bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Text-Only Alternatives
Authors: Fagan Jody Condit
Published: May 2011

Providing a text-only version of a Web site is one way that Web developers can meet the accessibility guidelines suggested by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Text equivalents need to communicate the same information as non-text content. This flexible format allows content to be accessible to assistive technology, to new devices such as handheld computers, and to text-only Web browsers. Examples of all three are described in this chapter. One way the text-only challenge can be met is to use proper HTML coding to provide text equivalents to non-text items. This chapter reviews the applicable W3C guidelines and technical support documents and provides examples of their implementation. Another way to meet the challenge is to create a text-only version that reproduces the same content. The most efficient and accurate way is to use a parsing program that converts HTML pages into text-only equivalents on-the-fly. Two case studies are described in the chapter outlining examples of this process. By offering a text-only version, developers can ensure that their Web content is accessible to the widest range of users.
Building a Campus Portal-A Strategy that Succeeded
Authors: Bishop Anne Y.
Published: May 2011

In 1997 Wake Forest University began the project of building a suite of personalized Web services that is now known as a portal. By July of 1998, we had a fully implemented and successful intranet that delivered almost one hundred personalized, filtered Web services to all students, faculty and staff, plus those alumni and parents who applied for a free account. Being on the leading edge of such an effort meant that we discovered on our own what works and what does not, without influence from portal vendors or benefit of advice from our peers at other institutions. This paper discusses successful design and implementation strategies that may be useful to others who are considering a portal solution.
Teaching a Studies-in-Race Course Online
Authors: Turner Karen M.
Published: May 2011

Colleges and universities are increasingly using the latest communication technologies to offer courses to students on campus and beyond. This chapter is designed to answer whether a course dealing with the potentially volatile issue of race can be effectively taught as an online class. The course, Race and Racism in the News (JPRA 320), was designed in 1997 by examining the literature pertaining to teaching online/distance courses and studies-in-race courses, as well as incorporating studies concerned with preserving the anonymity of control groups and those that looked at differences between face-to-face and computer-mediated discussions. This course was developed to effectively incorporate online instruction with race studies aimed at teaching racial sensitivity to journalism students. The course has been offered seven times between 1997 and 2002. Student feedback over the five-year period indicates that such a course can advance the national dialogue on race. Many White students, in particular, said in the required end-of-course survey that the course anonymity provided them with a freedom from political correctness and they could participate more honestly than they would have in the traditional face-to-face classroom setting. Also, students have said they are now aware of the subtle ways race impacts the coverage of news. The effectiveness of this course could have implications beyond the classroom. It is believed that students sensitive to the subtleties of racism in news coverage will make better media professionals in our increasingly multicultural world. In 1997, former President Clinton challenged the country to engage in a race dialogue. This kind of course can be added to the mix of ways in which such a dialogue can be started and maintained.
The Organizatonal Culture of Digital Government
Authors: Allen Barbara , Juillet Luc , Miles Mike , Paquet Gilles , Roy Jeffrey , Wilkins Kevin
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines the characteristics of government organizations that influence their capacity to employ information technology (IT) in a strategic manner such that it assists them in their quest to meet governance challenges. We explore the organizational factors, architectural and cultural, that impede large government departments from moving beyond the adoption of IT as a mere instrument that assists the execution of routine tasks in the traditional way and move into new forms of governance that alter the relationships between individuals and units within the organization and between the organization and its external environment. Our objective is to provide a useful framework for the analysis of the barriers to, and potential catalysts of, an IT mediated transformation of the governance of large government departments. Our insights are based on explorations of the issues surrounding the development of new governance models for data and informatics management within Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the federal department with a leading role in a wide range of activities relating to Canada’s marine environment. As one of the world’s leading marine science institutions, this case underscores the fact that technical competence alone is insufficient to facilitate a shift towards digital government. Using IT strategically is a governance challenge that is contingent upon organizational structure and culture. Science and engineering produce ‘know-how’; but ‘know-how’ is nothing by itself; it is a means without an end, a mere potentiality, an unfinished sentence. ‘Know-how’ is no more a culture than a piano is music. E.F. Schumacher
Political Implications of Digital (e-) Government
Authors: Baker Paul M.A. , Panagopoulos Costas
Published: May 2011

