bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fuzzy C-Means in High Dimensional Spaces
Authors: Winkler Roland , Klawonn Frank , Kruse Rudolf
Published: October 2011

High dimensions have a devastating effect on the FCM algorithm and similar algorithms. One effect is that the prototypes run into the centre of gravity of the entire data set. The objective function must have a local minimum in the centre of gravity that causes FCM’s behaviour. In this paper, examine this problem. This paper answers the following questions: How many dimensions are necessary to cause an ill behaviour of FCM? How does the number of prototypes influence the behaviour? Why has the objective function a local minimum in the centre of gravity? How must FCM be initialised to avoid the local minima in the centre of gravity? To understand the behaviour of the FCM algorithm and answer the above questions, the authors examine the values of the objective function and develop three test environments that consist of artificially generated data sets to provide a controlled environment. The paper concludes that FCM can only be applied successfully in high dimensions if the prototypes are initialized very close to the cluster centres.
Applying a Fuzzy and Neural Approach for Forecasting the Foreign Exchange Rate
Authors: Chen Toly
Published: October 2011

Accurately forecasting the foreign exchange rate is important for export-oriented enterprises. For this purpose, a fuzzy and neural approach is applied in this study. In the fuzzy and neural approach, multiple experts construct fuzzy linear regression (FLR) equations from various viewpoints to forecast the foreign exchange rate. Each FLR equation can be converted into two equivalent nonlinear programming problems to be solved. To aggregate these fuzzy foreign exchange rate forecasts, a two-step aggregation mechanism is applied. At the first step, fuzzy intersection is applied to aggregate the fuzzy forecasts into a polygon-shaped fuzzy number to improve the precision. A back propagation network is then constructed to defuzzify the polygon-shaped fuzzy number and generate a representative/crisp value to enhance accuracy. To evaluate the effectiveness of the fuzzy and neural approach, a practical case of forecasting the foreign exchange rate in Taiwan is used. According to the experimental results, the fuzzy and neural approach improved both the precision and accuracy of the foreign exchange rate forecasting by 79% and 81%, respectively.
Fuzzy Cluster Validation Based on Fuzzy PCA-Guided Procedure
Authors: Honda K. , Notsu A. , Matsui T. , Ichihashi H.
Published: October 2011

Cluster validation is an important issue in fuzzy clustering research and many validity measures, most of which are motivated by intuitive justification considering geometrical features, have been developed. This paper proposes a new validation approach, which evaluates the validity degree of cluster partitions from the view point of the optimality of objective functions in FCM-type clustering. This approach makes it possible to evaluate the validity degree of robust cluster partitions, in which geometrical features are not available because of their possibilistic natures.
Gesture Spotting Using Fuzzy Garbage Model and User Adaptation
Authors: Yang Seung-Eun , Park Kwang-Hyun , Bien Zeungnam
Published: October 2011

Thanks to the rapid advancement of human-computer interaction technologies it is becoming easier for the elderly and/or people with disabilities to operate various electrical systems. Operation of home appliances by using a set of predefined hand gestures is an example. However, hand gesture recognition may fail when the predefined command gestures are similar to some ordinary but meaningless behaviors of the user. This paper uses a gesture spotting method to recognize a designated gesture from other similar gestures. A fuzzy garbage model is proposed to provide a variable reference value to determine whether the user’s gesture is the command gesture or not. Further, the authors propose two-stage user adaptation to enhance recognition performance: that is, off-line (batch) adaptation for inter-person variation and on-line (incremental) adaptation for intra-person variation. For implementation of the two-stage adaptation method, a genetic algorithm (GA) and the steepest descent method are adopted for each stage. Experimental results were obtained for 5 different users with left and up command gestures.
System Identification Based on Dynamical Training for Recurrent Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Neural Network
Authors: Lin Tsung-Chih , Chang Yi-Ming , Lee Tun-Yuan
Published: October 2011

This paper proposes a novel fuzzy modeling approach for identification of dynamic systems. A fuzzy model, recurrent interval type-2 fuzzy neural network (RIT2FNN), is constructed by using a recurrent neural network which recurrent weights, mean and standard deviation of the membership functions are updated. The complete back propagation (BP) algorithm tuning equations used to tune the antecedent and consequent parameters for the interval type-2 fuzzy neural networks (IT2FNNs) are developed to handle the training data corrupted by noise or rule uncertainties for nonlinear system identification involving external disturbances. Only by using the current inputs and most recent outputs of the input layers, the system can be completely identified based on RIT2FNNs. In order to show that the interval IT2FNNs can handle the measurement uncertainties, training data are corrupted by white Gaussian noise with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) 20 dB. Simulation results are obtained for the identification of nonlinear system, which yield more improved performance than those using recurrent type-1 fuzzy neural networks (RT1FNNs).
Indirect Adaptive Fuzzy Control for a Class of Uncertain Nonlinear Systems with Unknown Control Direction
Authors: Labiod Salim , Boubertakh Hamid , Guerra Thierry Marie
Published: October 2011

