboration Communication Infrastructures
Authors: Melchiors Cristina , Granville Lisandro Zambenedetti , Rockenbach Tarouco Liane Margarida
Published: May 2010

The use of information management tools in open and unbounded operational environments demands an efficient and robust communication infrastructure in order to allow the appropriate transmission of large amount of information and the collaboration among several humans located in geographically distant places, in different organizations, and usually involving several network administrative domains. In order to provide such efficient communication infrastructure, mechanisms for data network management must be used. However, traditional network management models do not provide the required support to the management of such networks. In this context, an alternative distributed network management model must be employed to the efficient management of the communication infrastructure required to support these information management tools. This chapter presents the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies as support for the management of such networks. It presents a P2P-based distributed network management model and a network management environment that follows this model. The functionalities required for the environment are discussed, including its features, potentialities, and drawbacks.
A Framework for Semi-Autonomous Servers in the Wireless Network Environment
Authors: Tsiligaridis John
Published: May 2010

The problem of server performance in a contemporary, rapidly developed and multi-discipline environment is examined. Multiple requests in a very short period of time increase the number of connections and push the server to the limit. Nowadays servers’ ability to work semi autonomously, in regards to the decision of the appropriate query plan and the provision of the effective data location, plays a significant role for the query and network performance. For autonomous server operations many of the offered services need to be self-managed. Data sources’ administration during the execution of the query plan becomes of primary interest especially for the starting query server. The proposed server grouping process, server’s scale up capabilities and the application of Data Mining concepts in a wireless environment can contribute a lot to the optimization of the query plan and also increase server independence. Various methods of distributed data exploration and exploitation that support server’s semi-autonomous operational behavior are developed. Simulation results are provided. This chapter covers a significant part of cooperative domains in the area of information management and can offer integrated solutions very attractive to the mobile users.
Analyzing the Text of Clinical Literature for Question Answering
Authors: Niu Yun , Hirst Graeme
Published: May 2010

The task of question answering (QA) is to find an accurate and precise answer to a natural language question in some predefined text. Most existing QA systems handle fact-based questions that usually take named entities as the answers. In this chapter, the authors take clinical QA as an example to deal with more complex information needs. They propose an approach using Semantic class analysis as the organizing principle to answer clinical questions. They investigate three Semantic classes that correspond to roles in the commonly accepted PICO format of describing clinical scenarios. The three Semantic classes are: the description of the patient (or the problem), the intervention used to treat the problem, and the clinical outcome. The authors focus on automatic analysis of two important properties of the Semantic classes.
Electronic Oral Health Records in Practice and Research
Authors: Chattopadhyay Amit , Coelho de Souza Tiago , Arevalo Oscar
Published: May 2010

Electronic Oral Health Records (EOHRs) contains all personal health information belonging to an individual and is entered and accessed electronically by healthcare providers over the person’s lifetime. This chapter presents a systematic review about EOHRs, describes the current status of availability of EOHR systems, benefits and barriers for implementation and EOHR usage in clinical, public health and research settings to pave the way for their rapid deployment. The chapter draws the scenario of how a fully integrated EOHR system would work and discuss the requirements for computer resources, connectivity issues, data security, legal framework within which a fully integrated EOHR may be accessed for real time data retrieval in service of good patient care practices. This chapter also describes the need for defining required criteria to establish research and routine clinical EOHR and how their differences may impact utilization and research opportunities to establish practice-based research networks.
Warehousing RFID and Location-Based Sensor Data
Authors: Gonzalez Hector , Han Jiawei , Cheng Hong , Wu Tianyi
Published: May 2010

Massive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) datasets are expected to become commonplace in supply-chain management systems. Warehousing and mining this data is an essential problem with great potential benefits for inventory management, object tracking, and product procurement processes. Since RFID tags can be used to identify each individual item, enormous amounts of location-tracking data are generated. Furthermore, RFID tags can record sensor information such as temperature or humidity. With such data, object movements can be modeled by movement graphs, where nodes correspond to locations, and edges record the history of item transitions between locations and sensor readings recorded during the transition. This chapter shows the benefits of the movement graph model in terms of compact representation, complete recording of spatio-temporal and item level information, and its role in facilitating multidimensional analysis. Compression power and efficiency in query processing are gained by organizing the model around the concept of gateway nodes, which serve as bridges connecting different regions of graph, and provide a natural partition of item trajectories. Multi-dimensional analysis is provided by a graph-based object movement data cube that is constructed by merging and collapsing nodes and edges according to an application-oriented topological structure.
Sensor Field Resource Management for Sensor Network Data Mining
Authors: Yates David J. , Xu Jennifer
Published: May 2010

