bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Speed Optical Higher Order Neural Networks for Discovering Data Trends and Patterns in Very Large Databases
Authors: Selviah David R.
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the progress in using optical technology to construct high-speed artificial higher order neural network systems. The chapter reviews how optical technology can speed up searches within large databases in order to identify relationships and dependencies between individual data records, such as financial or business time-series, as well as trends and relationships within them. Two distinct approaches in which optics may be used are reviewed. In the first approach, the chapter reviews current research replacing copper connections in a conventional data storage system, such as a several terabyte RAID array of magnetic hard discs, by optical waveguides to achieve very high data rates with low crosstalk interference. In the second approach, the chapter reviews how high speed optical correlators with feedback can be used to realize artificial higher order neural networks using Fourier Transform free space optics and holographic database storage.
Security of Mobile Code
Authors: Kotulski Zbigniew , Zwierko Aneta
Published: May 2011

The recent development in the mobile technology (mobile phones, middleware, wireless networks, etc.) created a need for new methods of protecting the code transmitted through the network. The oldest and the simplest mechanisms concentrate more on integrity of the code itself and on the detection of unauthorized manipulation. The newer solutions not only secure the compiled program, but also the data, that can be gathered during its “journey,” and even the execution state. Some other approaches are based on prevention rather than detection. In this chapter we present a new idea of securing mobile agents. The proposed method protects all components of an agent: the code, the data, and the execution state. The proposal is based on a zero-knowledge proof system and a secure secret sharing scheme, two powerful cryptographic primitives. Next, the chapter includes security analysis of the new method and its comparison to other currently more widespread solutions. Finally, we propose a new direction of securing mobile agents by straightening the methods of protecting integrity of the mobile code with risk analysis and a reputation system that helps avoiding a high-risk behavior.
A Survey of Key Management in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Wu Bing , Wu Jie , Cardei Mihaela
Published: May 2011

Security has become a primary concern in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). The characteristics of MANETs pose both challenges and opportunities in achieving security goals, such as confidentiality, authentication, integrity, availability, access control, and nonrepudiation. Cryptographic techniques are widely used for secure communications in wired and wireless networks. Most cryptographic mechanisms, such as symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, often involve the use of cryptographic keys. However, all cryptographic techniques will be ineffective if the key management is weak. Key management is also a central component in MANET security. The purpose of key management is to provide secure procedures for handling cryptographic keying materials. The tasks of key management include key generation, key distribution, and key maintenance. Key maintenance includes the procedures for key storage, key update, key revocation, key archiving, and so forth. In MANETs, the computational load and complexity for key management are strongly subject to restriction by the node’s available resources and the dynamic nature of network topology. A number of key management schemes have been proposed for MANETs. In this chapter, we present a survey of the research work on key management in MANETs according to recent literature.
Security Measures for Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs)
Authors: Adibi Sasan , Agnew Gordon B.
Published: May 2011

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) have gained popularity in the past decade with the creation of a variety of ad hoc protocols that specifically offer quality of service (QoS) for various multimedia traffic between mobile stations (MSs) and base stations (BSs). The lack of proper end-to-end security coverage, on the other hand, is a challenging issue as the nature of such networks with no specific infrastructure is prone to relatively more attacks, in a variety of forms. The focus of this chapter is to discuss a number of attack scenarios and their remedies in MANETs including the introduction of two entities; ad hoc key distribution center (AKDC) and decentralize key generation and distribution (DKGD), which serve as key management schemes.
End-to-End (E2E) Security Approach in WiMAX
Authors: Adibi Sasan , Agnew Gordon B. , Tofigh Tom
Published: May 2011

An overview of the technical and business aspects is given for the corporate deployment of services over worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX). WiMAX is considered to be a strong candidate for the next generation of broadband wireless access; therefore its security is critical. This chapter provides an overview of the inherent and complementary benefits of broadband deployment over a long haul wireless pipe, such as WiMAX. In addition, we explore end-to-end (E2E) security structures necessary to launch secure business and consumer class services. The main focus of this chapter is to look for a best security practice to achieve E2E security in both vertical and horizontal markets. The E2E security practices will ensure complete coverage of the entire link from the client (user) to the server. This is also applicable to wireless virtual private network (VPN) applications where the tunneling mechanism between the client and the server ensures complete privacy and security for all users. The same idea for E2E security is applied to client-server-based multimedia applications, such as in Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) and voice over IP (VoIP) where secure client/server communication is required. In general, we believe that WiMAX provides the opportunity for a new class of high data rate symmetric services. Such services will require E2E security schemes to ensure risk-free high data-rate uploads and downloads of multimedia applications. WiMAX provides the capability for embedded security functions through the 802.16 security architecture standards. IEEE 802.16 is further subcategorized as 802.16d (fixed-WiMAX) and 802.16e (mobile-WiMAX). Due to the mobility and roaming capabilities in 802.16e and the fact that the medium of signal transmission is accessible to everyone, there are a few extra security considerations applied to 802.16e. These extra features include: privacy key management version 2 (PKMv2), PKM-extensible authentication protocol (EAP) authentication method, advanced encryption standard (AES) encryption wrapping, and so forth. The common security features of 802.16d and 802.16e are discussed in this chapter, as well as the highlights of the security comparisons between other broadband access, third-generation (3G) technologies, and WiMAX.
Rhizomic Network Analysis
Authors: Steinberg Alexandra
Published: May 2011