Citizen participation-driven e-government is, in theory, a desirable objective of government. However, it is complex along a variety of dimensions: from a design standpoint, considering the implementation aspects of access, and awareness; from a baseline assessment of what has been implemented to date empirically; and in terms of a meaningful design of responsive policy. Much of the observed variations in e-government applications is still descriptive in nature and given the rapidly emerging technological and political ramifications, is expected. Following an overview of several examples of different types of participation-related e-government applications, we present preliminary results of an examination of the relationship between state e-government initiatives and underlying demographic, cultural or economic variables. While the population of a state appears to be related to the presence of e-government applications, beyond this, curiously, few of the expected relationships appear, or appear to operate in conflicting manners depending on the dataset used. As such, additional research drawing on larger dataset and more robust instrumentation is needed.
The Future of Digital Government
Authors: Corbett Christopher
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the challenges that we will collectively face as we make choices about the use and implementation of enabling technology for e-government. “The construction of informed government policy that protects citizens’ freedoms while accomplishing the critical work of a professional civil service within a democratic government,” will be the central theme of public administration in the next decade. This chapter focuses on the target date 2012. “Advanced applications of information technology in government are well-integrated combinations of policy goals, organizational processes, information content, and technology tools that work together to achieve public goals.” (Dawes, Bloniarz, Kelly and Fletcher, 1999)
Managing Knowledge-Based Organizations Through Trust
Authors: Huotari Maija-Leena , Iivonen Mirja
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides a comprehensive basis for understanding the role of trust in knowledge management and systems in organizations. The point of departure is the resource and knowledge-based theories of an enterprise that place knowledge generation as the primary source of wealth and social well-being. The authors show the crucial role of the intangible factors of trust, knowledge and information as related to the social capital and the development of the intellectual capital of an organization. The multidisciplinary nature of the concept of knowledge management and of trust is examined by a thorough review of literature. Trust is seen as a situational and contextual phenomena whose impact on the development of an organizational culture and climate and on success with collaborating is explored as related to the relational, cognitive and structural dimensions of social capital. The overall aim is to sustain strategic capability in the networked mode of performing. The importance of normative trust, shared values and shared meanings is stressed as a frame of reference to organizational behaviour and in communities of practice, but also the role of swift trust is highlighted. The authors provide ideas for empirical research to develop theory of the strategic management of knowledge and information and outline implications for practices for the organizational development.
Information Access in Rural Communities
Authors: Venkatesan V.S. , Eversole Robyn , Robinson Ken
Published: May 2011

The concept of ‘digital divide’ draws attention to the social context of technology usage. Current IT solutions are technology driven and are focussed on elite consumers in cities. In contrast, regional Australian communities face a number of problems such as remoteness, small population and distance. Knowledge and resource constraints also impact on these communities and businesses. Any attempt to transform regions using new information and communications technologies should take into consideration these unique factors. This chapter focuses on information access in two rural communities in Western Australia. A qualitative study followed by a quantitative phase in two regional towns explored how people access information and where information gaps lie. Results of this research suggest that, along with technical infrastructure, equal emphasis should be placed on the human/community element. Without this, regional transformation will remain mere rhetoric.
Mining Message Board Content on the World Wide Web for Organizational Information
Authors: Aasheim Cheryl , Koehler Gary J.
Published: May 2011

This chapter proposes a methodology to scan, analyze and classify the content of primarily text-based Web documents to aid an organization in gathering information. The representation and classification of the document is based on the popular vector space model and linear discriminant analysis, respectively. The methodology is developed and demonstrated using real chat room discussions about a publicly traded company collected over a 12-day period. The purpose of this chapter is to develop and demonstrate a methodology used to aid an organization in its environmental scanning efforts, in light of the vast quantities of information available via the Internet.
Data Warehousing
Authors: Watson Hugh J. , Wixom Barbara H. , Goodhue Dale L.
Published: May 2011

Data warehouses are helping resolve a major problem that has plagued decision support applications over the years — a lack of good data. Top management at 3M realized that the company had to move from being product-centric to being customer savvy. In response, 3M built a terabyte data warehouse (global enterprise data warehouse) that provides thousands of 3M employees with real-time access to accurate, global, detailed information. The data warehouse underlies new Web-based customer services that are dynamically generated based on warehouse information. There are useful lessons that were learned at 3M during their years of developing the data warehouse.
The Aesthetics of Teaching
Authors: Porter Lynnette R.
Published: May 2011

