bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Paradox of Equal Access
Authors: Schmidt Kathleen V.
Published: May 2011

Distance education is defined as a system that can provide access to people who – because of work commitments, personal and/or social circumstances, geographical distance or poor quality or inadequate prior learning experiences – do not have the opportunity to study full time (Badat, 2004). It is seen as a way to correct inequalities, improving access to higher education for poorer or disadvantaged students. However, though distance education is seen as a feasible approach to achieve universal access for populations that might not otherwise receive a college education this chapter argues instead that universal access is just a form of rhetoric by which cultural social class and inequities are reinforced and reproduced (Bourdieu & Passeron, 1990).
A Cross Sample Analysis
Authors: Liu Leping
Published: May 2011

There are different methods to examine the predictive validity of an instrument. In this chapter, the author presents a method of validation—cross sample analysis, using a study as an example. This study demonstrates the procedures to determine whether a technology attitude instrument can predict student technology learning achievement consistently across four featured samples, with the data from two universities over a nine-year period. A base-model of prediction is first developed and then tested. The predictive validity of the instrument is confirmed by the model testing results that no significant differences exist between the means of the predicted and observed learning achievement scores in each featured sample group. Background knowledge and other relevant methods of validation are also reviewed in this chapter.
Learning to Work and Working to Learn
Authors: Brown Gary , Desrosier Theron , Edwards Debbie
Published: May 2011

The relationship between higher education and the world of work is complex and often characterized by a great deal of misperception, underscored by the recent press for accountability purportedly in response to reports of public dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency in institutions of higher education. This chapter explores the complex relationship between learning outcomes assessment, employer expectations, and traditional and emerging pedagogies. An approach used at Washington State University that uses assessment and technology as levers to help students and faculty bridge the real and the perceptual divide between learning in school and learning in the world of work is presented.
Who has the Ultimate Control?
Authors: Lee Kerry
Published: May 2011

There are many different philosophies of technology and probably just as many interpretations as to what these philosophies actually mean. This chapter summarises the leading philosophies, and their proponents. It does not spend time on the semantics of each philosophy but rather provides an overall explanation and historical placing of each notion. Although this chapter focuses on adult education, it is also important to make links with the classroom. In doing so it provides the valid justification for inclusion and application of the theory it contains. This will enable teachers to reflect on their own philosophy of technological innovations. In doing so it is hoped, they will gain the confidence and ability to expose their children to these ideas. Children need to understand that technology has a key role in our society, and as members of society people have an important role in managing the development and use of technology. By studying the philosophy of technology, children will recognize the interaction between technology and society and enable them to be fully technologically literate citizens.
Scales and Dynamics in Outsourcing
Authors: Miranda Pires Iva , Kvinge Torunn
Published: May 2011

Outsourcing is used to describe the situation where a firm decides to subcontract assembly and/or service functions to an external supplier, either locally or abroad. When activities are subcontracted abroad, the term offshore outsourcing often applies. While offshore assembling activities have taken place for some time, the phenomenon of outsourcing services abroad is quite new. Several factors have contributed to these altered circumstances. First, the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) implies that services can, to a great degree, also be located at arm’s length or elsewhere in the flat world (Friedman, 2005). Second, institutional changes have opened access to new markets for goods and services as well as skilled labor, for instance in Eastern Europe and China. Third, the increased competition through globalization pushes firms to adapt quickly to new contexts and to achieve efficiency in order to maintain competitiveness.
Client-Vendor Relationships in offshore Applications Development
Authors: Mirani Rajesh
Published: May 2011

This article presents an evolutionary framework for the establishment and progression of client-vendor relationships in the context of offshore applications development. It is argued that such a relationship typically begins as a cost-reduction exercise, with the client contracting out simple, structured applications to one or more offshore vendors. Over time, the client assigns increasingly complex applications to selected vendors and cultivates loose, trust-based, networklike relationships with them. As offshore applications continue to evolve and become business-critical, the client may seek to regain control by establishing a command-based hierarchy. This may be achieved through part or full ownership of a vendor organization or by starting a captive offshore subsidiary. Thus, the initial client objective of cost reduction ultimately is displaced by one pertaining to risk control. Pertinent prior research is used to justify the proposed framework. This is followed by a case study that describes how a specialty telecommunications company is pursuing just such an evolutionary path.
A Multi-Agent System for Optimal Supply Chain Management
Authors: Choi Hyung Rim , Kim Hyun Soo , Park Yong Sung , Park Byung Joo
Published: May 2011