In this paper, the authors propose two indirect adaptive fuzzy control schemes for a class of uncertain continuous-time single-input single-output (SISO) nonlinear dynamic systems with known and unknown control direction. Within these schemes, fuzzy systems are used to approximate unknown nonlinear functions and the Nussbaum gain technique is used to deal with the unknown control direction. This paper first presents a singularity-free indirect adaptive control algorithm for nonlinear systems with known control direction, and then this control algorithm is generalized for the case of unknown control direction. The proposed adaptive controllers are free from singularity, allow initialization to zero of all adjustable parameters of the used fuzzy systems, and guarantee asymptotic convergence of the tracking error to zero. Simulations performed on a nonlinear system are given to show the feasibility of the proposed adaptive control schemes.
Possibility Spaces
Authors: King Elizabeth
Published: October 2011

Interactive technologies provide today’s youth a low stakes sandbox to collect experiences (Gee, 2004) and try tasks and identities (Gee, 1991) that push the boundaries of “known” and open up the world of possibility. Pairing affordances of video games with the possible selves framework (Markus & Nurius, 1986), research involved using The Sims 2 life-simulation properties to encourage a friendship group of teenage males to create simulations of their hoped for and feared potential selves. While all participants reported increased crystallization (Super, 1981) of characteristics within their hoped for future self, at the conclusion of the intervention most participants still demonstrated an imbalance between feared and hoped potential selves. This suggests the need for additional work in the area of vocational and academic asset exploration, as well as the need to connect the consideration of possible self actualization to believable and realizable action plans.
Content Design Patterns for Game-Based Learning
Authors: Maciuszek Dennis , Ladhoff Sebastian , Martens Alke
Published: October 2011

To address the lack of documented best practices in the development of digital educational games, the authors have previously proposed a reference software architecture. One of its components is the rule system specifying learning and gameplay content. It contains quest, player character, non-player character, environment, and item rules. Documented content design patterns can assist in the authoring of such rules. This paper reports on four studies that have collected quest, character, environment, and item design patterns by analysing a variety of media. A selection of the results is presented, as well as a discussion of how the patterns can be used in designing educational game content.
Historical Perspectives on Games and Education from the Learning Sciences
Authors: Shelton Brett E. , Satwicz Tom , Caswell Tom
Published: October 2011

This paper reviews three classic theorists’ writing on games, learning, and development. Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner all wrote about games and play as important to thinking and learning. This review attempts to synthesize their perspectives as a means to revisit underused theoretical perspectives on the role of games in education. The views of Piaget and Vygotsky are applied with respect to the role of games and play in learning and development to the design of a popular commercial game. Bruner’s perspective offers the embodiment of games into a larger and controversial curriculum intended to teach young people about human culture. Each of the perspectives is reviewed and considered in light of new gaming technologies and their potential for educational change.
Designing Serious Games for People with Disabilities
Authors: Evett Lindsay , Ridley Allan , Keating Liz , Merritt Patrick , Shopland Nick , Brown David
Published: October 2011

Serious games are effective and engaging learning resources for people with disabilities, and guidelines exist to make games accessible to people with disabilities. During research into designing accessible interfaces and games, it was noted that people who are blind often report enjoying playing Wii Sports. These games are pick-up-and-play games for casual and non-gamers. They have simplified rules and a natural and intuitive feel. Games designed specifically for players with particular disabilities are often not of interest to other players and take a lot of development time. Because of their niche market, these games are not widely available, developed, or maintained. In contrast, games like Wii Sports are cheap and available, and represent an exciting opportunity as inclusive games. Two blind players were introduced to the games and found Wii Tennis the most accessible. The blind players learned to play the game quickly and easily, found it enjoyable and engaging, and could play competitively against each other, as well as a sighted opponent. Small accessibility enhancements of the existing game could enhance the game for other players. In this paper, implications for the design of accessible, inclusive games are discussed.
Towards a New Model of Co-Creation of Value in E-Learning Service Systems
Authors: Uden Lorna
Published: October 2011

