bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Les facteurs clés de succès de l'écoconception : leçons tirées de quelques cas d'entreprises
Authors: Vernier Marie-France
Published: November 2013

Un nombre croissant d’entreprises modifient en totalité ou en partie leur processus de production afin de réduire l’impact négatif de leur activité sur l’environnement. Cette orientation en faveur de l’environnement est susceptible d’entraîner de nombreux atouts, quoiqu’elle requière de relever certains défis. L’objet de cet article est de définir l’écoconception, de traiter de ses atouts et de ses défis et de relever les conditions de succès des actions des entreprises dans ce domaine. Pour illustrer les facteurs de succès de l’écoconception des produits, nous nous appuyons sur cinq cas d’entreprises ayant réussi ou échoué lors de la mise sur le marché d’un produit écoconçu.
Identifying Technical Competences of IT Professionals
Authors: Colomo-Palacios Ricardo , Tovar-Caro Edmundo , García-Crespo Ángel , Gómez-Berbís Juan Miguel
Published: November 2013

This paper aims to identify technical competency levels relevant to Software Engineering in a spectrum of professional profiles which are found in Spain’s main Software Development companies. The research work presents a combination of three initiatives. The first step constitutes a review of the literature related to the characterization of the labor force in the Software Engineering domain. The subsequent step consists of a qualitative study of the practices of a set of organizations, and lastly, this was followed by a quantitative analysis based on investigative surveys administered to a number of representative professionals. The professional career is established from seven consecutive profiles. The pyramidal model for professional careers, identifying one single professional track going from Junior Programmer to IT Director, is still present in the organisations subject to this study. Technical excellence is reached in a determined professional profile, in this case “D”. From this point onwards, other competencies which are not uniquely characteristic of Software Engineering gain importance, and stimulate professional development towards higher levels.
IT Professionals
Authors: Trigo António , Varajão João , Soto-Acosta Pedro , Barroso João , Molina-Castillo Francisco J. , Gonzalvez-Gallego Nicolas
Published: November 2013

Nowadays, Universities and other Training Institutions need to clearly identify the Information Technology (IT) skills that companies demand from IT practitioners. This is essential not only for offering appropriate and reliable university degrees, but also to help future IT professionals on where to focus in order to achieve better job positions. In an attempt to address this issue, this study rely on 102 Chief Information Officers, from Iberian large companies, to characterize current IT professionals and what is expected from future hirings. Results revealed that IT Technicians and Senior Analysts are the predominant positions and also that future hiring will request candidates with at least two to five years of work experience. The two most important skills found were core functions at the IT department: business knowledge and user support. In contrast, traditional competences such as web development and management of emerging technologies were less demanded.
Glass Ceilings in Portugal?
Authors: Mendes Raquel
Published: November 2013

Despite the evidence of female progress with regard to women’s role in the labor market, gender inequality remains. Women are still less likely to be employed than men, occupational gender segregation continues, and females continue to earn less than males. The gender wage gap remains wide in several occupational sectors, among which is the information technology (IT) sector. This paper focuses the determinants of gender wage inequality. More precisely, it investigates for statistical evidence of a glass ceiling effect on women’s wages. Based on the quantile regression framework, the empirical analysis extends the decomposition of the average gender wage gap to other parts of the earnings distribution. The main objective is to empirically test whether gender-based wage discrimination is greater among high paid employees, in line with glass ceiling hypothesis. Larger unexplained gaps at the top of the wage distribution indicate the existence of a glass ceiling effect in Portugal.
RSS-Based Learning Using Audio
Authors: García Víctor Manuel Álvarez , Ruiz María del Puerto Paule , van Dort Remko , Pérez Juan Ramón Pérez
Published: November 2013

Specifications such as RSS feeds are opening a new channel of communication for Internet-based learning, which gives a decentralized view of web resources while maintaining the privacy of teachers and students who are consulting the information. This philosophy can be used to create personalized learning tools in which users can take control of resources they want to have access to. In this regard, RSS is XML-based, which makes it easy to complement visual access with audio interfaces, adapting the feeds to different educational contexts and learning styles. This paper discusses the use of feed syndication to create personalized feed readers accessible in visual and voice formats.
Team Software Process in GSD Teams
Authors: Hernández-López Adrián , Colomo-Palacios Ricardo , García-Crespo Ángel , Soto-Acosta Pedro
Published: November 2013