Supply chain management recently has been developing into a dynamic environment that has to accept the changes in the formation of the supply chain. In other words, the supply chain is not static but varies dynamically according to the environmental changes. Therefore, under this dynamic supply chain environment, the priority is given not to the management of the existing supply chain but to the selection of new suppliers and outsourcing companies in order to organize an optimal supply chain. The objective of this research is to develop a multi-agent system that enables the effective formation and management of an optimal supply chain. The multi agent system for optimal supply chain management developed in this research is a multi agent system based on the scheduling algorithm, a cooperative scheduling methodology, which enables the formation of an optimal supply chain and its management. By means of active communications among internal agents, a multi-agent system for optimal supply chain management makes it possible to quickly respond to the production environment changes such as the machine failure or outage of outsourcing companies and the delivery delay of suppliers. This research has tried to suggest a new direction and new approach to the optimal supply chain management by means of a multi-agent system in dynamic supply chain environment
Hybrid Offshoring
Authors: Denny Nathan , Mani Shivram , Nadella Ravi Sheshu , Swaminathan Manish , Samdal Jamie
Published: May 2011

Inspired by round-the-clock manufacturing, the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory endeavors to transform the production of software and other intangibles into a process of continuous development. While the concept of offshore software development is well established, few enterprises are currently able to develop the same code artifacts around the clock. We discuss the benefits of applying the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory to software development. We also present a representative scenario highlighting the problems of asynchronous communication in current offshore software development practices. Further, we introduce the notion of composite persona as a potential collaboration model within the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory and explain its ability to mitigate problems arising from communicating across cultures, languages, and time zones. Finally, we present a suite of new collaboration tools and techniques that are being developed specifically for use by composite personae in the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory.
Role of Wireless Grids in Outsourcing and Offshoring
Authors: Agarwal Ashish
Published: May 2011

The growing incidence of outsourcing and offshoring of professional applications is motivating increasing interest in the use of grid computing and grid topologies for meeting the infrastructure requirements. A Wireless Grid facilitates the exchange of information and the interaction between heterogeneous wireless and wired devices. Depending on the nature of the interactions among the constituencies served by the wireless grid, various layouts can be envisaged to provide ubiquitous services. A wireless grid is similar to the wired grid in terms of its distributed nature, the requirement for standards and protocols, and the need for adequate Quality of Service. In addition, a Wireless Grid has to deal with the complexities of the limited power of the mobile devices, the limited bandwidth, and the increased dynamic nature of the interactions involved. The ability of the grid models to address outsourcing needs is contingent upon the efficient resolution of multiple technical challenges.
Enterprise Alignment and the Challenge for Organization Development
Authors: Cameron Brian H. , Knight Shaun
Published: May 2011

In today’s global, hyper-competitive business environment, enterprise alignment is a top concern with senior management. With mergers, global joint ventures, outsourcing/ off-shoring, and increased global competition, organizations are struggling with a host of enterprise alignment issues, particularly around information technology (IT) strategy alignment. Well-aligned systems and processes can provide an organization with a powerful source of competitive advantage. According to Gartner Group, the number one concern of business and IT professions world-wide is the alignment of IT and business strategies. Unfortunately, according to Whittle and Myrick (2005), less than 10% of the Global 2000 have well integrated systems that are aligned with the strategy of the business. In addition, according to Worren, Ruddle, and Moore (1999), organization development (OD) efforts are also often misaligned with the strategy of the business. These strategic misalignments are becoming an increasing concern to senior management and are areas of opportunity for OD and IT organizations.
A Study of Software Process Improvement in Small and Medium Organizations
Authors: Mishra Deepti , Mishra Alok
Published: May 2011

Presently, the majority of software development, including outsourcing, is carried out by small and medium size software development organizations all over the world. These organizations are not capable to bear the cost of implementing available software process improvement models like CMMI, SPICE, ISO, and so forth. Therefore, there is a need to address this problem. In this chapter, various software process assessment and software process improvement models for small and medium scale organizations are discussed and compared. This will lead towards development of standardized software process improvement model for small and medium sized software development organizations in the future.
IT Services Departments Struggle to Adopt a Service-Oriented Philosophy
Authors: Cater-Steel Aileen
Published: May 2011

