bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fiji Implements Blended E-Learning as Appropriate Flexible Learning
Authors: McKay Elspeth
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes a learning environment that implements a learning design that promotes an adaptive approach towards e-learning. A theoretical model describes the interactive components of an e-learning environment. This model can be used as a designing tool for implementing an effective framework to support the social aspects of human-computer interaction. It discusses the institutional and national context of the e-learning programme offered by a school in Fiji that is accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization. A zoom-lens approach is taken by the year-5 classroom teacher to encourage her students’ experiential learning. However, alternative instructional strategies are required when the Internet becomes unstable. This means extra activities are required that do not involve computers. Some of these tasks are self-reflection diary entries that produce added interest for the students as they prepare for their presentations at the school assemblies.
Project-Based Learning in Chemical Engineering Education Using Distance Education Tools
Authors: Tannous Katia
Published: May 2011

This chapter will exhibit the experience of applying project-based learning in different subject matter, identifying and comprehending the efficiency of this teaching methodology from an analysis of the activities undertaken. The subjects focused on were transport phenomena and unit operations in chemical processes. The methodology of project-based learning is to associate concepts acquired during classes and integrate them with other subjects in order to integrate the parts into the whole. It develops a variety of skills in addition to technical ones, such as cooperation, communication, involvement, knowledge construction, decision making and problem solving. All these skills being supported by the use of distance education tools. The creation of the subjects in a virtual environment sustains student materials previously required for project development. It also monitors of student activity (access by frequency statistics), and facilitates communication. The motivation and interactivity aspects have been shown to be positive with students and professors systematically involved in the constructive evolution of both individual and group knowledge.
An E-Workshop Model for Teacher Training
Authors: Hanbing Yan , Zhiting Zhu
Published: May 2011

In China, teacher training plays a very important role for the improvement of education. E-Learning, as a new and effective life-long learning method, plays an increasingly important role in teacher training. It is well known that Teacher Training and E-Learning are all open and developing domains. So, the integration of two domains will certainly bring about many new problems. The case focuses on how does the e-workshop model, which is designed specially for Teacher Training by Distance Education College of East of China Normal University find a way to solve the problems? By way of analyzing the successful factors of e-workshop model and following the problem clues of the above-mentioned two domains, this chapter shows the corresponding solutions.
Competencies and Organizational Learning
Authors: Sicilia Miguel-Angel , Naeve Ambjörn
Published: May 2011

Organizational learning can be considered as systemic behaviour oriented to acquire capacities for dealing with the needs and challenges of organizations in competitive environments. This entails that there must be some measurable and flexible concept that drives the acquisition of those capacities. Competencies understood as the workplace capabilities of individuals or groups can be used as one of the approaches for managing such capacity-acquisition behaviour. Even though competency is not a new concept, the management of competencies through Information Technology for improved effectiveness and efficiency poses a number of significant challenges that still require much research to come up with general-purpose and reliable solutions in the Information Systems discipline. This chapter delineates the main concepts for a competency-based framework in the context of organizations, and enumerates some requirements for which definitive and commonly accepted solutions are still not available.
Competencies Management
Authors: Lytras Miltiadis , Mantziou Maria , Pontikaki Maria
Published: May 2011

Competencies in the management literature are analyzed from different perspectives. A converging point of the various approaches is the fact that competencies provide a critical context for a unified treatment of business processes and personal development. In other words the achievement of critical business objectives is directly related to knowledge and learning management. The objective of this chapter is to analyze competencies management from a managerial perspective and to develop a set of requirements for new knowledge and learning management systems aiming to capitalize the application of competencies management in to daily business life. The relevant discussion is initiated with the provision of several real world scenarios that summarize the key business challenges of competencies development, management and reuse, in the Education and Health Domains. The resulting list of requirements is used for a critical overview of limitations of current Technology Enhanced learning approaches especially in the context of real businesses. The concluding section of this chapter discusses the new insights that competencies management through SW and TEL approaches bring to well known business problems and reveals several streams of emerging research on the topic.
Integrating Visual Representaiton of Knowledge with Learnig Management Syatems
Authors: Coffey John W.
Published: May 2011