There is a general consensus that networks and community interaction provide a critical mechanism for innovation. Of recent years, we have seen a growth of interest in the role of social networks, partly fuelled by the fact that the contemporary business world has become more dynamic, complex, and global. Today an increasing number of people work in geographically dispersed networks and across organisational boundaries. With this comes the need to re-think the ways in which innovation emerges across locations, enterprises, and geographies and consequentially, how this can be analysed. However, methods for the analysis of social networks have yet to better understand knowledge dynamics of innovation. It is argued for the need to (1) switch the unit of analysis from individuals’ ideas to social construction of knowledge and (2) use the Deleuzo-Guattarian rhizomic view on networks to reveal not only the dynamics of meaning creation, but also those of meaning disruption, both essential conditions for the emergence of new concepts. A new approach, rhizomic network analysis (RNA) is explored, which aims to move analysis beyond mere description of relationship structures towards enabling the differentiation of the type of knowledge dynamics emergent. An example of an entrepreneurial business network is used to illustrate this approach.
Model-Driven Semantic Web Services
Authors: Gannod Gerald C. , Timm John T.E. , Brodie Raynette J.
Published: May 2011

The Semantic Web promises automated invocation, discovery, and composition of Web services by enhancing services with semantic descriptions. An upper ontology for Web services called OWL-S has been created to provide a mechanism for describing service semantics in a standard, well-defined manner. Unfortunately, the learning curve for semantically-rich description languages such as OWL-S can be steep, especially given the current state of tool support for the language. This chapter describes a suite of automated software tools that we have developed to facilitate the construction of OWL-S specifications. The tools operate in two stages. In the first stage, a Model Driven Architecture technique is used to generate an OWL-S description of a Web service from a UML model. This allows the developer to focus on creating a model of the Web service in a standard UML tool, leveraging existing knowledge. In the second stage, an interactive approach for generating groundings is used. This chapter describes both tools and demonstrates how the use of lightweight interactive tools facilitates creation of OWL-S specifications.
MoProSoft®
Authors: Oktaba Hanna , Vázquez Ana
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces MoProSoft as a new software process model specific for small enterprises and EvalProSoft as its corresponding assessment method. It resumes the reasons for its creation and the basic characteristics of both. It also includes the results of four pilots in very small Mexican enterprises, as well as its selection as the base documents for the development of an international standard. The authors wanted to share this experience to make clear that software process improvement in small enterprises is possible through simplified versions of good practices created by and for big transnational companies.
Estimate of Effort in Software Implementation Projects
Authors: Orozco Mendoza María Julia , Perea Evaristo Fernández , Esquivel Claudia Alquicira
Published: May 2011

This document contains a proposal for project estimation of software implementation to be used in a Mexican SME business (small and middle size companies). This method, named Ultrasist Use Case Points (UsistUCP), is based on the Use Case Point (UCP) estimation method, developed in 1993, along with the object-oriented methods, by Gustav Karner (1993). We start by explaining the use case point estimation method; then we will develop the UsistUCP proposal, specifying its differences with the original method (UCP). To make a comparative analysis between these two methods, we take one case under study to be estimated based on these two methods and then we will provide the corresponding conclusions.
Improving Resource Management
Authors: Luzuriaga Juan M. , Martínez Rodolfo , Cechich Alejandra
Published: May 2011

In organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization’s resources when they are needed. Such resources may include financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology. Usually small organizations have to carry out these activities themselves because they cannot yet afford part- or full-time help. However, they should always ensure that policies that conform to current regulations are applied. This is especially true for middle-ranged governmental organizations. In this chapter, we discuss a case study where resource management was addressed through recommendations of a process improvement model called MoProSoft. We illustrate the resource management procedure and we draw some lessons learned from the case study.
E-Government Adoption and Acceptance
Authors: Titah Ryad , Barki Henri
Published: May 2011