Many IT service departments are adopting IT service management best practice frameworks such as the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) to improve the quality of service to customers. This study reports on recent surveys and case studies of organizations which have embarked on IT service management improvement. It highlights specific difficulties experienced by organizations. Six factors were found to be critical in achieving an effective service-oriented philosophy. The factors are support from senior management; the threat or opportunity to outsource IT services; integration of processes to provide end-to-end service; involvement of business stakeholders; culture change of IT staff to service excellence; and the redesign of processes prior to investing in tools. Emergent IT service frameworks such as ISO/IEC 20000, and the CMMI® for Service Delivery are discussed.
Government and Corporate Initiatives for Indian Women and IT
Authors: Adya Monica
Published: May 2011

Education of women severely lags behind that of men in many developing nations. Fewer girls go to school, tend to drop out earlier than boys, do not receive the same level of education as their male counterparts, and often choose careers that are female predominant (Kelly, 1987). Without exception, India is quite representative of these gender-biased phenomena in education. However, the recent explosion of offshore outsourcing market in India has created a new recognition regarding the role of women in technological careers. The Indian IT sector has seen a trend contrary to what most western nations are experiencing—predominance of women in IT, particularly in IT-enabled services (ITES). India has acknowledged that extensive and intensive use of information and communications technologies (ICT) alone can help the nation develop its neglected human resources, emerge as a knowledge-based society, and participate competitively in the global trade and services. Consequently, the development of ICT has become a national issue with strong impetus from the union government in New Delhi (Choudhary, 1999). Explicit in this initiative is the recognition that to progress as an information society, women must be empowered as key players the IT sector. In parallel, two other trends have focused attention on women in the information society—a nationwide movement for women’s rights spearheaded by many non-government organizations (NGOs) and an increased awareness of corporate social responsibility. Consequently, over the last decade, there has been an increased emphasis on education and reskilling India’s female workforce. While many government efforts are targeted toward the overall upliftment of women, many grassroots level initiatives led by NGO’s and corporations emphasize technological training. This article highlights how the intertwining of grassroots and policy level efforts can increase the pace at which a nation’s female workforce can be reskilled and prepared for a technological world. The article also addresses concerns about such rapid development and potentially challenging outcomes while making recommendations for improvement.
Intercultural Collaboration in the ICT Sector
Authors: Maletzky Martina
Published: May 2011

In the context of global sourcing in, and internationalization of, the ICT sector, intercultural collaboration is for many ICT workers a daily affair. Especially in the field of software development, where the needs for communication are high, intercultural collaboration poses a particular challenge. Misunderstandings and an unproductive work atmosphere may result in hidden costs for the companies. This chapter highlights the different types of intercultural collaboration in the ICT sector, identifying the special challenges that occur and suggesting ways in which companies may minimize such challenges of intercultural collaboration.
Outsouring Non-Core Business Processes
Authors: Romaniello Adriana , Medlin B. Dawn
Published: May 2011

This study examines corporate performance effects when banks outsource noncore business processes. Additionally, the article proposes that knowledge management process plays a significant role in determining the outcomes of outsourcing. Drawing from resource theory and knowledge management literature, the authors develop the concept of managerial outsourcing competence and then propose a conceptual model. Also presented is an exploratory study of members of the North Carolina Bankers Association to assist in identifying the business processes they are currently outsourcing and their principal reasons for outsourcing.
Knowledge Management Success
Authors: Anantatmula Vittal
Published: May 2011

Globalization and free market philosophy characterize the current economic environment of increased competition and it has posed far greater challenges than ever for organizations to meet customer needs and demands. The global competition is compelling organizations to develop products and services faster, cheaper, and better in order to sustain competitive advantage in the market place. 21st century economy is setting new trends and unique styles of business operations because of continuous advancement of information technology (IT) and communication technologies. These technologies have offered more avenues to conduct business effectively and efficiently. Many organizations participating in the global economy have two distinct features associated with their operations; outsourcing and virtual teams, which have become feasible because of these technological advances. These two features have an impact on how organizations manage knowledge and deserve further discussion.
Establishing Trust in Offshore Outsourcing Information Systems and Technology (IST) Development
Authors: Kumar Rachna
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the issues and challenges faced in establishing trust among individuals and teams participating in offshore outsourcing of software development projects. While technical and project management aspects have been recognized as important for the success of offshore software outsourcing, the issue of establishing trust among the participants has not received specific recognition. The chapter discusses the special characteristics of offshore software outsourcing relationships which make the establishment of trust a challenge. The discussion emphasizes that a specific and planned approach of utilizing communication and coordination technology in software offshoring relationships will contribute towards trust formation. Use of communication and coordination technology in offshoring environments is recommended to be designed to increase the culture of communication, to establish a culture of transparency in communication, and to systemically maintain a trail and evidence of the communication.
Transformation from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age
Authors: Patki A.B. , Patki Tapasya , Kulkarni Mahesh
Published: May 2011