Distributed software development is becoming the norm for the software industry today as an organizational response to globalization and outsourcing tendencies. In this new environment, centralized models for software development team building models have to be reanalyzed. Team Software Process (TSP) guides engineering teams in developing software-intensive products and is intended to improve the levels of quality and productivity of a team’s software development project. In this paper, the authors assess the difficulty of using TSP in distributed software development environments. The objective of this assessment is twofold; firstly, know the general difficulty for using TSP in these environments, and secondly, know the caveats to be addressed in future software development team building models designed specifically for distributed environments.
Collaborative Innovation for the Management of Information Technology Resources
Authors: O’Sullivan David , Dooley Lawrence
Published: November 2013

All organisations are now facing one of the largest upheavals in business practice since the ‘great depression’. Information technology organisations, who frequently lead the development of change based around ICT, are being asked to develop new products and services that add significant value for customers and to radically change their internal processes so that they are more cost effective. Innovation is process of creating positive change to any organisation and that adds value to customers – internal and external. Innovation is now widely accepted at the only sustainable engine of renewed growth for organisations. Organisations that do not embrace innovation and learn to apply its principles will simply stagnate or be obliterated by competition. ICT organisations that can learn to apply innovation effectively will become key strategic assets in driving costs down and also in adding new dimensions to product and service development. This paper presents an approach to applying innovation in any ICT based organisation, be it a service department within a larger organisation or a commercial business that generates ICT solutions for clients. The process of innovation in ICT based organisations is similar to innovation in any organisation and requires an in-depth understanding and practice of developing innovation goals, the management of innovative actions or projects, the empowerment of human capital or teams and the continuous monitoring of innovation performance. This paper presents a methodology for applying innovation and a case study of how innovation related knowledge can be managed in any ICT organisation.
GOTOPS
Authors: Campos Helena , Amaral Luís
Published: November 2013

Information Systems Technology (IST) has an increasingly central role in today’s globalised information society. In this regard, it is imperative to recognise the impossibility of a technological life without ethics. As typical components for an ethics program, the authors use Codes of Ethics/Conduct/Practices (CE/CC/CP) as some professions (physicians, lawyers, etc.) have adopted them. The codes are instrumental in developing sound relations with various stakeholders to reduce the number of legal proceedings and contingencies, negotiate conflicts of interest, and ensure the fulfillment of the law. In view of this, the codes should be dynamic and not static documents, used for the advancement in easy reading, understanding, and structure. This will be instrumental for their followers to more easily consult and understand them, and find guidelines for their key ethical problems and concerns. This paper proposes the voluntary GOTOPS code of the techno ethics governance, that is, ethical problems raised by IST.
An eAgriculture-Based Decision Support Framework for Information Dissemination
Authors: Armstrong Leisa J. , Diepeveen Dean A. , Tantisantisom Khumphicha
Published: November 2013

The ability of farmers to acquire knowledge to make decisions is limited by the information quality and applicability. Inconsistencies in information delivery and standards for the integration of information also limit decision making processes. This research uses a similar approach to the Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) methodology to develop an ICT based framework which can be used to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge for farmers’ decision making processes. This is one of the leading areas of research and development for information technology in an agricultural industry, which is yet to utilize such technologies fully. The Farmer Knowledge and Decision Support Framework (FKDSF) takes information provided to farmers and utilizes processes that deliver this critical information for knowledge acquisition. The framework comprises data capture, analysis, and data processing, which precede the delivery of the integrated information for the farmer. With information collected, captured, and validated from disparate sources, according to defined sets of rules, data mining tools are then used to process and integrate the data into a format that contributes to the knowledge base used by the farmer and the agricultural industry.
Technological Dissemination in the Portuguese Payments System
Authors: Pinto Sara , Ferreira Fernando
Published: November 2013

Nowadays, few would contest that the contribution of ICT – Information and Communication Technologies – for the progress of the payments system in Portugal has been significant. The continuous irruption of new payment forms, as well as the emergence of more attractive and profitable offers, triggers countless changes. In fact, there has been an organizational restructuring of the banks, aiming at achieving higher efficiency levels, resulting from the use of ICT. In broad terms, the payments system in Portugal has been revealing high levels of modernity. However, is that adhesion to ICT similar in all the regions that are part of the Portuguese territory? The main goal of this study focuses on an empirical analysis which allows to investigate the degree of convergence, regarding the technological dissemination for banking purposes, between the region of Santarém and the national trends.
Use and Participation in Virtual Social Networks
Authors: Pagani Margherita , Hofacker Charles F.
Published: November 2013