Teaching, whether online or on site, requires a lot of day-to-day activities that make the course run smoothly, help learners solve short-term and longer-term educational problems, and facilitate learners’ achieving their educational objectives. Those tasks are important and immediate; they take up a great deal of your weekly teaching time. The success of implementing a class often depends on these daily tasks.
Managing Programs and Faculty Concerns
Authors: Porter Lynnette R.
Published: May 2011

As online education moved from being a fad to a money-maker, many institutions, businesses, and individuals jumped at the chance to offer online courses. As mentioned in previous chapters, not all courses are created equally, and not all curricula have been designed to work well online.
Measuring and Managing E-Business Initiatives through the Balanced Scorecard
Authors: Van Grembergen Wim , Amelinckx Isabelle
Published: May 2011

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) initially developed by Kaplan and Norton is a performance measurement system that supplements traditional financial measures with the criteria that measure performance from three additional perspectives: customer perspective, internal business perspective, and innovation and learning perspective. In recent years, the Balanced Scorecard has been applied to information technology in order to ensure that IT is fairly evaluated. The proposed methodology can also be applied to e-business initiatives. In this chapter, it is illustrated how the BSC can be used to measure and manage e-business initiatives. A generic e-business Balanced Scorecard is proposed and its development and implementation is discussed.
The Problem of Common Method Variance in IS Research
Authors: Woszczynski Amy B. , Whitman Michael E.
Published: May 2011

Many IS researchers obtain data through the use of self-reports. However, self-reports have inherent problems and limitations, most notably the problem of common method variance. Common method variance can cause researchers to find a significant effect, when in fact, the true effect is due to the method employed. In this chapter, we examined published research in leading information systems (IS) journals to determine if common method variance is a potential problem in IS research and how IS researchers have attempted to overcome problems with method bias. We analyzed 116 research articles that used a survey approach as the predominant method in MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, and Journal of Management Information Systems. The results indicate that only a minority of IS researchers have reported on common method variance. We recommend that IS researchers undertake techniques to minimize the effects of common method variance, including using multiple types of respondents, longitudinal designs, and confirmatory factor analysis that explicitly models method effects.
Global Information Management Research
Authors: Tan Felix B. , Gallupe R.B.
Published: May 2011

A growing body of knowledge is being accumulated in the area of global information management (GIM). Research in this area has grown significantly in the 1990s. Not only are established IS journals publishing an increasing amount in this area, but there are now specific journals devoted to the major issues in the development, use, and management of global information systems. However, much of this research has been limited to isolated survey studies or case studies into particular aspects of GIM. This has resulted in a rather disjointed and ad hoc development of this literature that now needs some structure to further its development. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a framework for research into GIM. It hopes to set a future direction for research in this area by challenging IS researchers to consider studying a number of potentially productive subareas of GIM that the framework has identified as being unstudied or understudied. This research framework builds on the general IS framework of Ives, Hamilton, and Davis (1980) and surveys the GIM published literature between 1990 and 2000. The application of this literature to the Ives, Hamilton, and Davis framework indicates where much GIM research has been conducted and where further research needs to be done.
Structuration Theory in Information Systems Research
Authors: Poole Marshall Scott , DeSanctis Gerardine
Published: May 2011

Numerous scholars in the information systems field have formulated variants of structuration theory in order to extend some of its basic constructs to information-technology-related phenomena and contexts. Along with this theoretical formulation has grown an extensive empirical literature. Here we take stock of the empirical research on structuration in IS to consider the requirements and options inherent to rigorous IS research that employs a structuration lens. The conceptual relationships presented in structuration theories of IS imply a set of seven requirements for a full-blown program of empirical study; we outline these requirements. We identify five sets of choices that researchers have as they design specific studies and the options available within these choice sets. We then summarize the empirical work in IS to date in terms of major methods that have been applied—case studies, direct observation, experiments, and surveys. We evaluate the relative strength of these methods in light of the requirements and options outlined earlier. We discuss important methodological controversies and directions and emphasize the potential power of adopting an interlocking, comprehensive set of research approaches when studying structuration in IS.
Personal Web Page Usage in Organization
Authors: Lee Zoonky , Lee Younghwa , Kim Yongbeom
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents an empirical investigation of why employees use the Internet for personal purpose during work hours. We are especially interested in perceptual difference between personal Web usage groups and non-personal Web usage groups in the context of non-work-related usage of the Internet. Drawing from previous studies in behavioral intention and human attitude, criminology, and moral and ethical decision-making, a comprehensive model was developed and tested through a field survey of 546 business professionals.
A Multidimensional Sealing Approach to Personal Web Usage in the Workplace
Authors: Anandarajan Murugan , Devine Patrick , Simmers Claire A.
Published: May 2011