Despite increased research interest on e-Government, existing research has not adequately addressed two key issues concerning the implementation and integration of e-government systems: a better understanding of the factors influencing the adoption and acceptance of e-Government systems, and a better understanding of the factors that influence the effective usage of these systems. The objective of the present paper is to lay the groundwork for the development of a theoretical framework of e-government systems implementation. Based on an extensive review of the literature the paper provides a synthesis of existing empirical findings and theoretical perspectives related to e-Government adoption and presents the premises of a conceptual model that reflects the multi-dimensional nature of the acceptance and use of e-Government systems.
Worldwide E-Governance
Authors: Carrizales Tony , Holzer Marc , Manoharan Aroon
Published: May 2011

This following chapter highlights the research findings of a digital governance survey conducted in the fall of 2005. The study replicates a 2003 survey of large municipalities worldwide. This longitudinal assessment, based on the Rutgers-SKKU E-Governance Performance Index, focused on the evaluation of current practices in government, with emphasis on the evaluation of each website in terms of digital governance. Specifically, we analyzed security, usability, content of websites, the type of online services currently being offered, and citizen response and participation through websites established by city governments. Based on the 2005 evaluation of 81 cities, Seoul, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Sydney represent the highest performing cities in digital governance. There were only slight changes in the top five cities when compared to the 2003 study. Moreover, there continues to be a divide in terms of digital governance throughout the world among the 30 developed nations belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and non-OECD member nations. This divide is highlighted by the change in average scores among the municipalities when comparing municipalities from OECD and non-OECD member nations.
Local Democracy Online
Authors: Pratchett Lawrence , Wingfield Melvin , Karakaya Rabia
Published: May 2011

This report from the field analyzes the extent to which local authorities in England and Wales have responded to the e-democracy agenda by examining their Web sites and assessing their potential to deliver democracy. The analysis of Web sites provides a powerful insight into how local government is using the Internet to promote democracy. Two aspects of Web site use are particularly significant. First, the analysis reveals the overall commitment to e-democracy in local government, as it is a measure of actual behavior rather than simply an attitudinal survey. Second, it highlights the types of democratic structure being supported and the values being emphasized in the implementation of e-democracy. The research demonstrated that the potential of the Internet for enhancing democracy is not fully exploited by local authorities and there remain considerable variations between different authorities.
Epistemetrics
Authors: Geisler Eliezer
Published: May 2011

This chapter is focused on the ways and processes by which we measure human knowledge at both the individual and organizational levels. “How” we measure knowledge is strongly related to the notion of “what” we measure, described in the previous chapter. The nature of knowledge that can be measured is the externalized or explicit knowledge shared and diffused among individuals and their organizations. We recognize the existence of KANEs as the clustering of sensorial input, but we are unable at this point to adequately measure them. We have the capability to measure sensorial activities and the locations in the brain of excitations and activities that signify cognition and emotions, but we are still unable to measure knowledge at the fundamental level of clustering of sensorial inputs.1
Crossing the Chasm
Authors: Mitra Amit , Gupta Amar
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the bridge between business meanings and automated information systems. It describes the information architecture that interfaces computational processes to the business semantic.
Modeling and Analyzing Perspectives to Support Knowledge Management
Authors: Cai Jian
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces a generic modeling approach that explicitly represents the perspectives of stakeholders and their evolution traversing a collaborative process. This approach provides a mechanism to analytically identify the interdependencies among stakeholders and to detect conflicts and reveal their intricate causes and effects. Collaboration is thus improved through efficient knowledge management. This chapter also describes a Web-based information system that uses the perspective model and the social network analysis methodology to support knowledge management within collaboration.
A Re-Distributed Knowledge Management Framework in Help Desk
Authors: Leung Nelson K. Y.
Published: May 2011

In the past two decades, the widespread application of Information Technology (IT) has resulted in majority of organizational activities being automated and computerized. In order to solve business problems, gain competitive advantage and sustain organizational improvement, organizations have been investing heavily in IT and business information systems development. Consequently, the complexity of business systems has created an infinite number of technical and functional problems. This complexity also means that users are not able to work at optimal productivity when they encounter technical problems related to the system. Organization may face potential loss in income, whether direct or indirect, immediate or in the future. Help Desks (HD) were established to provide technical support to users when they encounter technical problems related to hardware, software, application programs and network connections.
Social Network Analysis
Authors: Dekker David J. , Hendriks Paul H.J.
Published: May 2011