Advances in information and communication technologies make e-learning an integral part of everyday life. An e-learning service can be viewed as a technology-based service system that provides educational value through instructor-learner interaction. However, little attention has been given to the services aspect of e-learning in scholarly literature. This paper examines how the conceptual framework of Service Science, Management, and Engineering (SSME), a new academic discipline also known as service science, can be applied to design innovative e-learning systems for higher education. The author introduces a service-driven model of e-learning that can be used to develop effective educational systems that will provide knowledge co-creation opportunities and meet the needs and expectations of learners in the 21st century.
Bond Graph Modeling and Computational Control Analysis of a Rigid-Flexible Space Robot in Work Space
Authors: Kumar Amit , Pathak Pushparaj Mani , Sukavanam N.
Published: October 2011

The combination of a rigid and a flexible link in a space robot is an interesting field of study from modeling and control point of view. This paper presents the bond graph modeling and overwhelming trajectory control of a rigid-flexible space robot in its work space using the Jacobian based controller. The flexible link is modeled as Euler Bernoulli beam. Bond graph modeling is used to model the dynamics of the system and to devise the control strategy, by representing the dynamics of both rigid and flexible links in a unified manner. The scheme has been verified using simulation for a rigid-flexible space manipulator with two links.
Which is Better?
Authors: Mostafa Kazi , Her Innchyn , Her Jonathan M.
Published: October 2011

Natural multiped gaits are believed to evolve from countless generations of natural selection. However, do they also prove to be better choices for walking machines? This paper compares two surefooted gaits, one natural and the other artificial, for six-legged animals or robots. In these gaits four legs are used to support the body, enabling greater stability and tolerance for faults. A standardized hexapod model was carefully examined as it moved in arbitrary directions. The study also introduced a new factor in addition to the traditional stability margin criterion to evaluate the equilibrium of such gaits. Contrary to the common belief that natural gaits would always provide better stability during locomotion, these results show that the artificial gait is superior to the natural gait when moving transversely in precarious conditions.
Ranking Tagged Resources Using Social Semantic Relevance
Authors: Thukral Anjali , Banati Hema , Bedi Punam
Published: October 2011

The WWW today is overwhelmed with information on almost every topic. Therefore, relevance ranking of web pages to a user’s expectations is a challenge, rather than retrieving a collection of thousands of web pages selected by keyword matching. This paper presents an approach to rank tagged web pages retrieved from a Social Bookmarking Site for a learner who needs web resources containing content on a given topic. Besides the popularity of the web page in the community, the relevance of a web page for ranking is computed based on the semantic distance between tags and a given topic using domain ontology. An experimental study has been conducted to evaluate the ranks generated by the proposed approach. The test collection was created using a questionnaire which was designed to judge the crawled web pages for their graded relevance on a topic.
The Effect of Stemming on Arabic Text Classification
Authors: Wahbeh Abdullah , Al-Kabi Mohammed , Al-Radaideh Qasem , Al-Shawakfa Emad , Alsmadi Izzat
Published: October 2011

The information world is rich of documents in different formats or applications, such as databases, digital libraries, and the Web. Text classification is used for aiding search functionality offered by search engines and information retrieval systems to deal with the large number of documents on the web. Many research papers, conducted within the field of text classification, were applied to English, Dutch, Chinese, and other languages, whereas fewer were applied to Arabic language. This paper addresses the issue of automatic classification or classification of Arabic text documents. It applies text classification to Arabic language text documents using stemming as part of the preprocessing steps. Results have showed that applying text classification without using stemming; the support vector machine (SVM) classifier has achieved the highest classification accuracy using the two test modes with 87.79% and 88.54%. On the other hand, stemming has negatively affected the accuracy, where the SVM accuracy using the two test modes dropped down to 84.49% and 86.35%.
Modeling and Simulation of Traffic with Integrated Services at Media Getaway Nodes in Next Generation Networks
Authors: Lokshina Izabella
Published: October 2011

This paper is devoted to modeling and simulation of traffic with integrated services at media gateway nodes in the next generation networks, based on Markov reward models (MRM). The bandwidth sharing policy with the partial overlapped transmission link is considered. Calls arriving to the link that belong to VBR and ABR traffic classes, are presented as independent Poisson processes and Markov processes with constant intensity and/or random input stream, and exponential service delay time that is defined according to MRM. Traffic compression is calculated using clustering and learning vector quantification (e.g., self-organizing neural map). Numerical examples and simulation results are provided for communication networks of various sizes. Compared with the other methods for traffic compression calculations, the suggested approach shows substantial reduction in numerical complexity.
Expanding the Model of Competitive Business Strategy for Knowledge-Based Organizations
Authors: Alstete Jeffrey W. , Meyer John P.
Published: October 2011