In this study, a typology of workplace personal Web usage (PWU) behaviors was developed using multidimensional scaling techniques. Results suggest that personal Web usage behaviors vary along two dimensions: opportunities versus threats and organizational versus interpersonal. On the foundation of these two dimensions, PWU behaviors appear to fall into four distinct categories: disruptive, recreational, personal learning, and ambiguous PWU. This typology should prove useful for developing conceptual and empirical research agendas of PWU behavior in the workplace.
Standards for Online Courses
Authors: Estabrook Noel , Arashiro Peter
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides a real-world example of how instructional design theory can be used in academe, industry, and business to aid in the design and evaluation of online courses. It also describes how theoretical, philosophical and pragmatic aspects of instructional design were combined to develop standards and a model for an online instructional design system. We begin by establishing a need for standards in the field, followed by an outline and description of our standards. The chapter then describes how we used these standards to build an actual course. Examples are also provided of how the standards can be used to effectively evaluate online courses.
Ethics in Internet Ethnography
Authors: Sveningsson Malin
Published: May 2011

Doing research and collecting data online is not the same as offline. This chapter discusses the wide range of possible ethical conflicts we are confronted with when we do Internet research, as well as how and in which cases existing ethical guidelines may be difficult to apply when our research field is online. It is also discusses how research ethics may be reconsidered: how we may think about, reason and make decisions when doing ethnographic Internet research. Above all, it illustrates the importance of reflecting and being conscious of our role as researchers and about the consequences that our research may have.
Organizational Research Over the Internet
Authors: Porr W. Benjamin , Ployhart Robert E.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a framework through which ethical Internet-based organizational research can be conducted. Organizational constraints that promote the use of the Internet for applied research are identified, followed by potential benefits and drawbacks. The chapter then discusses the ethical issues that must be considered when conducting Internet-based organizational research; these include concerns about privacy, confidentiality, anonymity, informed consent and providing a debriefing. A case study illustrates these issues, and the chapter concludes with directions for future research. Numerous tables and figures are used to serve as a quick reference for the key points of the chapter.
Ethics and Engagement in Communication Scholarship
Authors: Walstrom Mary K.
Published: May 2011

This chapter asserts an engaged research approach that aims to meet the ethical challenges of public, online support group studies. First, the intrinsic ethical orientation of the theoretical framework undergirding this approach is detailed. Second, how this approach may guide qualitative-interpretive analyses of public, online support groups is explored. This section features two excerpts from a larger study conducted of one such group. Third, three additional features of engaged research that bolsters its capacity to address the ethical concerns of public, online support group studies are presented. The chapter with a call and rationale for future engaged research of such sites, stressing the benefits to research and support group communities alike.
Fact or Fiction
Authors: Ayers Michael D.
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines conditions that participants of online qualitative research might give false answers to a researcher. As research was conducted with feminist activists who were online, a number of the responses were highly suspect as to how true they could actually be. Because the researcher was not face to face with these participants, he had to either take the responses as true or discard them. The researcher argues his lack of face-to-face presence made it difficult to generate a good rapport with these participants, and because of this, received answers based on the only social marker that was evident: his name, or that he was male. Interview data is presented to show apparent discrepancies in our electronic conversations. The chapter concludes by suggesting for future online qualitative research, the researcher should have a more reflexive research design and approach to the project.
Studying Adolescents Online
Authors: Stern Susannah R.
Published: May 2011

Despite the enormous potential of the Internet as a research tool and environment, implementing youth research in online environments raises significant ethical issues. This chapter addresses two quandaries that surfaced in the author’s own research on adolescent home page authors. First, the necessity and feasibility of obtaining parental consent in online youth research is considered. Second, the chapter discusses the ethical responsibilities of Internet researchers who encounter distressing disclosure authored by youth online. The chapter aims to illustrate the contexts in which such ethical issues may arise and to provide suggestions for Internet researchers who focus on adolescent populations.
Virtual Youth Research
Authors: Bober Magdalena
Published: May 2011

By presenting findings from research into British online youth culture conducted by the author, the chapter critically evaluates how to study adolescents’ use of the Internet and the ethical considerations facing the researcher. The methodologies applied include data collection with the help of Web server logs, online surveys, e-mail interviews, participant observation in online communities, as well as a “technobiography” of the author designing her own teenage website. Ethical problems discussed in the chapter deal with access to virtual sites of research, parental and informed consent, the role of the researcher, ownership of online data and issues of confidentiality.
International Digital Studies
Authors: St. Amant Kirk
Published: May 2011