This research is motivated by data mining for wireless sensor network applications. The authors consider applications where data is acquired in real-time, and thus data mining is performed on live streams of data rather than on stored databases. One challenge in supporting such applications is that sensor node power is a precious resource that needs to be managed as such. To conserve energy in the sensor field, the authors propose and evaluate several approaches to acquiring, and then caching data in a sensor field data server. The authors show that for true real-time applications, for which response time dictates data quality, policies that emulate cache hits by computing and returning approximate values for sensor data yield a simultaneous quality improvement and cost saving. This “win-win” is because when data acquisition response time is sufficiently important, the decrease in resource consumption and increase in data quality achieved by using approximate values outweighs the negative impact on data accuracy due to the approximation. In contrast, when data accuracy drives quality, a linear trade-off between resource consumption and data accuracy emerges. The authors then identify caching and lookup policies for which the sensor field query rate is bounded when servicing an arbitrary workload of user queries. This upper bound is achieved by having multiple user queries share the cost of a sensor field query. Finally, the authors discuss the challenges facing sensor network data mining applications in terms of data collection, warehousing, and mining techniques.
A Survey of Dynamic Key Management Schemes in Sensor Networks
Authors: Panja Biswajit , Madria Sanjay Kumar
Published: May 2010

In sensor networks, the large numbers of tiny sensor nodes communicate remotely or locally among themselves to accomplish a wide range of applications. However, such a network poses serious security protocol design challenges due to ad hoc nature of the communication and the presence of constraints such as limited energy, slower processor speed and small memory size. To secure such a wireless network, the efficient key management techniques are important as existing techniques from mobile ad hoc networks assume resource-equipped nodes. There are some recent security protocols that have been proposed for sensor networks and some of them have also been implemented in a real environment. This chapter provides an overview of research in the area of key management for sensor networks mainly focused on using a cluster head based architecture. First we provide a review of the existing security protocols based on private/public key cryptography, Kerberos, Digital signatures and IP security. Next, the authors investigate some of the existing work on key management protocols for sensor networks along with their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, some new approaches for providing key management, cluster head security and dynamic key computations are explored.
Affective Goal and Task Selection for Social Robots
Authors: Scheutz Matthias , Schermerhorn Paul
Published: May 2010

Effective decision-making under real-world conditions can be very difficult as purely rational methods of decision-making are often not feasible or applicable. Psychologists have long hypothesized that humans are able to cope with time and resource limitations by employing affective evaluations rather than rational ones. In this chapter, we present the distributed integrated affect cognition and reflection architecture DIARC for social robots intended for natural human-robot interaction and demonstrate the utility of its human-inspired affect mechanisms for the selection of tasks and goals. Specifically, we show that DIARC incorporates affect mechanisms throughout the architecture, which are based on “evaluation signals” generated in each architectural component to obtain quick and efficient estimates of the state of the component, and illustrate the operation and utility of these mechanisms with examples from human-robot interaction experiments.
Hybridizing Online Learning with External Interactivity
Authors: Morrow Donna , Bagnall Richard G.
Published: May 2010

One approach to hybrid learning is to hybridize online learning through recognizing and including external interactivity. This chapter examines that possibility. After reviewing the nature of interactivity and individual learner experience in online learning communities, it presents a recent study of interactivity in online professional development learning by practising teachers. From that study emerges the importance and scope of external interactivity between the learner and his or her local community of colleagues, friends, and family in a learning community beyond the traditional online class. Building on that case study, and indications from the literature that its implications may be generalizable, the chapter suggests ways in which external interactivity can be recognized and included in the online learning environment – as a way of hybridizing on-line learning through its inclusion of learners’ interactive engagements in the external learning communities that they bring to their studies.
Using Metanotation as a Tool for Describing Learning Systems
Authors: Barker Philip
Published: May 2010