The established competitive generic business strategy model continues to be the dominant paradigm, despite the rapidly changing internal and external environments that companies face today. This article evaluates other strategy-related elements identified in current business research and determines if an expanded model can be applied to companies that have become more knowledge-based organizations. Ten such companies are selected for case study examination of their generic strategy, purity of usage, innovation, strategic entrepreneurship and clarity. The results provide a potential basis for an expanded model of the dominant competitive business strategy paradigm that includes these additional elements and provides a framework for future research.
An Architecture for Query Optimization Using Association Rule Mining
Authors: Bagui Sikha , Islam Mohammad , Bagui Subhash
Published: October 2011

This research presents a way to identify attribute-value relationships already existing in a database by using association rule mining to optimize query processing. Once relationships have been determined, these relationships can be used as a basis for creating temporary structures like views to optimize query operations. This paper presents an architecture that shows how table partitions in the form of views, created based on association rules, can be used to optimize queries. The results of this study were statistically significant.
Fuzzy Multiple Criteria Workflow Robustness and Resiliency Modeling with Petri Nets
Authors: Tavana Madjid , Busch Timothy E. , Davis Eleanor L.
Published: October 2011

The increasing complexity and tight coupling between people and computer systems in military operations has led to improved efficiency, as well as greater vulnerability due to system failure. Careful management of workflow systems can minimize operational vulnerability in command and control. Tavana et al. (2011) developed a workflow management framework capable of both modeling structure and providing a wide range of quantitative analysis with high-level Petri nets (PNs). The framework is based on a sustainability index that captures the concepts of self-protecting and self-healing systems. This index uses crisp numerical values to measure the robustness and resiliency of the system. However, the observed values of data in real-world military operations are often imprecise or vague. These inexact data can be represented by fuzzy numbers to reflect the decision makers’ intuition and subjective judgments. In this paper, the authors extend this model to a fuzzy framework by proposing a new fuzzy workflow modeling system with PNs. The new model plots the fuzzy robustness and resiliency measures in a Cartesian coordinate system and derives an overall fuzzy sustainability index for the system based on the theory of displaced ideals. The proposed model also considers multiple criteria to produce this fuzzy index.
Using COTS-Widgets Architectures for Describing User Interfaces of Web-Based Information Systems
Authors: Iribarne Luis , Criado Javier , Padilla Nicolás , Asensio José-Andrés
Published: October 2011

Modern Web-based Information Systems (WIS) must be flexible and prepared to be easily accessible and manageable in real-time. WIS user interfaces (UI) are still being constructed on the basis of traditional software development paradigms, without taking into account in their construction (or in the knowledge managed by the systems) the main criterion of globalization, that they must be distributed, open and changing. WIS-UI must be able to be constructed depending on the type of interaction (individual or collective) and the purpose of the interaction (management, technical, etc.). In this paper, the authors present a component-based development perspective to build user interfaces of WIS by means of the composition of widgets-components architectures and MDD approaches.
Micro Machining of Nonconductive Al2O3 Ceramic on Developed TW-ECSM Setup
Authors: Manna Alakesh , Kundal Amandeep
Published: October 2011

Advanced ceramic materials are gradually becoming very important for their superior properties such as high hardness, wear resistance, chemical resistance, and high strength to weight ratio. But machining of advanced ceramic like Al2O3-ceramics is very difficult by any well known and common machining processes. Normally, cleavages and triangular fractures generate when machining of these materials is done by traditional machining methods. It is essential to develop an efficient and accurate machining method for processing advanced ceramic materials. For effective machining of Al2O3-ceramics, a traveling wire electrochemical spark machining (TW-ECSM) setup has been developed. The developed TW-ECSM setup has been utilized to machine Al2O3 ceramic materials and subsequently test results are utilized to analyze the machining performance characteristic. Different SEM photographs show the actual condition of the micro machined surfaces. The practical research analysis and test results on the machining of Al2O3 ceramics by developed TWECSM setup will provide a new guideline to the researchers and manufacturing engineers.
Al2O3 Nanobricks via an Organic Free Route Using Water as Solvent
Authors: Shah M. A.
Published: October 2011

The chemical synthesis of nanomaterials has been studied by few researchers, but innumerable improvements and better methods have been reported in the past few years. This new approach of preparing aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanobricks is based on a soft reaction of aluminum powder and de-ionized (DI) water at 200oC without use of any additives or surfactants. Powder X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the as prepared nanobricks are highly crystalline in nature and by morphological investigations using FESEM, it was revealed that the bricks are rectangular in shape having width of 90±15nm and breadth of ~200nm, which was confirmed by high resolution TEM. The technique could be extended and expanded to provide a general, simple, and convenient strategy for the synthesis of nanostructures of other functional materials with important scientific and technological applications. The prospects of the process are bright and promising.
Large Amplitude Forced Vibration Analysis of Stiffened Plates Under Harmonic Excitation
Authors: Mitra Anirban , Sahoo Prasanta , Saha Kashinath
Published: October 2011