After a review of literature pertaining to representative constituent parts of contemporary learning management systems (LMS) and features of other systems that support visual representations of information and knowledge in support of learning, a summarization of desirable design elements for a system that is meant to support distance learning is developed and elaborated. These elements include the potential benefits of having an explicit realization of a viable pedagogical theory as the underlying basis for the software, the possible benefits of integrating a variety of capabilities in as simple and usable a fashion as possible, the value of presenting a customizable interface, and the desirability of providing for sharing and reuse of instructional resources. The chapter concludes with a description of a prototype system that embodies many of the principles laid out in the paper.
Information Extraction
Authors: Tang Jie , Hong Mingcai , Zhang Duo Liang , Li Juanzi
Published: May 2011

This chapter is concerned with the methodologies and applications of information extraction. Information is hidden in the large volume of web pages and thus it is necessary to extract useful information from the web content, called Information Extraction. In information extraction, given a sequence of instances, we identify and pull out a sub-sequence of the input that represents information we are interested in. In the past years, there was a rapid expansion of activities in the information extraction area. Many methods have been proposed for automating the process of extraction. However, due to the heterogeneity and the lack of structure of Web data, automated discovery of targeted or unexpected knowledge information still presents many challenging research problems. In this chapter, we will investigate the problems of information extraction and survey existing methodologies for solving these problems. Several real-world applications of information extraction will be introduced. Emerging challenges will be discussed.
Exploring Unclassified Texts Using Multiview Semisupervised Learning
Authors: Matsubara Edson Takashi , Monard Maria Carolina , Prati Ronaldo Cristiano
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents semi-supervised multi-view learning in the context of text mining. Semi-supervised learning uses both labelled and unlabelled data to improve classification performance. It also presents several multi-view semi-supervised algorithms, such as CO-TRAINING, CO-EM, CO-TESTING and CO-EMT, as well as reporting some experimental results using CO-TRAINING in text classification domains. Semi-supervised learning could be very useful whenever there is much more unlabelled than labelled data. This is likely to occur in several text mining applications, where obtaining unlabelled data is inexpensive, although manual labelling the data is
Asynchronous Communication
Authors: Dron Jon
Published: May 2011

This book offers an exploration of the ways that a learning trajectory is determined, and, in particular, how an online learning environment can affect that trajectory. It provides suggestions about how, primarily through technologies that underlie what is vulgarly known as “Web 2.0,” networked learning environments should be constructed to give control to learners if they need it, as they need it, and when they need it.
Social Software and E-Learning
Authors: Dron Jon
Published: May 2011

This book offers an exploration of the ways that a learning trajectory is determined, and, in particular, how an online learning environment can affect that trajectory. It provides suggestions about how, primarily through technologies that underlie what is vulgarly known as “Web 2.0,” networked learning environments should be constructed to give control to learners if they need it, as they need it, and when they need it.
The Benefits of Data Warehousing at Whirlpool
Authors: Haley Barbara J. , Watson Hugh J. , Goodhue Dale L.
Published: May 2011

In today’s competitive, high-velocity business environment, companies are focusing their attention on several key areas, including: • Incremental continuous quality improvement; • More radical redesign of business processes; • Supply chain management; • Improved customer orientation; and • Globalization of business operations. At Whirlpool, data warehousing is providing important support in all of these critical areas (see Table 1). To illustrate, Whirlpool’s data warehouse enables quality engineers to easily track the performance of component parts. This allows the engineers to assess new components that are being field tested, to quickly detect problems with particular parts, and to identify the high and low quality suppliers. From a different perspective, suppliers can check on the performance of the parts they supply and, consequently, can manage proactively the quality provided to Whirlpool. Purchasing managers have parts information from around the world so that they can find the lowest-cost, highest quality part available on a global basis. This case study briefly describes Whirlpool, the business need that suggested a data warehouse, the approval process, and the data warehouse that was built. It describes how the data warehouse is accessed, how users are trained and supported, and the major applications and benefits. The lessons learned also are described to benefit those companies that are implementing or thinking about implementing data warehousing. Like most companies, Whirlpool is continually changing. This case study describes Whirlpool and its data warehousing initiative through the end of 1997.
Student Advantage Captures the College Market Through an Integration of Their Off and Online Businesses
Authors: O’Hara Margaret T. , Watson Hugh J.
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes how Student Advantage successfully transformed itself from a brick-and-mortar company to the leading online portal to the higher education community. The company has followed a business strategy that includes creating Websites that appeal to college students and forming partnerships with businesses and universities. Through its activities, Student Advantage has assembled a wealth of information about college students, all organized around a common student identifier. This information is important to Student Advantage and to its partners who are willing to pay for the insights that Student Advantage can provide about the college market. Interestingly, Student Advantage only recently developed a strong in-house information technology capability. This capability is now allowing Student Advantage to implement a variety of e-marketing applications. Lessons learned from Student Advantage’s experiences are discussed.
End-User Computing at BRECI
Authors: Moffitt Kathleen
Published: May 2011