The constant diffusion of online communication technology increasingly allows individuals from different cultural backgrounds to communicate with each other directly and quickly. In its removal of more traditional communication obstacles, such as distance and time, these technologies may amplify cultural rhetorical differences. This situation might be particularly problematic as factors of both culture and media could confound the overall discourse situation. This chapter overviews a research approach—international digital studies—that offers a new method for exploring international online interactions (IOIs). The chapter also presents an argument for why it is crucial to begin studies of IOIs at this particular point in history.
Histogram Generation from the HSV Color Space Using Saturation Projection
Authors: Sural Shamik
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we make an in-depth analysis of the visual properties of the HSV (Hue, Saturation, Intensity Value) color space and describe a novel histogram generation technique for color feature extraction. In this new approach, we extract a pixel feature by choosing relative weights of hue and intensity based on the saturation value of the pixel. The histogram retains a perceptually smooth color transition between its adjacent components that enables us to do a window-based smoothing of feature vectors for the purpose of effective retrieval of similar images from very large databases. The results have been compared with a standard histogram generated from the RGB color space and also with a histogram similar to that used in the QBIC system (Niblack et al., 1993).
An Efficient Content-Based Retrieval System for Large Image Database
Authors: Wang Ching-Sheng , Shih Timothy K.
Published: May 2011

Content-based image retrieval has become more desirable for developing large image databases. This chapter presents an efficient method of retrieving images from an image database. This system combines color, shape and spatial features to index and measure the similarity of images. Several color spaces that are widely used in computer graphics are discussed and compared for color clustering. In addition, this chapter proposes a new automatic indexing scheme of image databases according to our clustering method and color sensation, which could be used to retrieve images efficiently. As a technical contribution, a Seed-Filling like algorithm that could extract the shape and spatial relationship feature of an image is proposed. Due to the difficulty of determining how far objects are separated, this system uses qualitative spatial relations to analyze object similarity. Also, the system is incorporated with a visual interface and a set of tools, which allows the users to express the query by specifying or sketching the images conveniently. The feedback learning mechanism enhances the precision of retrieval. The experience shows that the system is able to retrieve image information efficiently by the proposed approaches.
A Stochastic and Content-Based Image Retrieval Mechanism
Authors: Shyu Mei-Ling , Chen Shu-Ching , Zhang Chengcui
Published: May 2011

Multimedia information, typically image information, is growing rapidly across the Internet and elsewhere. To keep pace with the increasing volumes of image information, new techniques need to be investigated to retrieve images intelligently and efficiently. Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is always a challenging task. In this chapter, a stochastic mechanism, called Markov Model Mediator (MMM), is used to facilitate the searching and retrieval process for content-based image retrieval, which serves as the retrieval engine of the CBIR systems and uses stochastic-based similarity measures. Different from the common methods, our stochastic mechanism carries out the searching and similarity computing process dynamically, taking into consideration not only the image content features but also other characteristics of images such as their access frequencies and access patterns. Our experimental results demonstrate that the MMM mechanism together with the stochastic process can assist in retrieving more accurate results for user queries.
Market Entry Potential and School-Economic Implications of Internet-Base TV
Authors: Loebbecke Claudia , Falkenberg Marcia
Published: May 2011

Internet-based TV alleviates the distribution channel bottleneck and shifts licensing requirements compared to traditional TV. This lowers physical entry barriers to TV markets via the Internet in various forms. The case of the German TV sector is used to analyze TV market attractiveness for new entrants. A sequential framework for assessing the market entry potential of Inter-based TV is introduced. The skills set of an Internet-based TV provider for market entry is examined. Technical and legal pre-conditions for success are reviewed, potential sources of revenue are considered. Further, the chapter highlights possible socio-economic implications in the case of successful market entry of Internet-based TV.
Network Topography of the New Economy
Authors: Damaskopoulos Panagiotis
Published: May 2011