The previous decades have seen the emergence of the Information Age, where the key focus was on knowledge acquisition and application. With the emergence of cross-domain disciplines like outsourcing, we are witnessing a trend towards creative knowledge, rational application, and innovation. We are now progressing from an era that was information-dependent towards the era that revolves around concept development. This age, referred to as the Conceptual Age, will be dominated by six new senses--design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning--creating a need to diverge from the current reliance on linear and sequential algorithmic practices in outsourcing and to adopt cognition based engineering and management approaches. This article lays the foundation for offshore engineering and management (OEM) and discusses estimation issues in OEM that have their roots in software engineering. Also, this article identifies the limitations of the current methodologies from an outsourcing point of view, and delineates how they can be deployed effectively for an outsourced environment.
The Impact of New Trends in the Delivery and Utilization of Enterprise ICT on Supplier and User Organizations
Authors: Vorisek Jiri , Feuerlicht George
Published: May 2011

Enterprise information systems have rapidly evolved over the last decade. We expect these changes to accelerate during this decade as a result of new trends in enterprise computing. We argue in this chapter that information and communication technology (ICT) remains strategically important to organizations in the 21st century despite the prevailing trend to outsource ICT and related business processes. We have identified a number of important trends that include the move towards the software as a service (SaaS) model for enterprise applications, increased commitment to process orientation, and emphasis on managing the relationship between business and ICT using services. These trends lead to more effective management of ICT and closer integration of ICT with entrepreneurial activities and business processes in organizations, resulting in improvements in return on investment. These trends will have dramatic impact on both the suppliers and users of ICT, and will necessitate the reevaluation of the approach to ICT education as both the composition and qualifications of ICT workforce will undergo a fundamental change.
The Rationale Behind Strategic Alliances in Application service Provision
Authors: Tebboune D.E. Sofiane
Published: May 2011

Application service provision, which consists of deploying, managing, and remotely hosting software applications through centrally located servers, is emerging as a new form of application outsourcing that is attractive to many sectors. Partnering in this context has gained major importance among practitioners and researchers. Although this article demonstrates the importance of strategic alliances for the development of the ASP model, the included cases display relatively contradicting ideas, where in one of the two illustrated cases strategic alliances were not part of the business model. This article establishes a discussion on the pre-formation phase of strategic alliances, focusing on the rationale behind entering strategic alliances, and offers a set of guidelines for ASPs to consider when entering the partnering arena.
E-Scheduling
Authors: Knolmayer Gerhard F.
Published: May 2011

Collaboration between business partners can take many forms, ranging from simple exchange of elementary data to collaborative work on product development and division of labor in production and distribution processes. This article describes concepts, systems, and experiences with computer-aided collaborative scheduling. Scheduling is the allocation of resources over time to perform a collection of tasks (Ba ker, 1974). A schedule maps activities to resources, together with their planned start and end times. It determines what activities will be realized with what resources at what time. Scheduling is traditionally seen primarily as an activity geared to a specific workshop or factory. Increased division of labor and globalization of manufacturing activities demand the coordination of distributed production activities. As scheduling decisions are often short term and taken close to execution, real-time information ex change, seamless task collaboration, and contingency management among geographically dispersed factories may be beneficial (Jia, Fuh, Nee, & Zhang, 2002).
The "Digitalisation" of Youth
Authors: Brito Pedro Quelhas
Published: May 2011

The digitalization of youth signifies their complete immersion, active participation and involvement in the production, consumption and sharing of digital content using various interconnected/interfaced digital devices in their social network interactions. A prerequisite to successful commercial communication with young people is having a good understanding of new media, along with their social and psychological framework. The behaviour, motivation and emotions of youth in general and in relation to digital technologies, especially the meaning attached to mobile phones, the Internet (mainly social network sites) and games (computer-based and portable) should also be addressed if advertisers aim to reach this target group.
Teaching Taboo Topics Through Technology
Authors: Sorcar Piya , Nass Clifford
Published: May 2011