The intention of the case study is to show a less-than-successful attempt at the introduction and use of information technology in a small business. Contrary to what is reported in the general and computer press, the application and understanding of technology is lacking in many small businesses that could benefit greatly from its use.
A Case Study of IT Chargeback in government Agency
Authors: Edberg Dana , Kuechler Jr. William L.
Published: May 2011

In 1997 the Nevada Legislature mandated the formation of an IT division for the Nevada Department of Public Safety (NDPS). Prior to this time the 14 separate divisions within the department had carried out their own IT functions. The legislature also mandated that the full, actual costs for the IT Department would be allocated to the divisions on the basis of use, a form of IT funding known as “hard money chargeback”. Complicating the issue considerably is the legal prohibition in Nevada of commingling funds from multiple sources for any project, including interdivisional IT projects. Five years after its creation, there is a widespread perception among users that the IT Division is ineffective. Both the IT manager and the department chiefs believe the cumbersome chargeback system contributes to the ineffectiveness. This case introduces the concept of chargeback, and then details an investigation into the “true costs of chargeback” by the chief of the NDPS’s IT Division.
A DSS Model that Aligns Business Strategy and Business Structure with Advanced Information Technology
Authors: Theodorou Petros
Published: May 2011

In this study, the case of a firm is examined that is located in Northern Greece and has to make some decision regarding the modernisation of the technology applied in production. An integrated system needs to be applied in order to manage enterprise resources, from warehouse and logistics to front office and client service. The ultimate purpose of this system is to increase flexibility and cut time of response to environmental changes, without increasing cost and inventory.
LXS Ltd. Meets Tight System Development Deadlines via the St. Lucia Connection
Authors: Howard Geoffrey S.
Published: May 2011

LXS Ltd., a Toronto software house, has identified high market demand for their proposed new product called Estitherm, a Web-based software tool that supports heat loss calculations for architectural engineers designing structures. Estitherm’s development requires sophisticated Java programming skills, however, and the project stalls when LXS is unable to hire enough additional programmers to be able to meet the development deadlines dictated by competition. Through lucky coincidence, LXS’ chief scientist stumbles onto a pool of Java talent while vacationing on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Negotiations follow, a contract is signed and the project is quickly brought to successful completion with the aid of Caribbean programmers, working via the Internet. Similar contract arrangements hold the promise for improved economic conditions in Caribbean nations and can reduce software backlogs for companies in developed nations, but better mechanisms are needed to bring together buyers and sellers of IT services.
Implementing Information Technology to Effectively Utilize Enterprise Information Resources
Authors: Mustafa Y.
Published: May 2011

This case describes the development of an information system at the Missouri-based General Chemicals Inc., which is one of the largest pharmaceuticals in the world. The system efficiently utilizes company’s research resources by archiving, organizing them in a searchable manner, and allowing researchers to reuse and modify them as needed. This resulted in saving a considerable amount of money and time.
Semantics for the Semantic Web
Authors: Sheth Amit , Ramakrishnan Cartic , Thomas Christopher
Published: May 2011

Enabling applications that exploit heterogeneous data in the Semantic Web will require us to harness a broad variety of semantics. Considering the role of semantics in a number of research areas in computer science, we organize semantics in three forms — implicit, formal, and powerful — and explore their roles in enabling some of the key capabilities related to the Semantic Web. The central message of this article is that building the Semantic Web purely on description logics will artificially limit its potential, and that we will need to both exploit well-known techniques that support implicit semantics, and develop more powerful semantic techniques.
Dynamics of CIO Performance
Authors: Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

Emerging business models, value configurations, and information technologies interact over time to create competitive advantage. Modern information technology has to be studied, understood, and applied along the time dimension of months and years, where changes are the rule. Such changes created by interactions between business elements and resources are very well suited for system dynamics modeling. System dynamics models represent a frame-work for understanding both successful and unsuccessful IT management over time. Systems dynamics simulations provide insights into the important interactions between IT investments and firm performance over time.
Using Simulation to Evaluate Electronic Data Interchange
Authors: Truong Dothang
Published: May 2011