Managers are increasingly interested in the social web, as it provides numerous opportunities for strengthening and expanding relationships with customers, but the network processes that lead to these user-based assets are poorly understood. In this paper, the authors explore factors influencing use and participation in virtual social networks. They also discuss unusual drivers and inhibitors present with virtual social networks—highlighted by the presence of positive network externalities and fears that the content will be misused. The authors offer hypotheses stemming from a model of how these factors work together, test the model with a dataset collected from two different virtual social networks, and discuss the implications of this work. The findings offer managers insights on how to nurture Web 2.0 processes.
Effects of Computer Self Efficacy on the Use and Adoption of Online Social Networking
Authors: Mew Lionel , Money William H.
Published: November 2013

Online Social Networking (OSN) systems such as Ning, MySpace, Facebook and Friendster have achieved tremendous popularity. However, little research has been conducted to determine factors motivating users with varying capabilities to use and adopt OSN systems addressing target tasks, with varying system capabilities and characteristics. The relationships between user characteristics and use/performance have not been adequately addressed. This study used a cross-sectional survey of 262 graduate and undergraduate students to examine how end user Computer Self-Efficacy (CSE) affects performance and use of OSN systems and how “fit” determines whether there are user, task and/or systems characteristics associated with the best performance and usage levels. Significant direct and indirect relationships were found between CSE, task and system characteristics as measured by performance and use, and these relationships were further significantly strengthened when there was good “fit” between the variables. Results indicate that users having high self-efficacy “fit” with task or systems characteristics produce higher performance and use.
Team Identification, Team Performance and Leader-Member Exchange Relationships in Virtual Groups
Authors: Eveleth Daniel M. , Eveleth Alex B.
Published: November 2013

While previous research has identified group identification as an important factor in affecting relevant outcomes (e.g., satisfaction, turnover, commitment) in face-to face environments, this paper provides initial evidence to support the proposition that group identification also matters in virtual environments. In particular, the authors found that team members’ perceptions of the leader-member exchange relationship and the team’s past performance are related to individuals’ identification with the virtual team and that identification affects satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Individuals who perceive leader-member exchange as high (e.g., the leader displays a willingness to help the team member solve problems and the leader recognizes the member’s potential) and who report that their teams perform well had stronger identification with the team. Individuals who reported strong identification with their team were more satisfied with the team and had greater intentions to perform positive behaviors in the future.
Should Employees Accept Their Boss’s Facebook ‘Friend’ Request?
Authors: Karl Katherine , Peluchette Joy , Schlaegel Christopher
Published: November 2013

This study examines gender and cultural differences in reactions and responses to a Facebook ‘friend’ request from the boss. The auhtors found respondents were more likely to have positive (e.g., pleased, honored) reactions followed by questionable reactions (e.g., worried, suspicious) and least likely to have negative reactions (e.g., disgusted, offended). Although most respondents would accept the request, many would have reservations about doing so. Contrary to expectations, no gender differences were found. Significant cultural differences were found such that U.S. respondents were more likely than German respondents to have negative and questionable reactions and German respondents were more likely than U.S. respondents to have positive reactions. Implications and suggestions for future research are then discussed.
Tracing Community Life across Virtual Settlements
Authors: Akoumianakis Demosthenes
Published: November 2013

Recent scholarship has demonstrated that virtual communities can be traced in the online ‘tells’ retained by popular virtual settlements like Facebook and Twitter. In this article, the authors push this line of research toward an analysis of pre-requisites and constrains of virtual settlements that determine the understanding of community life across settlements. The approach followed is grounded on a ‘practice lens’ that views virtual communities as enacted cyber-structures revealed through cultural artifacts facilitated by affordances inscribed into virtual settlements. The presence or absence of key affordances determines not only what is retained as online ‘tells’ in a virtual settlement but also the type and range of cultural artifacts, as well as how these artifacts are used across virtual settlements.
Impact of Social Networking on College Students
Authors: Kanagavel Rajalakshmi , Velayutham Chandrasekharan
Published: November 2013

In today’s world where Internet has experienced tremendous growth, social networking sites have become highly significant in peoples’ lives. This comparative study between India and the Netherlands will concentrate on youngsters more precisely college going students in Chennai and Maastricht. The research explores how college students create identity for themselves in the virtual world and how they relate to others online. It will analyze the cultural differences from the youth perspective in both the countries and discuss whether social networking sites isolate youngsters from the society or help them to build relationships; the participation in these sites is also explored. Survey technique, interview, and online observation were the research methods used. Findings show that Indian students spend more time in these sites than Dutch students and Dutch students participate more actively than Indian students. It was also found that virtual interaction taking place in these sites is just a supplement to real life interaction.
Towards Knowledge Evolution in Software Engineering
Authors: Wautelet Yves , Schinckus Christophe , Kolp Manuel
Published: November 2013