Large amplitude forced vibration behaviour of stiffened plates under harmonic excitation is studied numerically incorporating the effect of geometric non-linearity. The forced vibration analysis is carried out in an indirect way in which the dynamic system is assumed to satisfy the force equilibrium condition at peak excitation amplitude. Large amplitude free vibration analysis of the same system is carried out separately to determine the backbone curves. The mathematical formulation is based on energy principles and the set of governing equations for both forced and free vibration problems derived using Hamilton’s principle. Appropriate sets of coordinate functions are formed by following the two dimensional Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization procedure to satisfy the corresponding boundary conditions of the plate. The problem is solved by employing an iterative direct substitution method with an appropriate relaxation technique and when the system becomes computationally stiff, Broyden’s method is used. The results are furnished as frequency response curves along with the backbone curve in the dimensionless amplitude-frequency plane. Three dimensional operational deflection shape (ODS) plots and contour plots are provided in a few cases.
Roughness Optimization of Electroless Ni-B Coatings Using Taguchi Method
Authors: Das Suman Kalyan , Sahoo Prasanta
Published: October 2011

In this paper, the authors present an experimental study of roughness characteristics of electroless Ni-B coatings and optimization of the coating process parameters based on L27 Taguchi orthogonal design. Three coating process parameters are considered viz. bath temperature, reducing agent concentration, and nickel source concentration. It is observed that concentration of reducing agent together with bath temperature play a vital role in controlling the roughness characteristics of the coatings. The analysis yields the optimum coating parameter combination for minimum roughness. A reduction of about 15% is observed in roughness at the optimal condition compared to the initial condition. The microstructure, composition, and the phase content of the coating are also studied with the help of scanning electron microscopes energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively.
Reciprocating Wear Behaviour of Two Dimensionally Reinforced Carbon-Phenolic and Carbon-Epoxy Composites
Authors: Sarkar Sourav , Sekaran V.G. , Badisch E. , Roy Manish , Mitra R.
Published: October 2011

A comparative study has been carried out on performance of two-dimensionally reinforced carbon/phenolic (C/P) and carbon/epoxy (C/E) composites, subjected to low amplitude reciprocating wear at different temperatures. The C/P composite has shown greater wear rate than the C/E composite, with the difference being modest at room temperature, and larger at 250 °C. The values of coefficient of friction, surface roughness, and depths of craters on worn surfaces have been measured, which along with surface morphologies examined by scanning electron microscope have been correlated to both amount of weight loss and mechanisms of damage by wear.
A Data Acquisition System to Detect Bubble Collapse Time and Pressure Losses in Water Cavitation
Authors: De Giorgi M. G. , Ficarella A. , Tarantino M.
Published: October 2011

This paper presents a data acquisition system oriented to detect bubble collapse time and pressure losses in water cavitation in an internal orifice. An experimental campaign on a cavitating flow of water through an orifice has been performed to analyze the flow behavior at different pressures and temperatures. The experiments were based on visual observations and pressure fluctuations frequency analysis. Comparing the visual observations and the spectral analysis of the pressure signals, it is evident that the behavior of the different cavitating flows can be correlated to the frequency spectrum of the upstream, downstream and differential pressure fluctuations. The further reduction of the cavitation number and the consequent increase in the width of the cavitating area are related to a corresponding significant increase of the amplitude of typical frequency components. The spectrogram analysis of the pressure signals leads to the evaluation of the bubble collapse time, also compared with the numerical results calculated by the Rayleigh–Plesset equation.
A Real Time Attachment Free, Psycho Physiological Stress and Heart Rate Measurement System
Authors: Psaltis Anthony , Mourlas Constantinos
Published: October 2011

The challenges in the development of a system performing real time detection of physiological parameters are fundamentally aversive because of the incommodities caused by the wires and sensing attachments onto the user, making the measurement sessions uncomfortable. Another factor is that the sensing accessories influence the plausibility of the measurements. In this paper, the authors introduce a system based on a device that can acquire physiological signals from a computer user with no prerequisites, postural, kinetic, or other constraints in the environment of normal usage of the home computer for the detection of their psychosomatic state and optimally their affect and emotional responses. The authors also discuss issues that could otherwise compromise the credibility of the results. Redundancy and special adaptive and corrective algorithms have been developed to improve reliability and achieve acceptable standards of quality. Measurements include skin conductance (SC) and reart rate (HR) detected by sensors positioned on the vertical sides of a computer mouse. The system is intended for interactive educational environments, during assessment, e-learning, psychosomatic user profiling, mobile and web based interfaces, and for Human Computer Interaction (HCI) platforms.
Exploitation of the EDF Scheduling in the Wireless Sensors Networks
Authors: Chéour Rym , Bilavarn Sébastien , Abid Mohamed
Published: October 2011