Reluctance of organizations to invest in electronic data interchange (EDI, Internet based EDI, and XML/EDI) is largely due to their inability to assess the return on these investments. We identify prescriptive and evaluative methodologies for analyzing investment in EDI: non-financial methods, purely financial methods, and financial and strategic consideration methods. We also show how computer simulation can be used as a tool for assessing EDI. Evaluating the benefits resulting from EDI implementation were illustrated through the well-known Beer Game. Our analysis and review also identifies difficulties involved in assessing the benefits of EDI in supply chains.
Modular Organizations and Strategic Flexiblity
Authors: Adamides Emmanuel D. , Pomonis Nikolaos
Published: May 2011

This chapter addresses the question of whether a modular organizational structure cultivates long-term proactive strategic flexibility. With the help of system dynamics modeling, our analysis suggests that a consistent organizational-learning supporting, personalization-oriented knowledge management strategy that encourages the creation of new knowledge through richer exchanges can be the enabler of strategic flexibility in modular organizations. The chapter emphasizes the mediating role of such a knowledge strategy and discusses three of its core elements, namely, boundary spanners and boundary objects, collaboration-supporting systems, and participative scenario planning, as practices and systems, which under a common umbrella, can contribute towards achieving real strategic flexibility in modular organizations.
Enhancing Performance Through Knowledge Management
Authors: Massey Anne P. , Ramesh V. , Montoya-Weiss Mitzi M.
Published: May 2011

Knowledge management (KM) has gained increasing attention since the mid-1990s. A KM strategy involves consciously helping people share and put knowledge into action. However, before an organization can realize the promise of KM, a fundamental question needs to be asked: What performance goal(s) is the organization trying to achieve? In this paper, we develop and offer a framework that provides a holistic view of the performance environment surrounding organizational knowledge work. We illustrate the KM framework using two organizational case studies. Then, based on the KM framework and further insights drawn from our case studies, we offer a series of steps that may guide and assist organizations and practitioners as they undertake KM initiatives. We further demonstrate the applicability of these steps by examining KM initiatives within a global software development company. We conclude with a discussion of implications for organizational practice and directions for future research.
Challenges in Developing a Knowledge Management Strategy for the Air Force Materiel Command
Authors: Bartczak Summer E. , England Ellen C.
Published: May 2011

It is widely acknowledged that an organizational knowledge management strategy is a desired precursor to the development of specific knowledge management (KM) initiatives. The development of such a strategy is often difficult in the face of a lack of organizational understanding about KM and other organizational constraints. This case study describes the issues involved in developing a new KM strategy for the Air Force Material Command (AFMC). It centers around the AFMC KM program manager, Randy Adkins, and his challenges in developing the future KM strategy direction for the AFMC enterprise. The case study begins with a description of the history of the AFMC KM program and the existing KM system, but then focuses primarily on issues to be considered in future strategy development, such as maintaining top leadership support and understanding, conflict with the IT organization, funding cuts, future KM system configuration needs, and outsourcing of KM. The intent of this case study is to demonstrate, using Randy Adkins and AFMC as an example, many common issues that can be encountered as leaders struggle to develop viable KM strategies.
Alignment of Business and Knowledge Management Strategies
Authors: Abou-Zeid El-Sayed
Published: May 2011

The role of knowledge as a crucial asset for an enterprise’s survival and advancement has been recognized by several researchers (e.g., von Krogh, Ichijo & Nonaka, 2000). Moreover, by having knowledge (intellectual resources), an organization can understand how to exploit and develop its traditional resources better than its competitors can, even if some or all of those traditional resources are not unique (Zack, 1999).
Spatiotemporal Analysis
Authors: Barceló Juan A.
Published: May 2011

As we have suggested many times throughout the book, the general form of an archaeological problem seems to be “why an archaeological site is the way it is?” If we translate it into the spatial domain, we should be asking “where social agents performed their actions and work processes on the basis of the observed relationships between the actual locations of the social action material traces?,” or more precisely, “why those archaeological materials have been found here and not elsewhere?” Consequently, the automated archaeologist should infer where social agents performed their actions and work processes based on the observed relationships between the actual locations of the supposed material consequences of social action. This is the domain of application for a spatial analysis: to infer the location of what cannot be seen based on observed things that are causally related to the action to be placed. Knowing where someone made something based on what she did, is an inverse problem with multiple solutions, which can be solved using some of the methods and technologies already presented.
Model-Centric Architecting Process
Authors: Shan Tony C. , Hua Winnie W.
Published: May 2011