In knowledge management (KM), one perspective is that knowledge resides in individuals who interact in groups. Concepts as communities-of-practice, knowledge networks, and “encultured knowledge” as the outcome of shared sense-making (Blackler, 1995) are built upon this perspective. Social network analysis focuses on the patterns of people’s interactions. This adds to KM theory a dimension that considers the effects of social structure on for example, knowledge creation, retention and dissemination. This article provides a short overview of consequences of social network structure on knowledge processes and explores how the insights generated by social network analysis are valuable to KM as diagnostic elements for drafting KM interventions. Relevance is apparent for management areas such as R&D alliances, product development, project management, and so forth.
Knowledge Management
Authors: Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

In an outsourcing relationship, the vendor and its clients need to transfer knowledge on a continuous basis. Relevant approaches to outsourcing relationships from the knowledge management literature include intellectual capital management and business process management, as presented in this chapter. According to Quinn (1999), executives increasingly understand that outsourcing for short-term cost cutting does not yield nearly as much as outsourcing for longer-term knowledge-based system or strategic benefits such as greater intellectual depth and access, opportunity scanning, innovation, reliability, quality, value-added solutions, or worldwide outreach.
Knowledge Management Systems Acceptance
Authors: Ericsson Fredrik , Avdic Anders
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces a framework of knowledge management systems acceptance labeled Requirements of Acceptance Model (RAM). It argues that acceptance of knowledge management systems is dependent on perceived relevance, systems accessibility, and management support. Together these components constitute the RAM. Further, it argues that implementation of systems is at large a process of acceptance where the requirements of acceptance are attained. Finally, it argues that to achieve the requirements of acceptance, implementation should be iterative and cooperative between users and developers by continually developing, implementing, and testing prototypes
Knowledge Management Systems
Authors: Maier Ronald , Hadrich Thomas
Published: May 2011

Knowledge management systems (KMSs) are seen as enabling technologies for an effective and efficient knowledge management (KM). However, up to date the term knowledge management system has often been used ambiguously. Examples are its use for specific KM tools, for KM platforms, or for (a combination of) tools that are applied with KM in mind. So far, investigations about the notion of KMS remain on the abstract level of what a KMS is used for, for example, “a class of information systems applied to managing organizational knowledge” (Alavi & Leidner, 2001, p. 114). The following two sections define the term KMS and obtain a set of characteristics that differentiates KMS from traditional information systems, such as intranet infrastructures, document- and content-management systems, groupware, or e-learning systems. Then, two ideal architectures for KMS are contrasted. It is discussed which KMS architecture fits what type of KM initiatives, and some empirical findings on the state of practice of KMS are summarized. The last sections give an outlook on future trends and conclude the article.
Conceptual Confusions in Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems
Authors: Boahene Michael , Ditsa George
Published: May 2011

Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems are slowly but surely capturing the attention of many organisations in a quest for competitive advantage. Like many other computing fads before them, there is no shortage of recipes by its proponents. This chapter discusses the emerging discipline of Knowledge Management in computing and explains the concepts underlying Knowledge Management Systems that will lead to a better development and implementation of these systems. In particular, it tackles the conceptual confusion about data, information, and knowledge, which appears to be finding its way into the Knowledge Management literature. The terms, ‘capta’ (Checkland, Howell, 1998) and ‘constructed data’ (Flood, 1999), are used in analysing these concepts to clear some of the confusion surrounding them. The use of these terms also highlights our (the IT community) taking for granted assumptions about the hierarchical relationship and the more insightful emergent relationships.
Frequent Itemset Mining and Association Rules
Authors: Imberman Susan , Uz Tansel Abdullah Uz
Published: May 2011

With the advent of mass storage devices, databases have become larger and larger. Point-of-sale data, patient medical data, scientific data, and credit card transactions are just a few sources of the ever-increasing amounts of data. These large datasets provide a rich source of useful information. Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) is a paradigm for the analysis of these large datasets. KDD uses various methods from such diverse fields as machine learning, artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, database management and design, statistics, expert systems, and data visualization.
Intranet and Organizational Learning
Authors: Boersma Kees , Kingma Sytze
Published: May 2011