This article presents an epistemological reading of knowledge evolution in software engineering (SE) both within a software project and into SE theoretical frameworks principally modeling languages and software development life cycles (SDLC). The article envisages SE as an artificial science and notably points to the use of iterative development as a more adequate framework for the enterprise applications. Iterative development has become popular in SE since it allows a more efficient knowledge acquisition process especially in user intensive applications by continuous organizational modeling and requirements acquisition, early implementation and testing, modularity,… SE is by nature a human activity: analysts, designers, developers and other project managers confront their visions of the software system they are building with users’ requirements. The study of software projects’ actors and stakeholders using Simon’s bounded rationality points to the use of an iterative development life cycle. The later, indeed, allows to better apprehend their rationality. Popper’s knowledge growth principle could at first seem suited for the analysis of the knowledge evolution in the SE field. However, this epistemology is better adapted to purely hard sciences as physics than to SE which also takes roots in human activities and by the way in social sciences. Consequently, we will nuance the vision using Lakatosian epistemology notably using his falsification principle criticism on SE as an evolving science. Finally the authors will point to adaptive rationality for a lecture of SE theorists and researchers’ rationality.
A Holistic Approach for Understanding Project Management
Authors: Kraft Theresa A. , Steenkamp Annette Lerine
Published: November 2013

Companies invest significant sums of money in major Information Technology (IT) projects, yet success remains limited. Despite an abundance of IT Project Management (ITPM) resources available to project teams, such as the Project Management Institute (PMI) Body of Knowledge, IT standards and IT governance, a large percentage of IT projects continue to fail and ultimately get scrapped. Recent studies have shown an average of 66% IT project failure rate, with 52% of the projects being cancelled, and 82% being delivered late. The purpose of this research was to provide a way for uncovering potential causes of IT project failures by utilizing a systemic and holistic approach to identify critical success factors for project management. The holistic approach has enabled the development of an ITPM conceptual model, which provides a method to evaluate the critical success factors of a given project, and their alignment with each other. The adoption of the systemic methodology and its implementation increase the potential for IT project success, and alert project leaders of potential problems throughout the life of the project.
A Service Oriented Architecture for Coordination in Collaborative Environments
Authors: Valverde Beatriz Jiménez , Román Miguel Sánchez , Vela Francisco L. Gutiérrez , Rodríguez Patricia Paderewski
Published: November 2013

An important feature in collaborative environment is coordination, defined as the act of managing interdependencies between activities performed to achieve a goal. These interdependencies can be the result of loosely integrated collaborative activities (the use of coordination processes within the collaboration activities is not required) or tightly integrated collaborative activities (sophisticated coordination mechanisms are necessary). The existence of both activities along with the dynamic nature of these environments adds a greater complexity to the coordination that has not been taken into account in traditional collaborative systems. In this work, the authors present a partially Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) that defines and maintains dynamic coordination polities in collaborative systems based on coordination models.
Mobile Enterprise Architecture Framework
Authors: Li Zongjun , Steenkamp Annette Lerine
Published: November 2013

The Mobile Enterprise is a new form of enterprise in the contemporary mobile era. Although several well-known enterprise architecture frameworks are used by enterprises, it is apparent that there is no industry standard available to enable an enterprise to transform its business processes to incorporate mobile technologies to advantage. This paper presents a conceptual Mobile Enterprise Architecture Framework and supporting methodology and process model which can aid enterprise decision makers to evaluate the business values, and analyze the risks and other critical business and technical factors for enterprise mobile initiatives and mobile transitions. The framework covers both the enterprise and mobile enterprise architecture domains that represent the Enterprise, Business, and Mobile Adoption levels. The goal at the Enterprise Level is to obtain a mobile enterprise and the technologies adopted at the Mobile Adoption Level are the different mobile technologies to be incorporated. Each level contains some important components impacting the mobile enterprise transformation. The methodology and process model cover the Strategy, Analysis, Design, Implementation, and Maintenance stages for each mobile initiative, and were validated in a research project against some Ontario Government mobile initiatives.
Testable Theory Development for Small-N Studies
Authors: Smith Matthew L.
Published: November 2013