This chapter defines a methodical approach, named model-centric architecting process (MAP), to effectively cope with the architecture design complexity and manage the architecting process and lifecycle of information systems development in a service-oriented paradigm. This comprehensive method comprises four dimensions of architecting activities: requirement analysis, specification, validation, and planning (RSVP). The process is broken down into nine interrelated models: meta architecture, conceptual architecture, logical architecture, physical architecture, deployment architecture, management architecture, information architecture, aspect architecture, and component architecture. A 2-D matrix serves as a blueprint to denote a step-by-step procedure to produce and manage the architectural artifacts and deliverables in the lifecycle of systems architecture design, development and governance. The holistic framework provides a multidisciplinary view of the design principles, tenets, idioms, and strategies in the IT architecting practices. The characteristics and features of the constituent elements in the MAP approach are articulated in great detail. Recommendations and future trends are also presented in the context. It helps build high-quality service-oriented solutions focused on different domains, and in the meantime keeps the agility, flexibility and adaptiveness of the overall method. This systematic framework may be customized in different formats to design various information systems in different industries.
Trusting Remote Workers
Authors: Leeds Beverly
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines the nature of trust from a number of theoretical bases, with reference to remote workers more often referred to as teleworkers or telecommuters. It examines the relationship between a manager and the remote worker (teleworker). It is concerned with the nature and conditions of trust rather than an examination of the importance of trust or how trust can be created. As well as examining the bases of trust the chapter examines different levels of trust that can support a teleworking relationship. It draws a distinction between individual and organisational trust and between the conscious and unconscious states of trust. It concludes with a conceptual model that provides a framework to explain some of the anomalies and confusion in the debate regarding the nature of trust in teleworking arrangements. The chapter also suggests how the model may be used to analyse trust in these remote working arrangements and as a framework on which to build trust using different bases and at different levels.
Trust in Virtual Multicultural Teams
Authors: Fischlmayr Iris C.
Published: May 2011

This chapter analyses the phenomenon of trust with regard to its significance for virtual teams. Guided by the existing literature on trust, this chapter presents different kinds of trust and the development of trust over time. The challenges inherent to virtual multicultural teams, thus to working teams, which are geographically dispersed and communicate with the help of electronic media, raise the questions of their consequences on trust. As virtual teams are mostly used in companies operating in different countries all over the world, the different cultural backgrounds of the team members are taken into account as well. To give an example for the relevance of this issue in practice, an illustrative case study on experiences international business students have made during virtual team projects is presented.
When Is a Duck Not a Duck? When It Is a Euro! Trust-Based Marketing Communications in Virtual Communities
Authors: Guido Gianluigi
Published: May 2011

This chapter tries to evaluate the effects of the propagation of a trust-based marketing message through selected below-the-web technologies, which are those particular types of information technologies different from websites – such as e-mails, discussion lists, BBSs, Newsgroups, Forums, Peer-to-Peer, IRCs, MUDs and MOOs – that allow for the creation of virtual communities. A preliminary experiment on informal marketing communications, carried out over 12,000 accesses to below-the-web communities and regarding the proposal to use the term “Ducks” for “Euros”, in view of its similarity with the term “Bucks” for Dollars, showed that below-the-web technologies can be an appropriate tool for building trust amongst participants when four conditions for the existence of virtual communities are met: 1) a minimum level of interactivity; 2) a variety of communicators; 3) a virtual-common-public space; and 4) a minimum level of sustained membership.
Knowledge Management and Trust in E-Networks
Authors: Erickson G. Scott , Rothberg Helen N.
Published: May 2011

This chapter focuses on trust issues relating to knowledge management. Knowledge management is increasingly reliant on information systems to identify, collect, and disperse information and knowledge. Moreover, such systems are stretching across the borders of the firm to include collaborators and their knowledge assets in e-networks. This scenario has important implications for trust between the organization and individuals who contribute to and/or use knowledge management systems. Organization-to-organization trust issues are also apparent as valuable, proprietary information and knowledge are shared across the borders of firms. The authors hope that with an increased awareness of the trust issues implicit in the burgeoning field of knowledge management, executives and managers will be better prepared to employ some of our suggestions for dealing with this complex problem.
Establishing Trust in Offshore Outsourcing of Information Systems and Technology (IST) Development
Authors: Kumar Rachna
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the issues and challenges faced in establishing trust among individuals and teams participating in offshore outsourcing of software development projects. While technical and project management aspects have been recognized as important for the success of offshore software outsourcing, the issue of establishing trust among the participants has not received specific recognition. The chapter discusses the special characteristics of offshore software outsourcing relationships which make the establishment of trust a challenge. The discussion emphasizes that a specific and planned approach of utilizing communication and coordination technology in software offshoring relationships will contribute towards trust formation. Use of communication and coordination technology in offshoring environments is recommended to be designed to increase the culture of communication, to establish a culture of transparency in communication, and to systemically maintain a trail and evidence of the communication.
Walking with EMO
Authors: Teo Jason , Neri Lynnie D. , Nguyen Minh H. , Abbass Hussein A.
Published: May 2011