In this article, we will analyze the cultural dimension of intranets as knowledge management tools within organizations. An intranet is an information communication technology (ICT) based upon Internet technology (http://www, TCP/IP). The intranet phenomenon was introduced in the early 1990s following the idea that it can integrate all the computers, software, and databases within a particular organization into a single system that enables employees to find and share all the information they need for their work (Bernard, 1997; Cortese, 1996). Intranets function as a computer-mediated communication (CMC) tool and are used as computing networks used for sharing organizational information. While Internet technology is leading, access is restricted exclusively to organizational members (by means of electronic firewalls). In a study to the role of intranets in strategic management decisions, Curry and Stancich (2000) define Intranets as “…private computing networks, internal to an organization, allowing access only to authorized users” (p. 250). The term private indicates that an intranet is a network that can be accessed only by members of a particular organization. The term network emphasizes the connection between computers that enables corporate communication. Intranets run on open but controlled networks that enable organization members to employ the same WWW servers and browsers, which are distributed over the local area network (LAN).
RDF and OWL
Authors: Zarri Gian Piero
Published: May 2011

As Web-based content becomes an increasingly important knowledge management resource, Web-based technologies are developing to help harness that resource in a more effective way.
Knowledge Integration
Authors: Berends Hans , van der Bij Hans , Weggeman Mathien
Published: May 2011

In most organizations, specialized knowledge is dispersed over organization members (Tsoukas, 1996). Organization members have different educational backgrounds and working experiences and develop different perspectives. Yet, the development and production of complex goods and services normally requires the application of multiple disciplines and perspectives. Therefore, the integration of knowledge is an important task for managers and other organization members (Carlile, 2002; De Boer, Van den Bosch, & Volberda, 1999; Galunic & Rodan, 1998; Grant, 1996a, 1996b; Kogut & Zander, 1992; Okhuysen & Eisenhardt, 2002; Ravasi & Verona, 2000).
Siemens
Authors: Heier Hauke , Borgman Hans P. , Manuth Andreas
Published: May 2011

The case study describes the issues surrounding the expansion of the community-based knowledge management system (KMS) ShareNet to the research and development (R&D) function at Siemens Information and Communication Networks (ICN). It sets the stage for a decision situation that Siemens ICN’s vice president business transformation and knowledge management, Janina Kugel, faced in 2003. While R&D usage rates differed not remarkably from other Siemens ICN functions, a strategic emphasis on innovative products and services —as well as ambitious targets for leveraging offshore development resources — necessitated a stronger penetration of this highly relevant function. Could this extension build on earlier experiences gained with the best practice implementation approach at the sales and marketing function? The case description provides a chronological account of ShareNet’s conceptualization, development, international rollout, and operation. It pays attention to information systems (IS) implementation issues, change management, and current developments in the field of knowledge management (KM).
Aristotelian View of Knowledge Management
Authors: Schwartz David G.
Published: May 2011

Defining and understanding knowledge is a rather broad and open-ended pursuit. We can narrow it considerably by stating that we are interested in defining and understanding knowledge as it pertains to knowledge management (KM) rather than tackling the entire realm of epistemology. This article takes the theory of knowledge espoused by Aristotle and views it through the lens of knowledge management.
A Knowledge Management Roadmap for E-Learning
Authors: Lytras Miltiadis D. , Naeve Ambjörn , Pouloudi Athanasia
Published: May 2011

The technological pace and the advent of the knowledge society will set in the next years the new context for e-learning evolution: The convergence of learning and daily life of citizens worldwide will be evident in new services and transparent technologies. Pervasive or ubiquitous learning will be a critical cornerstone and an ultimate achievement of the e-learning research community. Additionally, worldwide efforts will define the social responsibility character of e-learning. In this short visioning paper, we try to address two critical questions: How will knowledge management and relevant technologies affect e-learning in the forthcoming six years? and What are the critical research questions for the new period of e-learning evolution? Many of these aspects could initiate interesting PhD research.
Interactive E-Learning
Authors: Ghaoui Claude , Janvier W. A.
Published: May 2011

This paper introduces the concept of improving student memory retention using a distance learning tool by establishing the student’s communication preference and learning style before the student uses the module contents. It argues that incorporating a distance learning tool with an intelligent/interactive tutoring system using various components (psychometric tests, communication preference , learning styles, mapping learning/teaching styles, neurolinguistic programming language patterns, subliminal text messaging, motivational factors, novice/expert factor, student model, and the way we learn) combined in WISDeM to create a human-computer interactive interface distance learning tool does indeed enhance memory retention. The authors show that WISDeM’s initial evaluation indicates that a student’s retained knowledge has been improved from a mean average of 63.57% to 71.09% — moving the student from a B to an A.
Gender, Education, and Video Games
Authors: Roig Anna Escofet , Hurtado Ma Jose´ Rubio
Published: May 2011