Theory testing within small-N research designs is problematic. Developments in the philosophy of social science have opened up new methodological possibilities through, among other things, a novel notion of contingent causality that allows for contextualized hypothesis generation, hypothesis testing and refinement, and generalization. This article contributes to the literature by providing an example of critical realist (one such new development in the philosophy of social science) theory development for a small-N comparative case study that includes hypothesis testing. The article begins with the key ontological assumptions of critical realism and its relation to theory and explanation. Then, the article presents an illustrative example of an e-government comparative case study, focusing on the concept of trust, which follows these ontological assumptions. The focus of the example is on the nature and process of theory and hypothesis development, rather than the actual testing that occurred. Essential to developing testable hypotheses is the generation of tightly linked middle-range and case-specific theories that provide propositions that can be tested and refined. The link provides a pathway to feed back the concrete empirical data to the higher level (more abstract) and generalizable middle-range theories.
Multi-Level Service Infrastructure for Geovisual Analytics in the Context of Territorial Management
Authors: Conti Giuseppe , De Amicis Raffaele , Piffer Stefano , Simões Bruno
Published: November 2013

The management of a territory is a complex process, involving a number of different operators, administrators and decision makers. Territory management requires accessing and processing a wide range of heterogeneous and multi-dimensional GI (GI). Within a typical scenario, the process involves departments at public administrations responsible for urban planning, environmental control, infrastructure planning and maintenance. Additionally units such as civil protection, fire brigades also play a vital role when dealing with emergencies. Data to be managed range from alphanumerical information, stored within enterprise-level databases, to satellite imagery, vector data and information coming from on-site sensors. It is acknowledged that creating an infrastructure capable to provide access to such a range of information requires, an integrated system approach, both from a technological and from a procedural point of view. This article illustrates the benefit of adopting a system approach which makes use of Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA) and 3D geobrowsers to provide an answer to the aforementioned shortcomings. To do so the article presents the client-server platform designed to support decision makers and experts from local or regional administrations in the process of managing their territory. The infrastructure developed allows a large number of concurrent applications to access geographical data in a fully interactive way, within a 3D environment, thus providing support to territorial and environmental management tasks. The work illustrates also the results of the application of the infrastructure within a real-life scenario, thus providing the chance to discuss of implications of adopting such an approach.
Analysis of Click Stream Patterns using Soft Biclustering Approaches
Authors: Banu P. K. Nizar , Inbarani H.
Published: November 2013

As websites increase in complexity, locating needed information becomes a difficult task. Such difficulty is often related to the websites’ design but also ineffective and inefficient navigation processes. Research in web mining addresses this problem by applying techniques from data mining and machine learning to web data and documents. In this study, the authors examine web usage mining, applying data mining techniques to web server logs. Web usage mining has gained much attention as a potential approach to fulfill the requirement of web personalization. In this paper, the authors propose K-means biclustering, rough biclustering and fuzzy biclustering approaches to disclose the duality between users and pages by grouping them in both dimensions simultaneously. The simultaneous clustering of users and pages discovers biclusters that correspond to groups of users that exhibit highly correlated ratings on groups of pages. The results indicate that the fuzzy C-means biclustering algorithm best and is able to detect partial matching of preferences.
Preventative Actions for Enhancing Online Protection and Privacy
Authors: Furnell Steven , von Solms Rossouw , Phippen Andy
Published: November 2013

Many citizens rely upon online services, and it is certain that this reliance will increase in the future. However, they frequently lack a solid appreciation of the related safety and security issues, and can be missing out on an essential aspect of awareness in everyday life. Indeed, users are often concerned about online threats, but it would be stretching the point to claim that they are fully aware of the problems. Thus, rather than actually protecting themselves, many will simply accept that they are taking a risk. This paper examines the problem of establishing end-user eSafety awareness, and proposes means by which related issues can be investigated and addressed. Recognising that long-term attitudes and practices will be shaped by early experiences with the technology, it is particularly important to address the issue early and improve awareness amongst young people. However, the problem is unlikely to be addressed via the approaches that would traditionally be applied with adult users. As such, the paper examines information gathering and awareness-raising strategies drawing from qualitative methodologies in the social sciences, whose pluralistic approach can be effectively applied within school contexts.
Cryptographic Approaches for Privacy Preservation in Location-Based Services
Authors: Magkos Emmanouil
Published: November 2013

Current research in location-based services (LBSs) highlights the importance of cryptographic primitives in privacy preservation for LBSs, and presents solutions that attempt to support the (apparently) mutually exclusive requirements for access control and context privacy (i.e., identity and/or location), while at the same time adopting more conservative assumptions in order to reduce or completely remove the need for trust on system entities (e.g., the LBS provider, the network operator, or other peer nodes). This paper surveys the current state of knowledge concerning the use of cryptographic primitives for privacy-preservation in LBS applications.
Evolution of IC Science and Beyond
Authors: Edvinsson Leif
Published: November 2013