Solving the problem of how to provide effective health education on diseases subject to social taboos is an immediate need. The social stigma of HIV/AIDS is particularly prominent in the developing world, where 95 percent of all HIV-infected persons live. Millions of people risk death from HIV/AIDS while cultures and laws resist change. New approaches must be created to provide education despite whatever social, structural, cultural, and legal barriers exist. Fortunately, the emergence of new media and information and communication technologies (ICT) has provided new ways to help bypass social taboos and provide effective education. This chapter discusses these challenges and presents criteria for evaluating the efficacy of educational campaigns aimed at promoting awareness relating to taboo topics using a specially designed HIV/AIDS curriculum—Interactive Teaching AIDS—as an exemplar. It incorporates key pedagogical and communication theories and approaches in order to maximize its efficacy. To provide psychological comfort and promote coherent understanding, this ICT-based application couples the presentation of biological aspects of transmission with culturally-familiar euphemisms and metaphors to communicate ideas about prevention measures. Created using a rigorous, iterative, and research-based process, the 20-minute application provides detailed yet accessible culturally-appropriate explanations of all key aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention. For people living in areas that cannot easily access explicit HIV/AIDS materials due to social, cultural or other constraints, the positive results of the authors’ study suggest that it is possible to design curricula that are socially-acceptable and accurate, that promote significant gains in learning, retention, and changes in attitudes. Furthermore, these materials can encourage learners to proactively seek more information regarding the taboo topic and share prevention information with others. Educators who are reticent to teach about such subjects due to embarrassment or lack of health expertise can utilize similar approaches to educate students.
Adonis or Atrocious
Authors: Wood Natalie T. , Solomon Michael R.
Published: May 2011

A virtual world is an online representation of real world people, products, and brands in a computer-mediated environment (CME). Within the next few years CMEs are likely to emerge as the dominant internet interface. In addition to corporate websites, companies will operate virtual stores where customers can browse and interact with assistants. However, due to the newness of the medium advertisers still struggle to figure out the best way to talk to consumers in these environments–or to decide if they should enter them at all. In this chapter, the authors look at the role of avatars (digital spokes characters) as sources of in-world marketing communications. The authors discuss conceptual issues such as how an avatar’s appearance and the ability of the visitor to customize this appearance may influence consumer attitudes and behavior and how conversations with other avatars can serve as a potentially valuable starting point for buzz-building and word of-mouth marketing campaigns. They conclude with some specific suggestions based upon “lessons learned” regarding issues advertisers need to consider when choosing a spokesavatar to communicate with residents of virtual worlds.
Making Personalization Feel More Personal
Authors: Rao Shailendra , Nass Clifford , Bailenson Jeremy N.
Published: May 2011

The gold standard for customer service is catering to each individual’s unique needs. This means providing them undivided attention and helping them find what they want as well as what they will like, based on their prior history. An illustrative metaphor of the ideal interpersonal relationship between retailers and consumers is the “sincere handshake,” welcoming a familiar face to a familiar place and saying goodbye until next time, best symbolizes an ideal interpersonal relationship between retailers and consumers. In this chapter the authors offer a four-step cycle of this personalization process, which abstracts the key elements of this handshake in order to make it possible in mass digital consumerism. This model offers an ideal framework for drawing out the key lessons learned from the two previous stages of media evolution, Micro and Mass, as well as from social science and Human Computer Interaction (HCI) to inform the design and further the understanding of the rich capabilities of the current age of Digital Consumerism.
The Role of the CIO
Authors: Solli-Sæther Hans , Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

The CIO can be defined as the highest-ranking IT executive who typically exhibits managerial roles requiring effective communication with top management, a broad corporate perspective in managing information resources, influence on organizational strategy, and responsibility for the planning of IT. This definition is in line with research; which applied the following criteria when selecting CIOs for empirical observation: i) highest-ranking information technology executive; ii) reports no more than two levels from the CEO, that is, either reports to the CEO or reports to one of the CEOs direct reports, iii) areas of responsibility include information systems, computer operations, telecommunications and networks, office automation, end-user computing, help desks, computer software and applications; and iv) responsibility for strategic IS/IT planning. The CIO plays a vital role in every interoperability project in digital government. There may be a CIO in each involved public agency as well as a CIO for the whole of government. For example in Hong Kong, there is an office of the government chief officer, which developed the interoperability framework for all agencies and other public organizations to follow (2007). In this chapter we start by defining the position of the CIO. CIOs are playing a key role sourcing IT resources and enabling IT governance. These topics are covered in the next sections. Then, we continue discussing CIO leadership roles. As organizations expand their use of the Internet, the CIO emerges as an important executive for developing digital government, competitive strategy and Internet strategy. We are also looking into the CIO selecting e-business model.
Web 2.0 and Collaborative Learning in Higher Education
Authors: Escofet Anna , Marimon Marta
Published: May 2011