This chapter will demonstrate the various robotics applications that can be achieved using evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO) techniques. The main objective of this chapter is to demonstrate practical ways of generating simple legged locomotion for simulated robots with two, four and six legs using EMO. The operational performance as well as complexities of the resulting evolved Pareto solutions that act as controllers for these robots will then be analyzed. Additionally, the operational dynamics of these evolved Pareto controllers in noisy and uncertain environments, limb dynamics and effects of using a different underlying EMO algorithm will also be discussed.
Web-Based Teaching Systems and Technologies
Authors: Chao Lee
Published: May 2011

In Chapter 1, you are given a brief overview about Web-based teaching and technology-based courses. The discussion in Chapter 1 indicates that Web-based teaching is heavily dependent on technologies, especially for technology-based courses and extra effort is needed to implement Web-based teaching for technology-based courses. As technology advances, even those technology-based courses that depend on a computer lab can be taught one hundred percent online. Students are able to access the computers specially designed for their courses via the Internet. Technology tools have been assisting us in achieving this goal. It will be beneficial for the development of an online computer lab if we can better understand the functionalities of the technologies involved and the role played by these technologies. In this chapter, we will discuss the issues related to the technology tools that are commonly used to create online teaching materials, manage Web-based teaching (WBT) systems, and develop online computer labs. An overview will be given about what the technologies can do and how we can use them in creating online teaching materials. After those technologies are introduced, we will exam the types of Web-based teaching systems that require online computer labs to support hands-on practice.
Overview of Design Options for Neighborhood-Based Collaborative Filtering Systems
Authors: Manouselis Nikos , Costopoulou Constantina
Published: May 2011

The problem of collaborative filtering is to predict how well a user will like an item that he or she has not rated, given a set of historical ratings for this and other items from a community of users. A plethora of collaborative filtering algorithms have been proposed in related literature. One of the most prevalent families of collaborative filtering algorithms are neighborhood-based ones, which calculate a prediction of how much a user will like a particular item, based on how other users with similar preferences have rated this item. This chapter aims to provide an overview of various proposed design options for neighborhood-based collaborative filtering systems, in order to facilitate their better understanding, as well as their study and implementation by recommender systems’ researchers and developers. For this purpose, the chapter extends a series of design stages of neighborhood-based algorithms, as they have been initially identified by related literature on collaborative filtering systems. Then, it reviews proposed alternatives for each design stage and provides an overview of potential design options.
Privacy Control Requirements for Context-Aware Mobile Services
Authors: Eldin Amr Ali , Stojanovic Zoran
Published: May 2011

With the rapid developments of mobile telecommunications technology over the last two decades, a new computing paradigm known as ‘anywhere and anytime’ or ‘ubiquitous’ computing has evolved. Consequently, attention has been given not only to extending current Web services and mobile service models and architectures, but increasingly also to make these services context-aware. Privacy represents one of the hot topics that has questioned the success of these services. In this chapter, we discuss the different requirements of privacy control in context-aware services architectures. Further, we present the different functionalities needed to facilitate this control. The main objective of this control is to help end users make consent decisions regarding their private information collection under conditions of uncertainty. The proposed functionalities have been prototyped and integrated in a UMTS locationbased mobile services testbed platform on a university campus. Users have experienced the services in real time. A survey of users’ responses on the privacy functionality has been carried out and analyzed as well. Users’ collected response on the privacy functionality was positive in most cases. Additionally, results obtained reflected the feasibility and usability of this approach.
Intergovernmental Negotiations
Authors: Saam Nicole J. , Sumpter David
Published: May 2011

Concession behavior is typically seen in bargaining processes, e.g. in intergovernmental negotiations. In traditional bargaining theory, especially in game-theoretic models, concessions to opponents are interpreted as actions in which the conceding party looses face. In this article, we propose a new approach to bargaining: peer coordination. Rather than loosing face on conceding to opponents, focal governments will increase their reputation among peers when adjusting to the present positions of the peers. Relying on a data set on the EU Intergovernmental Conference of 1996 which led to the Amsterdam treaty, we test and corroborate the hypothesis that a peer coordination model which assumes peer coordination in intergovernmental policy networks makes better predictions for negotiation outcomes than a random model which we interpret as a kind of null model.
Stress and Expectation in Double-Auction Market
Authors: Rouchier Juliette , Robin Stephane
Published: May 2011