Today, due to recent advances in wireless technology, new products using wireless sensor networks are being employed. However, despite the excitement surrounding wireless sensor networks, it is not immune to the problem of energy consumption. To overcome this deficiency and enhance the real time aspect, a growing interest lies in the implementation of an “Earliest Deadline First” (EDF) scheduler. Thus, in this paper, the authors establish a management policy of periodic tasks that is preemptive, multiprocessor, and dynamic. The authors implement a real-time scheduling policy as a part of a user-level threads package under the Linux operating system as Linux does not support EDF. Furthermore, this paper describes the technique of the EDF scheduler and how it can yield to significant power savings.
Segmenting Brand Value Perceptions of Consumers in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Barnes Stuart J. , Mattsson Jan
Published: October 2011

Virtual worlds are emerging as a promising new channel for electronic marketing and brand-related activities. However, like Second Life. This paper examines the spectrum of perceptions of consumers of four major real-life brands (Armani, Dell, Mercedes and Hublot) that have established operations in Second Life. A survey was conducted using an avatar survey bot (n=1,039). Using the FIMIX-PLS procedure (Ringle et al., 2009), an axiological measurement instrument for brand value and formative modeling techniques, the authors identify segments of consumers with different perceptions of value for each brand. The analysis shows a clear difficulty in establishing ‘emotional’ rapport with consumers in Second Life.
Comparing Effectiveness of E-learning Training and Traditional Training in Industrial Safety and Health
Authors: Rozar Norlinda Binti Mohd , Ibrahim Abdullah Bin , Razik Muhammad Ashlyzan Bin
Published: October 2011

In response to the demanding change in work environments, most companies not only depend on traditional training, but also on e-learning and emphasizing it in safety and health. The benefits and cost effectiveness of the benefits of e-learning training are trusted. Nevertheless, accidents still happen at the workplace. This has become an issue to be studied, especially on the effectiveness of e-learning training in comparison to traditional training. In this study, a framework to measure comparative effectiveness between these two learning environments was developed based on Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model and a case study was applied to test all the levels of the framework. These four levels include participant reaction, learning, achievements, behavior of employees, and results. The interview results indicated that there is no difference in the rating of the effectiveness of the two training methods based on Kirkpatrick’s model.
Systems Development Methodology for Mobile Commerce Applications
Authors: Binsaleh Muazzan , Hassan Shahizan
Published: October 2011

There are several systems development methodologies including traditional and agile methodologies being utilized in current systems development. However, it could be argued that when developing mobile commerce applications, suitable development framework should be investigated as these applications are utilized in different contexts from fixed ecommerce applications. This study identifies suitable system development methodology framework for mobile commerce applications. In order to achieve this aim, the practitioners from seven organizations were asked to provide information about their development methodologies by answering the questions regarding mobile commerce application development. The questions were opened and aimed to explore practitioner’s perspectives on the development methodologies. From the practitioner’s perspectives, it was found that there were several development methodologies being used in mobile commerce application development and these can be classified into two different development frameworks which are heavyweight/traditional and lightweight/agile methodologies. The suitable methodology framework for mobile commerce application development thus was identified.
Dialogues and Perception of Intersubjectivity in a Small Group
Authors: Lin Mei-Chung , Chen Mei-Chi , Chen Chin-Chang
Published: October 2011

The core value of Web 2.0 lies in its potential for building technologies that are open, decentralized, and shared. This paper designs group activity to facilitate knowledge building and move on learning management system to web 2.0 paradigms with computer supported collaborative learning in a small group. The “give-take” metaphor for knowledge construction in a small group discourse only interprets the solo voice phenomenon in asynchronous forums. Tumultuous, parallel, and connected voices in synchronous conferencing need alternative metaphors to understand the self and the other in a personified way. This paper represents discourse evidence of emerging meaning making, expertise commentary, self-identity, and collective confirmation as a process in small group collective knowledge-building.
A Comparison of Student and Instructor Preferences for Design and Pedagogy Features in Postsecondary Online Courses
Authors: Hu Xiaolin C. , Meyen Edward L.
Published: October 2011