The dissemination of university knowledge has been traditionally based on lectures to students organised in homogenous groups. The advantages of this method are that it can give a unified vision of content, guaranteeing equal access to knowledge for all students. The 21st century university must combine its learning and teaching methods and incorporate different strategies and educative resources, as well as seeking to advance individual learning and promote collaborative work. The relevance of Web 2.0 is clear in this university learning context as it enables collaborative work to be carried out using ICT. In this chapter, we will deal with the different possible uses of social software in university teaching. We will show that the proper use of Web 2.0 tools can favour collaborative learning and promote new ways of teaching and learning.
Using Virtual Learning Environments to Present Different Learning Blends
Authors: McClelland Robert J.
Published: May 2011

This work is concerned with the evolution of blended learning supports for university students in moving from early Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) platforms and supports that were designed and facilitated by academics to those platforms designed commercially (particularly Blackboard) and developed using a mixture of commercial, collaborative and e-learning supports. The chapter is an examination of a range of issues including production of learning resources and student learning approaches. It concludes by highlighting the importance of innovation and variety in the learning blend with increased reliance on digital collections and for learning approaches student experiences were evaluated as positive when undergoing problem-based approaches and were seen as stimulated to engage with e-learning materials based on the structure and operation of action learning sets.
Online Pedagogical Effectiveness in Adult Contexts
Authors: Dixon Kathryn , Dixon Robert
Published: May 2011

A longitudinal study of students in the Training and Development program at Curtin University of Technology has been undertaken in an attempt to develop a framework which describes the dimensions of pedagogical effectiveness in online teaching and learning. The research began in 2004, and data have been collected from the sample group of students in the program from 2004–2007. As a result of analysis and review of the findings, the Online Pedagogical Effectiveness Framework (OPEF) emerged incrementally. The new framework challenges the traditional importance placed on the centrality of teaching skills and the need for student interaction in online teaching and learning, which according to this study, diminished over time. This has ramifications for the interchangeability of the roles of teacher, learner, and instructional designer peers and colleagues.
Embedded Forensics
Authors: Savoldi Antonio , Gubian Paolo
Published: May 2011

This chapter is aimed at introducing SIM and USIM card forensics, which pertains to the Small Scale Digital Device Forensics (SSDDF) (Harril, & Mislan, 2007) field. Particularly, we would like to pinpoint what follows. First, we will introduce the smart card world, giving a sufficiently detailed description regarding the main physical and logical main building blocks. Then we will give a general overview on the extraction of the standard part of the file system. Moreover, we will present an effective methodology to acquire all the observable memory content, that is, the whole set of files which represent the full file system of such devices. Finally, we will discuss some potential cases of data hiding at the file system level, presenting at the same time a detailed and useful procedure used by forensics practitioners to deal with such a problem.
The Ontological Stance for a Manufacturing Scenario
Authors: Gruninger Michael
Published: May 2011

The semantic integration of software systems can be supported through a shared understanding of the terminology in their respective ontologies. In practice, however, the author is faced with the additional challenge that few applications have an explicitly axiomatized ontology. To address this challenge, we adopt the Ontological Stance, in which we can model a software application as if it were an inference system with an axiomatized ontology, and use this ontology to predict the set of sentences that the inference system determines to be entailed or satisfiable. This chapter gives an overview of a deployment of the Process Specification Language (PSL) Ontology as the interchange ontology for the semantic integration of three manufacturing software applications currently being used in industry—a process modeller, a process planner, and a scheduler.
Modeling Underwater Structures
Authors: Jenkin Michael , Hogue Andrew , German Andrew , Gill Sunbir , Topol Anna , Wilson Stephanie
Published: May 2011

Deliberate exploitation of natural resources and excessive use of environmentally abhorrent materials have resulted in environmental disruptions threatening the life support systems. A human centric approach of development has already damaged nature to a large extent. This has attracted the attention of environmental specialists and policy makers. It has also led to discussions at various national and international conventions. The objective of protecting natural resources cannot be achieved without the involvement of professionals from multidisciplinary areas. This chapter recommends a model for the creation of knowledge-based systems for natural resources management. Further, it describes making use of unique capabilities of remote sensing satellites for conserving natural resources and managing natural disasters. It is exclusively for the people who are not familiar with the technology and who are given the task of framing policies.
A Novel Plausible Model for Visual Perception
Authors: Shi Zhiwei , Shi Zhongzhi , Hu Hong
Published: May 2011