Metanotation is a powerful tool for describing systems, objects and processes. This chapter illustrates how this tool can be used to specify the nature and characteristics of learning systems and the various artefacts from which they are composed. It is suggested that messages and messaging systems are the fundamental building blocks from which learning artefacts are created. The chapter therefore discusses the nature of communication and messaging from an educational perspective and then outlines how various types of message artefact can be used to build hybrid learning systems that involve the use of Webs, Wikis, weblogs and electronic books.
The Clustering of Large Scale E-Learning Resources
Authors: Wu Fei , Wang Wenhua , Zhang Hanwang , Zhuang Yueting
Published: May 2010

E-learning resources increase vastly with the pervasion of the Internet. Thus, the retrieval of e-learning resources becomes more and more important. This chapter introduces an approach to retrieve e-learning resources from large-scale dataset. The basic idea behind that method is, the authors cluster the whole resources into topics first, and only search from those clusters which are the most tightly relevant to the query. To make the clustering feasible to large-scale dataset, the authors adapt affinity propagation in MapReduce framework and therefore the so called parallel affinity propagation is proposed. The proposed approach could improve the retrieval of e-learning resources by understanding users’ underlying intentions.
E-Assessment as a Learning Tool
Authors: Kwan Reggie , Wong Kenneth , Tsang Philip , Yu Francis
Published: May 2010

Using virtual and physical resources to enhance learning and teaching is the cornerstone of Hybrid Learning. This chapter deals with how an online assessment system, as part of a hybrid learning initiative, can be used for learning and not just assessment. A system has been built based on the Item Response Theory (IRT) model. The system helps teachers to gauge the competency level of each individual student and at the same time provides students with feedback and an individualized study path right after a sequence of multiple choice questions attempted by each student.
Using Podcasting and Digital Audio in Higher Education
Authors: Muppala Jogesh K. , McMinn Sean , Rossiter David , Lam Gibson
Published: May 2010

Audio and spoken word has always been an important component of teaching and learning in higher education. However this remained an ephemeral component given that it is rarely captured for later use. Digital audio production and distribution has given a new means for facilitating the capture and preservation of this learning component for reuse. This chapter reports the authors’ experience with the use of digital audio in teaching and learning in higher education. The use of podcasting as a means of delivering online recorded audio of classroom lectures to enhance the course materials is discussed. Podcast production as a means of learning by students is then highlighted. Finally, the use of audio discussion forums as a means of communication is presented. Results from student surveys and reflections of the authors on their experiences with digital audio usage in the classroom to illustrate its advantages and disadvantages are then presented.
Just-in-Time Knowledge and User Interface Design for Effective Hybrid Learning
Authors: Desmarais Michel C.
Published: May 2010

The means for hybrid learning take on many forms. In this chapter, the author looks at learning facilitators that can be embedded within the user interface. He argues that these learning means can be even more effective than formal training. The author describe different features of the user interface that can provide just-in-time knowledge and fosters learning: immersing the student into a rich environment where he can readily have access to the information for the task at hand.
Hybrid Inquiry-Based Learning
Authors: Chan Yuen-Yan , Lam Hiu-Fung , Yang Harrison H. , Mark Kai-Pan , Leung Chi-Hong
Published: May 2010

This chapter proposes the hybrid inquiry-based learning (HIBL) model, a novel pedagogical model based on inquiry-based learning (IBL). In IBL, learning is achieved by questioning and learners are encouraged to invent new hypotheses instead of investigating questions posed by the instructor. This chapter first provides a holistic description of IBL. It begins with a brief history and survey on learning perspectives, pedagogical background of IBL is also provided. The IBL model, its implementations and variations, as well as the comparison of its pedagogical features against traditional teaching approaches are also given. This chapter further contributes the hybrid inquiry-based learning (HIBL) model, a new IBL model that integrates traditional and ICT-based implementations of IBL. By leveraging on the advantages of both classroom-based and web-based learning, the best sides of IBL can be elicited. A detailed example in Information Security education is also provided to illustrate the HIBL model.
Designing Blended Learning Communities
Authors: Deng Liping , Yuen Allan H.K.
Published: May 2010