This chapter develops a framework of analysis of the emerging organizational network topology of the new knowledge-driven economy in order to identify critical factors that underpin sustainable processes of innovation. The central argument of the chapter is that in the new economy innovation constitutes the foundation of the competitiveness and value-creating capabilities of economic organizations. Innovation has emerged as a strategic issue because of the disarticulation of established economic and social structures and processes that the new economy and the new society bring in their path. This disarticulation is the product of the interplay of technological, industrial, economic and social transformations. In this context, innovation is not something happening “inside” organizations but rather at the interface of organizations with the business, regulatory and institutional environment within which they operate. The process of innovation is increasingly driven by open-source networks of cooperation and involves dynamic interrelationships between technological transformations, organizational capabilities of firms, and public institutional and regulatory structures supportive of innovation and entrepreneurship. In other words, for new information and communication technologies that power the new economy to be able to spread throughout the whole economy, thus enhancing productivity growth, business firms, the institutions and culture of society, and the factors implicated in the production process need to undergo substantial change.
Application Service Provision
Authors: Guah Matthew W. , Currie Wendy L.
Published: May 2011

By addressing the business issues and management concerns of a 21st century intelligent enterprise, we hope this chapter points medium- and large-sized businesses in the proper direction to manage ASP resources and strategies to their competitive advantage. With the phenomenon of ASP in its infancy, we draw from works of IS pioneers Markus, Porter, Checkland, and others. Their intellectual contributions, plus findings from research work at CSIS, provide a framework for discussion. ASP delivers personal productivity software and professional support systems, assisting an intelligent enterprise in processing information, solving business problems, developing new products, and creating new knowledge. The need to exploit ASP capabilities to preserve and enhance organisational knowledge is clearly defined by this chapter.
Modern Maintenance Management for Enhancing Organizational Efficiency
Authors: Marquez Adolfo Crespo , Gupta Jatinder N.D.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we explore the impact of modern maintenance management on the global organizational efficiency of an intelligent enterprise. In order to do so, we first define the concept of maintenance management, its scope, and complexity. We also define the company’s organizational efficiency as a suitable balance of each of these competencies: product, process and relationship. The chapter describes how this function may impact a company’s competencies in product and processes. To be effective, maintenance function requires the proper development of relationship competencies with technological partners, suppliers and the end customers. Therefore, this chapter proposes a comprehensive maintenance management framework that integrates various existing approaches to maintenance management. We also discuss useful practices to reach the competencies needed to be effective in the maintenance function of intelligent enterprises.
An Explanatory Approach to the ASP Industry Evolution Where IT Services Move from P-service to E-service
Authors: Kim Dohoon
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the ASP (Application Service Provider) industry which provides essential infrastructure for the Internet-based e-business transactions. First introduced is the current status of the ASP industry with some industry analysis focusing on the driving forces shaping the evolutionary changes. Then, emerging ASP business models are classified and analyzed in order to assess their positions in the competitive landscape based on the economies of scale. We also explore the prerequisites for the success of each ASP business model. Lastly, a conceptual model is provided to predict some possible scenarios of the evolution of the industry structure. For example, we identify the prerequisites for the ASP business models to develop themselves into XSPs (eXtended Service Providers), and develop a scenario for that evolutionary path. The proposed framework will present a deep insight into the e-transformation and a way to improve enterprise intelligence and performance through ASPs.
Knowledge Management
Authors: Hildreth Paul
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we will explore the field of KM in order to set the context for the study. We will examine the tools and techniques for the management of knowledge from a historical perspective and also explore the issues for managing knowledge in a spatially distributed environment. We will see that there is a tension between different views of knowledge and, for the purposes of this book, we will regard knowledge as “soft” and “hard” as a working definition.
A Look at Other CoPs
Authors: Hildreth Paul
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we aim to take the issues that have been raised in the main study and explore them in the context of other CoPs. As we now have a much tighter focus, we do not have to spend so much time living with these CoPs but can use open-response structured interviews with key members of the CoPs. In these CoPs, the practice was not the work of the members but ran alongside their everyday work.
The Impact of External Factors on Virtual Teams
Authors: Hornett Andrea
Published: May 2011