Today we are bombarded by information and news signals, including health, meteorological, and financial issues. The interpretation of many of these signals will call for a new dimension of Systems Science for enterprises and society, which can be called Intellectual Capital (IC) Science. This article will look into the evolution of IC Science during the past 20 years and emerging signals for its future applications.
The Knowledge CORE
Authors: Griffiths David A. , Koukpaki Serge , Martin Brian Yan
Published: November 2013

This paper derives from a research project, which sets out to address practitioner dissatisfaction in the area of Knowledge Management. The author discusses common weaknesses in existing thinking about Knowledge Management and in prevailing models in particular. Modelling processes are considered and underlying assumptions that are required to be addressed in any attempt to create a Knowledge Management Model are examined. An overview is provided of the initial stages in the development of a new, synthetic and general model, The Knowledge Core©, with assumptions underlying this signposted and their influences upon modelling are discussed.
Knowledge Crash and Knowledge Management
Authors: Ermine Jean-Louis
Published: November 2013

Population ageing is a phenomenon that is quite new and irreversible in the history of mankind. Every country and every organisation is concerned while it is not certain that all the risks and challenges have been clearly identified. Clearly, there is a risk of massive knowledge loss, i.e., “Knowledge Crash”, due to massive retirements, but not exclusively for this reason. This risk is not evaluated at the right level, and in this regard, this article, by including the problem of “Knowledge Crash” in the more general framework of “Knowledge Management”, enlarges the concepts of knowledge, generation, and knowledge transfer. The author proposes a global approach, starting from a strategic analysis of a knowledge capital and ending in the implementation of socio-technical devices for inter-generational knowledge transfer.
SEMCL
Authors: Guo Weisen , Kraines Steven B.
Published: November 2013

To promote global knowledge sharing, one should solve the problem that knowledge representation in diverse natural languages restricts knowledge sharing effectively. Traditional knowledge sharing models are based on natural language processing (NLP) technologies. The ambiguity of natural language is a problem for NLP; however, semantic web technologies can circumvent the problem by enabling human authors to specify meaning in a computer-interpretable form. In this paper, the authors propose a cross-language semantic model (SEMCL) for knowledge sharing, which uses semantic web technologies to provide a potential solution to the problem of ambiguity. Also, this model can match knowledge descriptions in diverse languages. First, the methods used to support searches at the semantic predicate level are given, and the authors present a cross-language approach. Finally, an implementation of the model for the general engineering domain is discussed, and a scenario describing how the model implementation handles semantic cross-language knowledge sharing is given.
A Collective-Intelligence View on the Linux Kernel Developer Community
Authors: Xia Haoxiang
Published: November 2013

With the rapid proliferation of all sorts of online communities, the knowledge creation and dissemination in these online communities have become a prominent social phenomenon. In this paper, one typical Open Source Software community—the online community of Linux kernel developers—is studied from the perspective of collective intelligence, to explore the social dynamics behind the success of the Linux kernel project. The Linux kernel developer community is modeled as a supernetwork of triple interwoven networks, namely a technological media network, a collaboration network of the developers, and a knowledge network. The development of the LDC is then an evolutionary process through which the supernetwork expands and the collective intelligence of the community develops. In this paper, a bottom-up approach is attempted to unravel this evolutionary process.
Exploring the Enterprise Value of Wikis through Media Choice Theories
Authors: Wagner Christian , Schroeder Andreas , Wong Wing , Shum Anna
Published: November 2013

Wikis are quickly emerging as a new corporate medium for communication and collaboration. They allow dispersed groups of collaborators to asynchronously engage in persistent conversations, the result of which is stored on a common server as a single, shared truth. To gauge the enterprise value of wikis, the authors draw on Media Choice Theories (MCTs) as an evaluation framework. MCTs reveal core capabilities of communication media and their fit with the communication task. Based on the evaluation, the authors argue that wikis are equivalent or superior to existing asynchronous communication media in key characteristics. Additionally argued is the notion that wiki technology challenges some of the held beliefs of existing media choice theories, as wikis introduce media characteristics not previously envisioned. The authors thus predict a promising future for wiki use in enterprises.
A Rough-Sets Approach to Kansei Evaluation Modeling and Design Support
Authors: Ju Hongli , Nakamori Yoshiteru
Published: November 2013