This chapter seeks to highlight the unique characteristics of blended learning communities and the special design consideration they call for. The blended nature of a community is reflected through the interplay of the online and offline dimensions of a community and the mix of various media in support of community-wide interaction. The authors introduce the notion of blended learning community based on related literature on learning community and blended learning and put forward design guidelines for building such communities. Further, a pilot study was conducted to test out the proposed design principles in the context of pre-service teacher education with blogs as the main vehicle for online communication. The authors’ work can contribute to a deepened understanding of learning communities situated in the blended media environment and provide a set of design principles for their development.
Knowledge Acquisition in a Hybrid Graduate Teacher Training Program
Authors: Nguyen Thanh T.
Published: May 2010

How can one leverage the technological benefits of an online classroom without losing both the interpersonal advantages of face-to-face contact and pedagogically sound classroom management techniques? A blended learning environment, combining both traditional face-to-face and online interaction, is a valid higher-education solution that many instructors are adopting in place of 100% online teaching environments. Like total online courses, blended courses offer students the convenience of online access to both lecture/course materials and asynchronous classroom discussions. However, the key feature of a blended learning environment is the ability to use traditional face-to-face sessions to foster and stimulate an online social culture that facilitates knowledge acquisition through interpersonal and group discussion and disclosure. This study examines pedagogical, social and demographic factors that contribute to students’ knowledge acquisition in an 80-20 (80% online and 20% in-class) blended learning environment.
A Hybrid Learning Model Using an XML-Based Multimedia Podcasting System
Authors: Fong Joseph
Published: May 2010

Due to heavy workload and tight working schedule, it is difficult for part-time students at City University of Hong Kong to ‘digest’ course materials and to understand the content of the course. Therefore, it will be convenient if a lecture presentation with course materials is recorded and posted into the Internet. Then, students can easily attend the lecture on-line in anywhere or watch back the video archive of the presentation through the Web. This chapter aims to provide a solution to achieve a hybrid learning model (HLM) including e-learning and traditional teaching platform by synchronizing video, audio and image files which are used in a presentation. In addition, this is targeted to record and to retrieve by using an on-line podcasting system and an XML SMIL technology respectively.
Blended Learning Systems
Authors: Hall Owen P.
Published: May 2010

Distance learning has come a long way since Sir Isaac Pitman initiated the first correspondence course in the early 1840s. Today the growing role of globalization calls for new and innovative learning systems for management education. To meet these challenges the traditional classroom model for delivering executive business education is giving way to a more holistic learning paradigm in which both the pedagogical and andragogical focus are on knowledge acquisition and management decision-making. The one-size-fits-all educational approach of the past is being supplanted by customized, web-based learning systems. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce a blended learning system that combines the best of both web-based learning and time-honed classroom practices for delivering cost-effective graduate management education.
Medical Hybrid Learning Tools
Authors: Stanescu Liana , Burdescu Dumitru Dan
Published: May 2010

This chapter describes original modalities of combining traditional methods and technologies in medical learning with good results. The electronic tool is TESYS, a non-commercial e-learning platform designed for completing and improving traditional medical learning by using new methods. Traditional learning is thus blended together with e-learning, offering the students and teachers the possibility to permanently evaluate the learning and teaching process. Besides the usual functions of an e-learning platform, TESYS includes elements of originality. The first one is a database with medical images collected during the process of diagnosing patients, which also include other useful information (diagnostic, treatment, evolution) in order to complete the currently limited number of images found in university courses and medical books. The second element of originality is the content-based visual query module designed for this multimedia medical database, which uses features that are automatically extracted from images (color, texture, regions). The content-based visual query used both in the e-learning and e-testing process stimulates learning by comparing similar cases along with their particularities, or by comparing cases that are visually similar but with different diagnosis.
Applying Web 2.0 Tools in Hybrid Learning Designs
Authors: Lee Mark J.W. , McLoughlin Catherine
Published: May 2010

This chapter explores how educators can harness the potential of a new wave of social software to respond to the challenges of tertiary education in the new millennium, by combining the interactivity and immediacy of face-to-face instruction with the openness, connectivity, and flexibility afforded by the new tools and technologies. It also argues for a new conceptualization of “hybrid” or “blended” learning in the Web 2.0 era, and presents a number of exemplars of Web 2.0-based hybrid learning that typify the emergence of a new pedagogy for the digital age. Finally, it concludes with a discussion of the issues, barriers, and dilemmas that exist in implementing an effective hybrid approach to learning within a formal education setting.