Practitioners and researchers need to pay attention to how corporate organizing structures are impacting and are impacted by virtual work environments. Virtual teams are powerful organizing mechanisms, but they are not without limitations. This chapter reports on two cases in which dynamics outside the virtual project teams powerfully affected the teams. These cases, both based on studies of real project teams operating inside corporations, highlight the desirability of understanding virtual teams in context. While external factors are not unique to teamwork, their role has not been explored in depth in research on virtual teams. Dynamic forces outside teams seem more difficult to anticipate and to identify when team members are working virtually, and these powerful but invisible dynamics can be frustrating to virtual team leaders and members. Concluded in this chapter is that contrary to initial expectations, virtual teams are not replacing traditional forms of organizing. They are coexisting with traditional forms and dynamics, such as business drivers, hierarchies, departments, strategic priorities, and business needs. This coexistence can be fraught with conflict.
Liability for System and Data Quality
Authors: Sprague Robert D.
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses various theories of legal liability related to computer system and data quality. Contract-based theories are discussed in detail, as most computer systems are acquired and data are accessed through some form of contractual relationship. Additional tort-based theories of liability are also discussed, particularly relating to publication of inaccurate data. As presented in this chapter, purchasers of defective computer hardware or software and users of inaccurate data have very limited legal remedies available. Further, the legal remedies that may be available are typically severely restricted by the contract through which the computer system is acquired or the data are accessed.
Software Engineering as a Profession
Authors: Ficarrotta J. Carl
Published: May 2011

This chapter makes the argument that software engineers, as part of a program of moving toward more formal professionalization, should be licensed. It outlines the nature of the profession and the arguments that justify licensing in professions other than software engineering. It then traces the initial steps the software industry has already taken towards professionalization, including codes of ethics and educational standards. There are morally and practically compelling arguments, rooted in the professional’s obligations to society, to do more: licensing, or some other sort of formal, binding and revocable certification, is also necessary. The chapter considers but rejects a number of reasons one might resist this as a goal.
Reflective Responsibility and the Management of Information Systems
Authors: Stahl Bernd Carsten
Published: May 2011

Before we start analysing the details of how reflective responsibility impacts on the use of information technology, we should briefly recapitulate what the purpose of the entire enterprise was and where we stand right now. Responsibility has been identified as a central term that is used in the public discussions about normative problems. It has been demonstrated that the core of responsibility is a social process of ascription. An overview of the literature on responsibility, however, has shown that the term is highly complex, consists of a large number of conditions, dimensions, and aspects, which in many cases are contradictory. In order to render the term useful, we have tried to identify common features that can be found in most if not all responsibility ascriptions and that help give meaning to its use. The three shared characteristics that were found are openness, affinity to action, and consequentialism. In a subsequent step it was asked what would happen if responsibility ascriptions were analysed with regard to these three characteristics. The result was a notion of responsibility that was called “reflective responsibility,” which was then further investigated with the aim of determining what the consequences of this reflective use of the term was. It was shown that reflective responsibility has theoretical and practical consequences that relate back to some of the ethical theories on which responsibility ascriptions might be based. Reflective responsibility requires the classical virtue of prudence as well as a modern reliance on institutional settings. It can be instantiated by following the ideas of other theories of practical philosophy such as discourse ethics or the stakeholder approach.
Supporting Collaborative Project Teams Using Computer-Based Technologies
Authors: Bennett Sue
Published: May 2011

This chapter considers computer-supported collaborative learning within the context of a technology-supported project-based subject offered to advanced-level students in a postgraduate education program. The subject was the focus of a qualitative case study investigation that revealed how student teams worked together on an authentic project task and the role online tools play in supporting their collaboration. This chapter discusses the research and conceptual literature that informed the design of the learning environment, the nature of the research study and the relevant findings, and some of the practical implications for teachers and designers in selecting online tools to support collaborative learning.
Thinking Out of a Bowl of Spaghetti
Authors: Dirkx John M. , Smith Regina O.
Published: May 2011

Online learning programs have been expanding at exponential rates. To help encourage the development of learning communities within these environments, practitioners and scholars are advocating more collaborative learning approaches. Yet, many students express reservations about learning in small groups, particularly online. In this chapter, we explore more deeply the nature of student ambivalence about online collaborative learning. Weaving the findings of case studies of online groups with research and theory in collaborative learning and group dynamics, we argue that students hold on to highly subjective and individualistic understandings of teaching and learning. These perspectives manifest themselves in their overall approach to group inquiry and decision making. To embrace a more interdependent and intersubjective perspective requires a paradigm shift among members with regard to teaching and learning, and a working through of the powerful emotional dynamics associated with group development. We conclude with suggestions for designing and facilitating online environments that addresses these issues.
Reflection and Intellectual Amplification in Online Communities of Collaborative Learning
Authors: Sorensen Elsebeth Korsgaard
Published: May 2011