This paper describes a multi-agent model of double-auction market in which simulations are led. In our study of market we focus on information processing and hence make assumptions about the cognitive use that agents do of these information. For some years now, experiments have been used to study auctions and now resulting data are used to make hy-pothesis about learning. We propose here simulations that are organised on the same model as experiments, as a succession of auctions session where each agent is either seller or buyer and has to exchange before the end. Communicaton is made of bids and asks that can be accepted by the others and lead to transactions. Our main result is the fact that we actu-ally obtain convergence although agents have no knowledge of others’ limit prices and only interact through a completely impersonal market. This corresponds to experimental data, which is a positive result in our search of the representation for economic rationality and is discussed methodologically in the paper.
Improving Teaching Effectiveness Using Distance Education Tools
Authors: Shanker Murali , Hu Michael Y
Published: May 2011

Distance education is now an integral part of offering courses in many institutions. With increasing access to the internet, the importance of distance education will only grow. But, to date, the specific benefits that distance education brings to student learning objectives remain unclear. We first propose a framework that links student performance and satisfaction to the learning environment and course delivery. Next, we empirically evaluate our framework using data from a Business Statistics course that we offer in the traditional classroom setting and as a distance-education course. Our results show that while a well-designed distance-education course can lead to a high level of student satisfaction, classroom-based students achieve even higher satisfaction if they are also given access to online learning material. This indicates that material for an effective distance-education course can also be used to supplement in-class teaching to increase satisfaction with student learning objectives.
Academy-Industry Collaboration
Authors: Lessard Dany , Gaumond Jacques
Published: May 2011

Bridge-eLearning is a consortium aiming to bring together Human Resources professionals from large companies and experts from training organizations (internationally recognized business and engineering schools). The consortium provides a framework enabling its partners to share best practices in management and technology, to share eLearning content of a high technological and educational quality, innovative online learning experiences and approaches, and eLearning opportunities and needs. The basis of the project’s business model is the development of a shared catalogue of eLearning courses that is enriched by partners over the years. Bridge-eLearning is administered by a Steering Committee, together with the eLearning Committee at the operational and functional level. The paper presents the objectives and functioning of Bridge eLearning, the achievements of the first year of existence and the perspectives for the next years.
Vector DNF for Datasets Classifications
Authors: Liquori Massimo , Scozzari Andrea
Published: May 2011

Traditional classification approaches consider a dataset formed by an archive of observations classified as positive or negative according to a binary classification rule. In this paper we consider the Financial Timing Decision Problem which is the problem of deciding the time when it is profitable for the investor to buy shares or to sell shares or to wait in the stock exchange market. The decision is based on classifying a dataset of observations, represented by a vector containing the values of some financial numerical attributes, according to a ternary classification rule. We propose a new technique based on partially defined vector Boolean functions. We test our technique on different time series of the Mibtel stock exchange market in Italy, and we show that it provides a high classification accuracy as well as wide applicability for other classification problems where a classification in three or more classes is needed.
Reducing a Class of Machine Learning Algorithms to Logical Commonsense Reasoning Operations
Authors: Naidenova Xenia
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the possibility of transforming a large class of machine learning algorithms into commonsense reasoning processes based on using well-known deduction and induction logical rules. The concept of a good classification (diagnostic) test for a given set of positive examples lies in the basis of our approach to the machine learning problems. The task of inferring all good diagnostic tests is formulated as searching the best approximations of a given classification (a partitioning) on a given set of examples. The lattice theory is used as a mathematical language for constructing good classification tests. The algorithms of good tests inference are decomposed into subtasks and operations that are in accordance with main human commonsense reasoning rules.
Using Grids for Distributed Knowledge Discovery
Authors: Congiusta Antonio , Talia Domenico , Trunfio Paolo
Published: May 2011