This paper proposes a Kansei modeling technique by using the Rough-sets Theory based on a set of evaluation data for Kutani-ware coffee cups. Kutani-ware is a famous traditional craft that is a very important traditional industry in Japan. However, it has been shrinking recently because of the changes in lifestyle or the appearance of more functional modern products. To reactivate this industry by developing and recommending products that attract people’s feelings, this study develops a modeling technique for identifying relations between design and feeling by obtaining some if-and-then rules. An important contribution of the paper is that the proposed technique can suggest new designs by analyzing customers’ Kansei requirements, which are not used in the evaluation experiment. This makes the recommendation successful by determining people’s Kansei into data instead of attempts.
A Knowledge-Based System for Sharing and Reusing Tacit Knowledge in Robotic Manufacturing
Authors: Wang Lei , Tian Yajie , Sawaragi Tetsuo , Horiguchi Yukio
Published: November 2013

A critical problem in robotic manufacturing is that the task of teaching robotics is rather time-consuming. This has become a serious problem in the present age of cost reduction. Collaboration with a company in the field has revealed that the root cause of this problem is that there is not a common knowledge base in this domain, which can serve as shared and reused knowledge. In robotic manufacturing, the skills and experiences of skilled workers are a form of tacit knowledge that is difficult to be acquired and transferred to other workers and robots. This paper proposes a knowledge-based system for sharing and reusing tacit knowledge in the robotic assembly domain. In this system, a modified EBL (Explanation-based Learning) method is proposed to generalize tacit knowledge from specific robotic programs made by skilled workers. A newly operational criterion is proposed for the generalized tacit knowledge, which demands that it should be expressed understandably by human workers and be reusable by robots to generate programs automatically.
Online Social Networking and Learning
Authors: Greenhow Christine
Published: November 2013

This article introduces a youth-initiated practice: online social networking that is transforming our society in important ways and has vast implications for research concerning online behavior, the social and psychological aspects of online learning and the institution of education. In this paper, the author introduces the socio-technical features that characterize social networking systems and outlines results from preliminary research that suggests the informal social and intellectual practices in which participants naturally engage and how these relate to the competencies increasingly valued in formal education. The paper outlines four overlapping categories for research such as activities and outcomes, tool, place, and medium, identity and communication, and network analytics and methods. Within these categories the author outlines interesting research questions to pursue in documenting and interpreting the complexity of ‘learning’ within these spaces. Goals are to catalyze inquiry that bridges informal and formal learning and stimulate interdisciplinary conversation about where such agendas fit within and advance learning research.
How Does Prior Knowledge Impact Students’ Online Learning Behaviors?
Authors: Butcher Kirsten R. , Sumner Tamara
Published: November 2013

This study explored the impact of prior domain knowledge on students’ strategies and use of digital resources during a Web-based learning task. Domain knowledge was measured using pre- and posttests of factual knowledge and knowledge application. Students utilized an age- and topic-relevant collection of 796 Web resources drawn from an existing educational digital library to revise essays that they had written prior to the online learning task. Following essay revision, participants self-reported their strategies for improving their essays. Screen-capture software was used to record all student interactions with Web-based resources and all modifications to their essays. Analyses examined the relationship between different levels of students’ prior knowledge and online learning behaviors, self-reported strategies, and learning outcomes. Findings demonstrated that higher levels of factual prior knowledge were associated with deeper learning and stronger use of digital resources, but that higher levels of deep prior knowledge were associated with less frequent use of online content and fewer deep revisions. These results suggest that factual knowledge can serve as a useful knowledge base during self-directed, online learning tasks, but deeper prior knowledge may lead novice learners to adopt suboptimal processes and behaviors.
Effects of Feedback on Learning Strategies in Learning Journals
Authors: Roelle Julian , Berthold Kirsten , Fries Stefan
Published: November 2013

Feedback on learning strategies is a promising instructional support measure. However, research on the expertise reversal effect suggests that if instructional support measures are provided to expert learners, these learners would have to integrate and cross-reference redundant instructional guidance with available knowledge structures, resulting in less available resources for effective learning processes. Thus, feedback might be detrimental for learners who possess high-quality learning strategies. Against this background, the authors used an online learning management system to employ a feedback procedure that included highly elaborated feedback on learning strategies in a learning journal. The effects of this feedback procedure were tested in a field study using a within-subject design with the factor feedback (no vs. yes). Participants were 246 university students who wrote journal entries over an entire term. The results show that providing feedback to low expertise learners is effective, whereas the effectiveness of feedback is reversed regarding high expertise learners.
Game Transfer Phenomena in Video Game Playing
Authors: Ortiz de Gortari Angelica B. , Aronsson Karin , Griffiths Mark
Published: November 2013