Traditionally, how to bridge the gap between low-level visual features and high-level semantic concepts has been a tough task for researchers. In this article, we propose a novel plausible model, namely cellular Bayesian networks (CBNs), to model the process of visual perception. The new model takes advantage of both the low-level visual features, such as colors, textures, and shapes, of target objects and the interrelationship between the known objects, and integrates them into a Bayesian framework, which possesses both firm theoretical foundation and wide practical applications. The novel model successfully overcomes some weakness of traditional Bayesian Network (BN), which prohibits BN being applied to large-scale cognitive problem. The experimental simulation also demonstrates that the CBNs model outperforms purely Bottom-up strategy 6% or more in the task of shape recognition. Finally, although the CBNs model is designed for visual perception, it has great potential to be applied to other areas as well.
Conflicts, Compromises, and Political Decisions
Authors: Smolander Kari , Rossi Matti
Published: May 2011

This article describes the architecture development process in an international ICT company, which is building a comprehensive e-business system for its customers. The implementation includes the integration of data and legacy systems from independent business units and the construction of a uniform Webbased customer interface. We followed the early process of architecture analysis and definition over a year. The research focuses on the creation of e-business architecture and observes that instead of guided by a prescribed method, the architecture emerges through somewhat non-deliberate actions obliged by the situation and its constraints, conflicts, compromises, and political decisions. The interview-based qualitative data is analyzed using grounded theory and a coherent story explaining the situation and its forces is extracted. Conclusions are drawn from the observations and possibilities and weaknesses of the support that UML and RUP provide for the process are pointed out.
An Implementation of a New Type of Online Auction
Authors: Otair M. A. , Hattab Ezz
Published: May 2011

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the types of online auction. Yet many auctions with fixed-end times are experiencing “sniping” or submission of bids in the final minute of an auction. Late bidding deprives rivals of the ability of seeing one’s bid and undercutting it. Late bidding facilitates colludes or independent pricing well above that predicated by auction mechanism. This article aims to propose and implement a new type of online auction called Least and Unique Price (LUP). In the LUP auction, the winner will be the bidder who submits the least and unique price. Moreover, late bidding and specific closing time also be overcome by the LUP auction. In addition, this article presents the practical implementation of the proposed auction. In order to evaluate the proposed auction a comparative analysis of different auction types and the proposed one has been done.
Voluntary Turnover of Information Systems Professionals
Authors: Hunter M. Gordon , Tan Felix B. , Tan Bernard C.Y.
Published: May 2011

This investigation examines the motivating factors associated with voluntary turnover decisions of information systems (IS) professionals within the context of two different cultures—Singapore and New Zealand. The narrative inquiry approach was employed to interview 35 IS professionals. Ninety-seven turnover episodes were identified, including 42 in Singapore and 55 in New Zealand. The findings indicate that there exist universal turnover factors which are culturally independent. However, there are also factors that are culturally sensitive, which should be considered by managers when dealing with an international workforce.
Plays Well With Others
Authors: Saklofske Jon
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss issues and solutions surrounding the incorporation of interactive video games into university-level literary education. A comparative use of participatory games alongside more traditional texts and critical ideas in the classroom will encourage engaged learning, promote multiple literacies, and facilitate awareness of the nature of reading and the operations of narrative across media forms. While obstacles and challenges to the use of digital games in the university classroom include technology, programming ability, time, budget and platform longevity, the author will demonstrate how, by heavily customising enCore Xpress, an open-source, web-based, multi-user database and constructing two interactive fictions based on Romantic period novels, he has been able to circumvent these difficulties, engage students as lucid players and builders, and support metacritical reflection.
Teaching Shakespeare in the Elementary School through Dramatic Activity, Play Production, and Technology
Authors: Heller William L.
Published: May 2011

In order to learn whether Shakespeare can be taught successfully in the elementary school, the author devised and implemented a unit designed to teach Macbeth to one fifth-grade class using dramatic activities, theatrical production, and technology integration. The work challenges the use of standardized testing as the final measure of student achievement. It demonstrates how Vygotsky’s (1978) zone of proximal development exposes the limitations of measuring only what students can demonstrate under testing conditions, and how Gardner’s (1993) Theory of Multiple Intelligences offers a variety of avenues for learning more effectively. This approach is identified with that of a reflective practitioner, and is designed to assist professionals who are looking for practical models for using Shakespeare’s plays in their classrooms. The underlying motive is to help bring them to a wider audience.
A Description of Online Instructors Use of Design Theory
Authors: Cicciarelli MarySue
Published: May 2011