Knowledge discovery is a compute and data intensive process that allows for finding patterns, trends, and models in large datasets. The Grid can be effectively exploited for deploying knowledge discovery applications because of the high-performance it can offer and its distributed infrastructure. For effective use of Grids in knowledge discovery, the development of middleware is critical to support data management, data transfer, data mining and knowledge representation. To such purpose, we designed the Knowledge Grid, a high-level environment providing for Grid-based knowledge discovery tools and services. Such services allow users to create and manage complex knowledge discovery applications, composed as workflows that integrate data sources and data mining tools provided as distributed Grid services. This chapter describes the Knowledge Grid architecture and describes how its components can be used to design and implement distributed knowledge discovery applications. Then, the chapter describes how the Knowledge Grid services can be made accessible using the Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA) model.
Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in a Global Environment
Authors: Hawking Paul
Published: May 2011

Companies around the world are placing increasing emphasis on strategy development and implementation. Some argue that this increased emphasis is in response to market forces of increased competition and globalization, and the need to be flexible and adaptive to the business environment. Strategy development and implementation is a multifaceted task reliant on a number of interdependent factors. One of these is the role of information technology which in recent times has become an integral part of most companies’ strategies. This chapter discusses the role of strategy development and the importance of the alignment of business and IT strategies in a global environment. It discusses the role of enterprise resource planning systems on strategy development and how these systems underpin many strategic objectives companies strive for in a global environment.
Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance, Internal Control, and ERP Systems
Authors: Rikhardsson Pall , Best Peter , Juhl-Christensen Claus
Published: May 2011

The effort to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has focused management attention in companies all over the world on the importance of assessing, developing, and maintaining an effective and efficient internal control system. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are a crucial factor in developing such a system. Despite the attention this has attracted in practice, little academic research has focused on this area. This chapter addresses the question: How are ERP systems implicated in Sarbanes-Oxley compliance? It aims to show how SOX requirements regarding assessment and improvement of internal controls are related to the functionalities of an ERP system both in local and global implementations. It examines a solution (mySAP ERP) offered by one specific vendor (SAP) and what functionalities are relevant to global SOX compliance. Based on this, the chapter discusses likely developments regarding compliance functionalities in future releases of ERP systems.
Multi-Facet Design of Interactive Systems through Visual Languages
Authors: Fogli Daniela , Marcante Andrea , Mussio Piero
Published: May 2011

In this chapter it is recognized that the knowledge relevant to the design of an interactive system is distributed among several stakeholders: domain experts, software engineers and Human-Computer Interaction experts. Hence, the design of an interactive system is a multi-facet activity requiring the collaboration of experts from these communities. Each community describes an interactive system through visual sentences of a Visual Language (VL). A first VL allows domain experts to reason on the system usage in their specific activities. A second VL, the State-Chart language, is used to specify the system behaviour for software engineers purposes. A communication gap exists among the two communities, in that domain experts do not understand software engineers jargon and vice versa. To overcome this gap, a third VL permits Human-Computer Interaction experts to translate the user view of the system embedded in their Visual Language into a specification in the software engineering Visual Language.
A New Constraint-Based Compound Graph Layout Algorithm for Drawing Biochemical Networks
Authors: dit Gabouje Sabri Skhiri , Zimányi Esteban
Published: May 2011

Due to the huge amount of information available in biochemical databases, biologists need sophisticated tools to accurately extract the information from such databases and to interpret it correctly. Those tools must be able to dynamically generate any kind of biochemical subgraph (i.e., metabolic pathways, genetic regulation, signal transduction, etc.) in a single graph. The visualization tools must be able to cope with such graphs and to take into account the particular semantics of all kinds of biochemical subgraphs. Therefore, such tools need generic graph layout algorithms that adapt their behavior to the data semantics. In this paper we present the Constrained Compound Graph Layout (C2GL) algorithm designed for the generic representation of biochemical graphs and in which users can represent knowledge about how to draw graphs in accordance with the biochemical semantics. We show how we implemented the C2GL algorithm in the Visual BioMaze framework, the visualization tool of the BioMaze project.
Personalized Information Retrieval in a Semantic-based Learning Environment
Authors: Carbonaro Antonella , Ferrini Rodolfo
Published: May 2011

Active learning is the ability of learners to carry out learning activities in such a way that they will be able to effectively and efficiently construct knowledge from information sources. Personalized and customizable access on digital materials collected from the Web according to one’s own personal requirements and interests is an example of active learning. Moreover, it is also necessary to provide techniques to locate suitable materials. In this paper, we introduce a personalized learning environment providing intelligent support to achieve the expectations of active learning. The system exploits collaborative and semantic approaches to extract concepts from documents and maintaining user and resources profiles based on domain ontologies. In such a way, the retrieval phase takes advantage from the common knowledge base used to extract useful knowledge and produces personalized views of the learning system.