Video game playing is a popular activity and its enjoyment among frequent players has been associated with absorption and immersion experiences. This paper examines how immersion in the video game environment can influence the player during the game and afterwards (including fantasies, thoughts, and actions). This is what is described as Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP). GTP occurs when video game elements are associated with real life elements triggering subsequent thoughts, sensations and/or player actions. To investigate this further, a total of 42 frequent video game players aged between 15 and 21 years old were interviewed. Thematic analysis showed that many players experienced GTP, where players appeared to integrate elements of video game playing into their real lives. These GTP were then classified as either intentional or automatic experiences. Results also showed that players used video games for interacting with others as a form of amusement, modeling or mimicking video game content, and daydreaming about video games. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate how video games triggered intrusive thoughts, sensations, impulses, reflexes, optical illusions, and dissociations.
A Second Life Within Second Life
Authors: Linares Kevin , Subrahmanyam Kaveri , Cheng Roy , Guan Shu-Sha Angie
Published: November 2013

Virtual worlds such as Second Life (SL) are online computer-based world-like spaces, where users assume virtual selves or avatars to interact with others, create objects, and engage in a variety of transactions. This paper examines SL residents’ avatars, activities, and the relation between residents’ offline characteristics and online avatars and activities. The authors examined whether there was a relationship between residents’ identity style and online beliefs and activities, specifically those related to self-presentation and identity exploration via avatars and relationship formation as they are related to one’s sense of self. An online survey of 378 SL residents was conducted, who ranged in age from 18 to 69 years. Respondents were asked to complete an SL survey (containing questions about their avatars, use, and activities within SL) and the Identity style inventory sixth grade reading level (ISI-6G). Results suggested that SL avatars were mostly human, and were of the same gender as the residents’ offline self; SL activities were similar to every day offline ones. The study suggests SL residents may not be creating second lives within this virtual world, but are instead bringing elements of their first or offline lives into this online context.
Does Credibility Count?
Authors: Singh Malkeet , Iding Marie K.
Published: November 2013

Two studies investigated Singaporean junior college students’ determinations of the credibility of social studies Web sites. In the first study, participants selected Web sites that they determined to provide objective and accurate representations of their topics, provided reasons for their selection, and described Web site authors’ vested interests. They also selected Web sites that illustrated misrepresentations, explained why, and described authors’ vested interests. Finally, they rated their own competence and confidence about different aspects of Web site information accuracy. Qualitative analyses of participants’ written comments revealed a strong awareness of political vested interests of Web site authors, a topic that had not emerged in previous research. In the second study, analyses of students’ responses to questionnaires about a more credible and a less credible Web site provided by their instructor indicated that students rated the more credible Web site higher. Students’ ratings of their general confidence in evaluating Web sites on accuracy/truthfulness as well as their confidence in detecting misrepresentations in Web sites were used as criteria in a reduced multiple regression model. Results showed that students generally differed in their perception of the two Web sites. Implications for future research are discussed.
User Driven Psychiatry
Authors: George Siju Oommen , Roy Samit
Published: November 2013

This paper begins with a personal account of the first author’s journey with a psychiatric disorder and his perception of recovery helped considerably by shared learning on the web from experiences of others with similar illnesses. This illustrates a rapidly evolving web-based model of healthcare adopted increasingly by patients worldwide to examine their own health problems along with support from health professionals, but more often with support of other people with similar illnesses. A psychiatrist’s perspective is then given.
Caught in the Middle
Authors: Young Joan W. , Thapaliya Prakash , Sapkota Santosh
Published: November 2013

This paper begins with a patient perspective from the first author. Faced with cascading health problems, this author describes her gradual embrace of alternative treatments. While these improved her health, they also set her apart and prompted antagonism from those in conventional medicine. She found she was not alone in benefiting from a more open view of healing, and not alone in being buffeted by the opposing medical views. Two invited commentaries from medical professionals follow, as well as the first author’s response.
The RTBP – Collective Intelligence Driving Health for the User
Authors: Waidyanatha Nuwan , Dekker Sabrina
Published: November 2013

The Real Time Biosurveillance Program (RTBP) Pilot, is an active collaboration between multipartners that is utilizing collective intelligence to improve rural health outcomes, in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu, India. This paper presents how the RTBP is detecting, preventing, and therefore, improving the health systems of these two nations through the use of ICT to strengthen health reporting systems. It puts forth the challenges that the RTBP pilot has faced initially, and how they have been addressed. The RTBP is also differentiated from other mHealth initiatives by acknowledging how it is not disease specific and how it engages all stakeholders, from the receipients, the health workers, and the government.