This study investigates the preferences of instructors and students for design and pedagogy features of online instruction at the post-secondary level. Participants included 60 instructors and 200 students at a comprehensive research university. Correlation coefficients of .95 on the design item rankings and .87 on the pedagogy item rankings were found between instructors and students. An independent sample T-test was conducted, resulting in a finding of significant difference between the preferences of instructors and students on 19 of 63 features. Additional findings included the high level of agreement on design and pedagogy features among all students as a group and subgroups (e.g., students earning regular university credit and those pursuing professional development goals.) An interesting finding was the concurrence in the low preferences by instructors and students. Both groups rated low those features pertaining to social networking and collaboration.
Videogame Performance (Not Always) Requires Intelligence
Authors: Quiroga M. Ángeles , Román Francisco J. , Catalán Ana , Rodríguez Herman , Ruiz Javier , Herranz María , Gómez-Abad Marta , Colom Roberto
Published: October 2011

This study was designed to test whether videogame performance requires intelligence even when practice periods are much longer than previously reported (Quiroga, Herranz, Gómez-Abad, Kebir, Ruiz, & Colom, 2009a). The study involved 27 university female undergraduates. Intelligence was measured using several tests both before and after videogame practice. Participants played videogames one day per week for five weeks completing five blocks of trials each day. Total practice consisted of twenty five blocks of trials (250 trials). The main finding shows that performance for some videogames is systematically related to intelligence along the practice period, indicating that basic abilities underlying these videogames cannot be easily automated. However, for some videogames, the relationship to intelligence is greatly reduced along the practice period. Ways to challenge intelligence using videogames are proposed from these findings.
The Relationship between Student Learning Styles and Motivation during Educational Video Game Play
Authors: Findley Michael R.
Published: October 2011

Educational video games allow for a level of intrinsic motivation and engagement that is not found in other forms of learning. This study determines if students found educational video game play to be a motivating experience and if a relationship existed between student learning styles and levels of motivation. High school psychology students played two short online educational video games and, upon completion of the activity, their intrinsic motivation levels were determined using an evaluation questionnaire. The data, as determined by the evaluation questionnaire, revealed that students found playing educational video games to be intrinsically motivating. Further examination revealed no statistically significant differences between the student learning styles and the motivation experienced during educational video game play.
An Exploratory Study of Student Self-Assessment in an Online Learning Context
Authors: Wang Chien-hsing
Published: October 2011

This paper reports the investigation of the application of self-assessment in an online learning setting based on action research. The research participants were students who completed their self-assessment when taking the course on Classroom Management taught by the teacher researcher. Although the analytic results show the lack of critical reflection in student self-assessment, the teacher researcher learned the following lessons: a) self-assessment helps the students to articulate their learning results in specific; (b) self-assessment can be a means to cultivate students’ abilities in information-integration; (c) using multiple evaluative tools for assessing self-assessment is recommended to better describe the levels of student reflection; and (d) effective and efficient implementation of self-assessment requires a redesigning of the learning management system. Finally, further research can focus on the possibility of promoting the level of student reflection by encouraging students to use evaluative tools to assess their self-assessment.
The Politics of Health Finance Reform in Hong Kong
Authors: Chan Raymond K. H.
Published: October 2011

Since the late 1950s, Hong Kong’s public health services have increased. They are mainly funded by taxes, supplemented by minimal user fees. In the late 1980s, the government recognized the limitations of this financing model and subsequently proposed alternative methods of funding. Their proposals have been rejected by various stakeholders, who represented different, and even conflicting, values and interests. This paper describes the development of health services and the debates that have surrounded health financing since the late 1980s. It shows that the health finance debate in Hong Kong is not a simple issue that can be tackled by rational planning; instead, it is a complex consequence of welfare politics in an increasingly mobilized society.
Research Essay
Authors: Lister John
Published: October 2011

A distinctive model of privatisation is being rolled out in health care systems across Europe as the private sector seeks to recapture a larger share of the public and social health insurance budget for health care. The mechanism of this is “reforms” which break up centralised systems and scale down public provision, while opening up collective budgets for private providers. While such changes are being implemented at varying speeds in different countries, the restructuring since 1989 of a tax-funded health care system along market lines in England offers a case study of these “reforms” in action. The British coalition government elected in 2010 is pressing even faster for these changes in controversial new legislation.
E-Learning for ICT Group Work in a Blended Learning Environment
Authors: Soon Lisa , Fraser Campbell
Published: October 2011

How does e-learning support group work in university information and communication technology (ICT) education within a blended learning environment? While face-to-face interaction was possible for on-campus student group work, distance education students could only perform their group work online. This research adopted a qualitative case study approach. It explored the e-learning use by students in a core subject ‘Software Development’ in a Bachelor of ICT program with three group work assessments. The findings indicate that, while technology could effectively help students to collaborate in their group work and assessment tasks, some technological features in the learning management system are highly subject to constant enhancement, due to the nature of the subject requirements and the need to facilitate frequent technology-mediated interactions in some situations. A model of group work collaboration is developed to explain the need for a new design and development of features in e-learning tools.
Playing Virtual Power Games
Authors: Janneck Monique , Staar Henning
Published: October 2011