In a recent dissertation study, research was conducted to evaluate online instructors’ characteristics and preferences concerning the use of a telementor, or online instructor’s assistant, as a part on an online course. Those who participated in the anonymous survey came from a sample of two thousand online instructors from colleges and universities located across the United States. Of those contacted, 323 online instructors responded to the survey. Results presented in this article were produced using data from nine of the questions included in the survey. These Likert Scale questions specifically asked the instructors about their use of theory of multiple representation, Gagne’s conditions of learning, instructional transaction theory, cognitive flexibility theory, three form theory, dual-coding theory, elaboration theory, theory of transactional distance, and theory of immediacy and social presence. Outcomes showed that a larger number of online instructors applied design theory when creating a course compared to the instructors who indicated that they did not apply design theory. Descriptive results presented illustrate how often the participants said that they utilized each of the different theories.
A Vehicle for Transforming Education
Authors: Gooding Julia
Published: May 2011

Web 2.0: A Vehicle for Transforming Education includes practical and accessible overviews of some of the most commonly used and most useful technologies. The article serves as an idea generator, especially for teachers looking for ways to update their courses or to explore new concepts in learning. Technologies once only imagined are now opportunities to be implemented in the classroom. Audio and video conferencing, blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds, social bookmarking, and wikispaces are popular means of communicating in today’s society. However, Web technology is developing at such an exponential rate that even the newest of these technologies, like Web 2.0, may one day soon be a footnote in computer history. Once these newer technologies are better understood and appreciated, educators can evolve their teaching strategies to help their students remain competitive in the global society.
Stories of Engagement with E-Learning
Authors: Lautenbach Geoffrey
Published: May 2011

I argue that although university lecturers delve into the “shallow waters” of e-learning, they do not do so in sufficient depth and resign themselves to the perpetuation of cognitivist, behaviorist, and objectivist forms of knowledge without discovering more about the medium that could possibly liberate their restricted epistemologies. In this article, I explore possible reasons for varying engagement with e-learning, assuming that these reasons are located within the dimensions of the unit of analysis of the study; namely, lecturers’ changing theories of knowledge and teaching in first encounters with e-learning. Using Lee Shulman’s table of learning (Shulman, 2002) as a heuristic, I use excerpts from personal narratives to highlight the epistemological and pedagogical transformation of nine lecturers as they engage with educational technologies in their work.
Obtaining Security Requirements for a Mobile Grid System
Authors: David G. Rosado , Eduardo Fernández-Medina , Javier López , Mario Piatini
Published: May 2011

Mobile Grid includes the characteristics of the Grid systems together with the peculiarities of Mobile Computing, with the additional feature of supporting mobile users and resources in a seamless, transparent, secure and efficient way. Security of these systems, due to their distributed and open nature, is considered a topic of great interest. In this article we present the practical results of applying a secured methodology to a real case, specifically the approach that define, identify and specify the security requirements. This methodology will help the building of a secured grid application in a systematic and iterative way.
The Language of Leaders
Authors: Simoff Simeon J. , Sudweeks Fay
Published: May 2011

Virtual teams and their leaders are key players in global organizations. Using teams of workers dispersed temporally and geographically has changed the way people work in groups and redefined the nature of teamwork. Emergent leadership issues in computer-mediated communication are vital today because of the increasing prevalence of the virtual organization, the flattening of organizational structures, and the corresponding interest in managing virtual groups and teams. This chapter examines the communication behaviors of participants in two different case studies to determine if number, length, and content of messages are sufficient criteria to identify emergent leaders in asynchronous and synchronous environments. The methodology used can be embedded in collaborative virtual environments as a technology for identifying potential leaders in organizational and educational environments.
Radio Frequency Identification History and Development
Authors: Soon Chin-Boo
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the history and development of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Key information on RFID such as the ratification of the RFID standards and important regulations on frequency usage is presented. As businesses move towards the convergence of information, RFID technology provides a step closer to the reality of connecting the real world and the digital world seamlessly. This is possible as RFID communication does not require the line of sight as barcodes do. Thus, is the continued existence of the barcodes technology under threat? Before RFID makes its way into the mainstream, there are teething issues to be sorted out. The immediate attention for a global uptake of RFID is the adoption of a frequency standard that is accepted internationally. This chapter provides an understanding of the RFID technology, its background and its origin