An alternative theoretical framework for analyzing and designing computer-supported collaborative learning environments is introduced. Bateson’s theory (1973) is used as a starting point for considering in what sense the specific dialogical conditions and qualities of virtual environments may support learning. We need more stringent analytical approaches of research that relate communicative qualities of virtual contexts to qualities of the collaborative knowledge-building process. This approach suggests that new didactic and instructional methods, addressing the learner’s communicative awareness at a meta-level, need to be developed in order to fully utilize the interactive and reflective potential of online collaborative learning. A deeper understanding of the reflective nature of the online environment and its potential for enhancing intellectual amplification will give rise to the birth of new and more innovative designs of online collaborative learning.
Using an Extended Self-Organizing Map Network to Forecast Market Segment Membership
Authors: Kiang Melody Y. , Fisher Dorothy M. , Hu Michael Y. , Chi Robert T.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents an extended Self-Organizing Map (SOM) network and demonstrates how it can be used to forecast market segment membership. The Kohonen’s SOM network is an unsupervised learning neural network that maps n-dimensional input data to a lower dimensional (usually one- or two-dimensional) output map while maintaining the original topological relations. We apply an extended version of SOM networks that further groups the nodes on the output map into a user-specified number of clusters to a residential market data set from AT&T. Specifically, the extended SOM is used to group survey respondents using their attitudes towards modes of communication. We then compare the extended SOM network solutions with a two-step procedure that uses the factor scores from factor analysis as inputs to K-means cluster analysis. Results using AT&T data indicate that the extended SOM network performs better than the two-step procedure.
Backpropagation and Kohonen Self-Organizing Feature Map in Bankruptcy Prediction
Authors: Lee Kidong , Booth David , Alam Pervaiz
Published: May 2011

The back-propagation (BP) network and the Kohonen self-organizing feature map, selected as the representative types for the supervised and unsupervised artificial neural networks (ANN) respectively, are compared in terms of prediction accuracy in the area of bankruptcy prediction. Discriminant analysis and logistic regression are also performed to provide performance benchmarks. The findings suggest that the BP network is a better choice when a target vector is available. Advantages as well as limitations of the studied methods are also identified and discussed.
E-Moderating in Higher Education
Authors: Salmon Gilly
Published: May 2011

There are few published reports of structured approaches to developing lecturers for new online roles. However, both campus and distance learning institutions can offer some experiences in developing lecturing staff to moderate and teach with low cost text-based online conferencing. This role is known as e-moderating. Staff development is often asserted as a key issue in the success of everything from a project, a course or a whole institution to an online environment. The current climate asserts the importance both for university and college lecturers of adopting a good practice and an understanding of teaching in addition to academic competence. This chapter considers and explores the knowledge and skills that the best e-moderators have and how they can be recruited, trained and developed.
Online Course Design Principles
Authors: Richards Lance J. , Dooley Kim E. , Lindner James R.
Published: May 2011

The premise of this chapter is that technology for course delivery will change, but effective delivery of content is dependent upon use of appropriate instructional design techniques. The authors take a practical approach by providing guidelines for designing online courses and programs. These guidelines include: (1) designing or selecting a course management tool, (2) course planning and organization, (3) “chunking” content, (4) using interactive teaching and learning strategies, (5) applying adult learning principles, (6) considering self-directed and student-centered learning approaches, (7) using authentic assessment strategies, (8) providing online orientation and technology training, and (9) providing information about appropriate infrastructure for learner support. We use a graduate course, Advanced Methods in Distance Education, as “the case” to provide specific examples of the instructional design components. By following these approaches, you can develop a successful online learning environment.
Theory and Practice for Distance Education
Authors: Beck Charles E. , Schornack Gary R.
Published: May 2011

A new world of distance education demands new thinking. Key components to completing the distance educational system requires that institutions determine how the process is designed, delivered, integrated, and supported. Unfortunately, educational administrators tend to view distance education merely as a process of taking existing readings, exercises, handouts, and posting them to the Web. While this approach may seem cost effective, such an approach is not educationally effective. Although the meaningful transition to e-education has just begun, determining measures of effectiveness and efficiency requires innovations in social and political thought beyond the advances in technology. The educational process requires feedback from the professor, from the student, and from the wider community, especially businesses who hire the graduates. As e-learning and higher education reach new heights, they are changing the functions of the university. E-learning changes all the ground rules, including time, distance, and pedagogy. We now have new ways to reach and interact with students, present rich content in courses, and deliver the technologies of the smart classroom to students, wherever they are in the world.