Although virtual organizations and networks have been studied, there is still need for research regarding their inner dynamics and the mechanisms of leadership and governance. This paper investigates micro-political processes i.e. informal actions of individual actors to gain power and exert influence, which is a well-researched concept in traditional organizations with respect to inter-organizational networks. This study investigates structures and strategies of power within virtual networks. Results show that micro-political tactics known from research in traditional organizations are used in inter-organizational settings. Additional micro-political tactics, specific to virtual networks, are identified. The latter are related to the use of information and communication technology (ICT). A second quantitative study surveyed 359 members of inter-organizational networks on their use of micro-political tactics. Results confirm that micro-political strategies are widely used in virtual networks. The degree of virtuality was associated with the use of certain tactics. Possible implications for the structure and governance of virtual networks and the design of the technology that is used to support virtual cooperation are discussed.
Coding for Unique Ideas and Ambiguity
Authors: Badura Victoria , Read Aaron , Briggs Robert O. , de Vreede Gert-Jan
Published: October 2011

Groups can generate so many ideas during a decision making process involving brainstorming that they become an impediment to group processes. Convergence activities reduce the number of ideas generated by the group and clarify those ideas, allowing the group to move forward with a set of ideas worthy of further attention. Research about convergence and its affect on collaboration is in the early stages. To further this research, measures of convergence are developed in this study as part of an assessment of the effects of convergence on an ideation artifact produced by managers attempting to solve an actual business problem. This paper presents a method for quantifying the reduction and clarification that has occurred through convergence using an assessment of a pre- and post-convergence artifact. This study expands upon understanding of collaboration by presenting the method of characterizing the convergence artifacts.
Understanding Collaboration Success in Context of Cognitive and Social Presence
Authors: Deokar Amit V. , Meservy Thomas O. , Helquist Joel H. , Kruse John
Published: October 2011

Collaboration and the success of collaborative efforts has been the focus of much information systems research. Recent measures of collaboration success include effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, commitment, satisfaction with the process, and satisfaction with the outcome. While the possible antecedents of collaboration success are varied, this paper suggests that constructs from the e-learning literature that evolved independently from the information systems collaboration literature can be used to explain differences in perceived collaboration success. Results from a recent exploratory study demonstrate that cognitive presence and social presence explain a large amount of the variance of different collaboration success metrics.
Towards a Model of Employee Weblog Usage
Authors: Raeth Philip , Smolnik Stefan
Published: October 2011

The recent rise of Web 2.0 ideas, principles, and applications has significantly affected the communication and interaction in social networks. While Web 2.0’s Internet usage and benefits have been investigated, certain questions are still unanswered: whether benefits such as enhanced collaboration and knowledge sharing also apply in an organizational context and whether there are more, still uncovered, benefits. Since research on the corporate adoption and use of Web 2.0 technologies is still in its early stages, neither qualitative nor quantitative models that could provide answers have been proposed. As a starting point for further developing this research stream, the authors collected and reviewed the literature on internal corporate blogging. Then the framework by Ives et al. (1980) was chosen to categorize the identified 25 articles for further analysis. The paper describes building a conceptual model and identifying the antecedents and consequences of employee weblog usage within corporations. The findings of the review suggest that employee blogging in corporations is a social and an organizational phenomenon. Individual perceptions and attitudes, peers, and cultures have a crucial influence on weblog usage, while the organization and its culture provide a framework.
A Model of Complexity Levels of Meaning Constitution in Simulation Models of Language Evolution
Authors: Lücking Andy , Mehler Alexander
Published: October 2011

Currently, some simulative accounts exist within dynamic or evolutionary frameworks that are concerned with the development of linguistic categories within a population of language users. Although these studies mostly emphasize that their models are abstract, the paradigm categorization domain is preferably that of colors. In this paper, the authors argue that color adjectives are special predicates in both linguistic and metaphysical terms: semantically, they are intersective predicates, metaphysically, color properties can be empirically reduced onto purely physical properties. The restriction of categorization simulations to the color paradigm systematically leads to ignoring two ubiquitous features of natural language predicates, namely relativity and context-dependency. Therefore, the models for simulation models of linguistic categories are not able to capture the formation of categories like perspective-dependent predicates ‘left’ and ‘right’, subsective predicates like ‘small’ and ‘big’, or predicates that make reference to abstract objects like ‘I prefer this kind of situation’. The authors develop a three-dimensional grid of ascending complexity that is partitioned according to the semiotic triangle. They also develop a conceptual model in the form of a decision grid by means of which the complexity level of simulation models of linguistic categorization can be assessed in linguistic terms.