The scope of this article is to analyze educational multimedia games from a gender perspective. Our society is changing, moving toward information and communication technologies (Castells, 1997). Schools are not exempt of this change and computers in the classroom begin to be common. This new learning tool needs to be critically evaluated by teachers. The gender construction in the world representations offered by educational multimedia should also be evaluated.
The Relationship Between e-Collaboration and Cognition
Authors: Hayne Stephen C. , Smith C. A.P.
Published: May 2011

Recent research has proposed that groupware performance may be strongly affected by the fit between the task and the groupware structures selected for use. We suggest that the link is deeper; there needs to be a fit between the task and the group’s cognitive structures as mapped to the groupware structures. In this paper, we address this shortcoming by integrating recent theories of cognition (distributed cognition, transactive memory, and template theory) from the perspective of electronic collaboration. We refine the concept of cognitive fit as applied to group work and offer propositions for further study. We suggest that template core data is used during situation assessment and that slot data refines response selection. Finally, we propose several techniques by which the group cognitive effort can be minimized, thereby leaving more capacity for the collective task. This approach is especially applicable to naturalistic group decision situations.
Evaluating Learning Management Systems
Authors: Passerini Katia
Published: May 2011

This paper maintains that the use of multimedia content in Web-based instruction — facilitated by the proliferation and standardization of learning management systems (LMS) — calls for the extension of traditional multimedia design and evaluation guidelines to the Web. The compliance with these guidelines needs to be thoroughly evaluated by any institution using (or planning to use) Web-based learning management systems. In addition to providing criteria and examples for the evaluation of these systems, the paper includes a survey instrument that can be used for university-wide assessments of the design effectiveness of technologies that support learning. As an example, the proposed evaluation instrument is applied to a learning management system developed at a large university in the United States. While the assessment refers to one system, the model, the instructional and design evaluation criteria, and the questionnaire are built for use in any organization conducting a formative and summative evaluation or a selection of learning technologies.
Knowledge Management as a Reference Theory for E-Learning
Authors: Lytras Miltiadis D. , Naeve Ambjörn , Pouloudi Athanasia
Published: May 2011

E-learning as a scientific field is in an era of transition. In the last decade, several scientific fields worked as reference disciplines for the promotion of the value delivery that new technologies offered to learning. In this paper, we will emphasize the role of knowledge management as a reference theory for e-learning.
Social Recommender Systems
Authors: Rafaeli Sheizaf , Dan-Gur Yuval , Barak Miri
Published: May 2011

Recommendation systems can play an extensive role in online learning. In such systems, learners can receive guidance in locating and ranking references, knowledge bits, test items, and so forth. In recommender systems, users’ ratings can be applied toward items, users, other users’ ratings, and, if allowed, raters of raters of items recursively. In this chapter, we describe an online learning system — QSIA — an active recommender system for Questions Sharing and Interactive Assignments, designed to enhance knowledge sharing among learners. First, we lay out some of the theoretical background for social, open-rating mechanisms in online learning systems. We discuss concepts such as social versus black-box recommendations and the advice of neighbors as opposed to that of friends. We argue that enabling subjective views and ratings of other users is an inevitable phase of social collaboration systems. We also argue that social recommendations are critical for the exploitation of the value associated with recommendation.
Educational Technology in the Middle East
Authors: Reynolds Adrienne A.
Published: May 2011

The countries of the Middle East are undergoing rapid change in many areas, and the field of education is illustrative. This is particularly the case for the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The governments of the GCC are actively striving to lessen their dependence on both their petroleum-based economies as well as the large expatriate populations that make up the majority of human resources in the workplace. One of the solutions to greater independence is through upgrading the national educational systems. Educational technology plays a key role, both as a tool used in education as well as being a conduit toward embedding technological facility into every aspect of their economic development, and thus is an end in itself.
Education Networks
Authors: Knust Michaela , Hagenhoff Svenja
Published: May 2011

Discussions about virtual universities, teleteaching or Internet-based learning usually concentrate on pedagogical or technical topics. Ideas and concepts about management, organization or profitability of Internet-based co-operations between universities are missing. This is remarkable due to the ongoing discussion about the efficiency of universities, especially in Germany. This chapter gives an example of an inter-university education network and presents the expected effects of co-operational activities. Both cost-oriented and market-oriented benefits are mentioned. Further on, actual cost- and market-oriented advantages are explained by using the case study of the education network WINFOLine. Finally the authors mention some problems and open questions about how to manage (open) education networks to initiate further discussion about this topic.
Faculty Participation in Distance Education Programs
Authors: Schifter Catherine C.
Published: May 2011

Distance education is not new to higher education. Correspondence courses have served students since the 19th century. What is different today is the use of interactive computer-mediated communication systems for distance education (DE). Indeed, DE is present in all levels of higher education, and the decision to offer DE is often an administrative one without faculty consultation.
Evaluating Computer-Supported Learning Initiatives
Authors: Nash John B. , Richter Christoph , Allert Heidrun
Published: May 2011

The call for the integration of program evaluation into the development of computer-supported learning environments is ever increasing. Pushed not only by demands from policy makers and grant givers for more accountability within lean times, this trend is due also to the fact that outcomes of computer-supported learning environment projects often fall short of the expectations held by the project teams. The discrepancy between the targets set by the project staff and the outcomes achieved suggests there is a need for formative evaluation approaches (versus summative approaches) that facilitate the elicitation of information that can be used to improve a program while it is in its development stage (c.p., Worthen, Sanders & Fitzpatrick, 1997). While the call for formative evaluation as an integral part of projects that aim to develop complex socio-technical systems is widely accepted, we note a lack of theoretical frameworks that reflect the particularities of these kind of systems and the ways they evolve (c.p., Keil-Slawik, 1999). This is of crucial importance, as formative evaluation will only be an accepted and effective part of a project if it provides information useful for the project staff. Below we outline the obstacles evaluation faces with regard to projects that design computer-supported learning environments, and discuss two promising approaches that can be used in complimentary fashion.
Privacy and Security in E-Learning
Authors: Yee George , Xu Yuefei , Korba Larry , El-Khatib Khalil
Published: May 2011

For a variety of advantages, universities and other organizations are resorting to e-learning to provide instruction online. While many advances have been made in the mechanics of providing online instruction, the needs for privacy and security have to-date been largely ignored. This chapter examines privacy and security issues associated with e-learning. It presents the basic principles behind privacy practices and legislation. It investigates the more popular e-learning standards to determine their provisions and limitations for privacy and security. Privacy requirements for e-learning systems are explored with respect to the “privacy principles.” The capabilities of a number of existing privacy enhancing technologies, including methods for network privacy, policy-based privacy/security management, and trust systems, are reviewed and assessed.
Integrating Security and Software Engineering
Authors: Mouratidis H. , Giorgini P.
Published: May 2011

This chapter serves as an introduction to this book. It introduces software engineering, security engineering, and secure software engineering, providing de?nitions and explanation of terms necessary for readers to understand the subsequent chapters. Characteristics of each of the above areas are presented followed by an overview of the current advances in these areas. Finally, the 10 approaches described in the remaining chapters of the book are brie?y introduced.
Ethics and HCI
Authors: Knight John
Published: May 2011

The goal of HCI research and design has been to deliver universal usability. Universal usability is making interfaces to technology that everyone can access and use. However, this goal has been challenged in recent times. Critics of usability (e.g., Eliot, 2002) have argued that usability “dumbs down” the user-experience to the lowest common denominator. The critics propose that focusing on ease of use can ignore the sophistication of expert users and consumers. At the same time, researchers have begun to investigate suprafunctional qualities of design including pleasure (Jordan, 2000), emotion (Norman, 2003), and fun. While recent discussions in HCI have bought these questions to the surfaces, they relate to deeper philosophical issues about the moral implications of design. Molotch (2003, p. 7), states that: Decisions about what precisely to make and acquire, and when, where, and how to do it involve moral judgements about what a man is, what a woman is, how a man ought to treat his aged parents…how he himself should grow old, gracefully or disgracefully, and so on. One response to this moral dilemma is to promote well-being rather than hedonism as an ethical design goal.
Framework for Secure Information Management in Critical Systems
Authors: Kannan Rajgopal , Iyengar S. Sitharama , Durressi A.
Published: May 2011

The techniques described in this chapter will develop an understanding of three critical areas in sensor network security, namely, data confidentiality, anonymity, and integrity along with associated security-performance tradeoffs. These results should contribute toward the design of a security framework for a common sensornet architecture and enable the flexible deployment and use of sensor networks for a large variety of applications, including homeland security.
Scalable Security and Accounting Services for Content-Based Publish/Subscribe Systems
Authors: Khurana Himanshu , Koleva Radostina K.
Published: May 2011

Content-based publish/subscribe systems offer an interaction scheme that is appropriate for a variety of large-scale dynamic applications. However, widespread use of these systems is hindered by a lack of suitable security services. In this paper, we present scalable solutions for confidentiality, integrity, and authentication for these systems. We also provide verifiable usage-based accounting services, which are required for e-commerce and e-business applications that use publish/subscribe systems. Our solutions are applicable in a setting where publishers and subscribers may not trust the publish/subscribe infrastructure.
Trust Models for Ubiquitous Mobile Systems
Authors: Burmester Mike
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the notion of trust as a means to establish security in mobile ubiquitous applications. It argues that trust is an essential requirement to enable security in open network environments. In particular in wireless ad hoc environments where there is no network topology. In such environments communication can only be achieved via routes that have to be trusted. In general it may be hard, or even impossible, to establish, recall and maintain trust relationships. It is therefore important to understand the limitations of such environments and to find mechanisms that may support trust either explicitly or implicitly. We consider several models that can be used to enable trust in such environments, based on economic, insurance, information flow and evolutionary paradigms.
Integrating Access Policies into the Development Process of Hypermedia Web Systems
Authors: Diaz Paloma , Sanz Daniel , Montero Susana , Aedo Ignacio
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the integration of access control in the development process of hypermedia applications. Two key ideas are proposed: the use of high level, abstract access control models and the inclusion of access control in the whole life cycle of hypermedia applications. Authors present an access control model for hypermedia that makes it possible to formalize access policies using elements of the hypermedia domain, those used to specify structure and navigation services. Abstract models are not enoughto assist developers in dealing with security in a systematic way. Thus, authors describe how high-level access rules can be specified following the Ariadne Development Method (ADM). The ARCE project is used as example of development.
Security in Health Information Systems
Authors: Ilioudi Christina , Lazakidou Athina A.
Published: May 2011

The development of Internet technology and Web-based applications made health information more accessible than ever before from many locations by multiple health providers and health plans. In this chapter, security in health information systems is put into perspective. The further penetration of information technology into healthcare is discussed, and it is concluded that information systems have already become a vital component, not only for the logistics of the healthcare institution but also for the rendering of care and cure.
Information Privacy in a Surveillance State
Authors: Rananand Pirongrong Ramasoota
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines information privacy as manifested and understood in Thai society. Multidisciplinary perspectives—philosophical, anthropological, historical, legal, policy oriented, and communicative—are used to explore information privacy, which arguably is emerging as an ethic in Thailand. While the diffusion of ICTs along with the country’s aspiration toward an information society may have given rise to this conceptual emergence, the longstanding surveillance that characterizes the Thai state is reckoned to be a major hindrance to a meaningful realization of this ethic in Thai society.
Conducting Congruent, Ethical Qualitative Research on Internet-Mediated Research Environments
Authors: Maczewski M. , Storey M.A. , Hoskins M.
Published: May 2011

Research practices in Internet-mediated environments are influenced by the dynamic interplay of online, onground and technical research spheres. This chapter illuminates the different ways in which studies can be located within these spheres and explores the resulting implications for researcher-participant relationships. Issues of participant recruitment, data collection, data use and ownership, trust and voice are discussed. The authors suggest that to conduct ethical qualitative research online, the researcher is required to develop and demonstrate awareness of the specific Internet-mediated research contexts, knowledge of technologies used and of research practices congruent with the situatedness of the study.
Initial E-Commerce Efforts in Nine Least Developed Countries
Authors: Wresch William
Published: May 2011

While e-commerce would seem to be a unique opportunity for poor countries with limited local markets to sell goods to richer nations, limited research is available on the current status of e-commerce efforts in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). This study reviewed the efforts of the nine countries identified by the UNDP as having the least technological capacity. Statistics provided by the UNDP demonstrate serious national infrastructure problems in each of the countries. Yet a survey of business web sites finds that all but one (Sudan) has some minimal e-commerce efforts underway. A survey sent to companies in three of these countries showed that many companies were being creative in where they were hosting their web sites and were able to keep their web costs low. Yet the vast majority also reported slow sales and a variety of local barriers to success. A review of the products they are offering on their sites found that the product mix might be particularly problematic. The author hopes the results of this study will suggest improved strategies for companies in LDCs seeking to use e-commerce to expand their markets.
Analysis of Software Requirements Engineering Exercises in a Global Virtual Team Setup
Authors: Edwards H. Keith , Sridhar Varadharajan
Published: May 2011

Businesses that are involved in offshore software development often operate in a virtual project environment in which peer teams located at customer premise exchange project specifications with the offshore software development facility. To understand the complex issues in such a virtual project environment during the requirements definition phase of the software development cycle, we conducted an exploratory research study, involving 24 virtual teams based in Canada and India, working on defining business requirements for software projects, over a period of five weeks. The study indicates that trust between the teams and well-defined task structure positively influence the efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction level of global virtual teams.