bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resolving Australian analogs for an Eocene Patagonian paleorainforest using leaf size and floristics
Authors: Merkhofer Lisa , Wilf Peter , Haas M. Tyler , Kooyman Robert M. , Sack Lawren , Scoffoni Christine , Cúneo N. Rubén
Published: July 2015

• Premise of the study: The diverse early Eocene flora from Laguna del Hunco (LH) in Patagonia, Argentina has many nearest living relatives (NLRs) in Australasia but few in South America, indicating the differential survival of an ancient, trans‐Antarctic rainforest biome. To better understand this significant biogeographic pattern, we used detailed comparisons of leaf size and floristics to quantify the legacy of LH across a large network of Australian rainforest‐plot assemblages.

• Methods: We applied vein scaling, a new method for estimating the original areas of fragmented leaves. We then compared leaf size and floristics at LH with living Australian assemblages and tabulated the climates of those where NLRs occur, along with additional data on climatic ranges of “ex‐Australian” NLRs that survive outside of Australia.

• Key results: Vein scaling estimated areas as accurately as leaf‐size classes. Applying vein scaling to fossil fragments increased the grand mean area of LH by 450 mm2, recovering more originally large leaves. The paleoflora has a majority of microphyll leaves, comparable to leaf litter in subtropical Australian forests, which also have the greatest floristic similarity to LH. Tropical Australian assemblages also share many taxa with LH, and ex‐Australian NLRs mostly inhabit cool, wet montane habitats no longer present in Australia.

• Conclusions: Vein scaling is valuable for improving the resolution of fossil leaf‐size distributions by including fragmented specimens. The legacy of LH is evident not only in subtropical and tropical Australia but also in tropical montane Australasia and Southeast Asia, reflecting the disparate histories of surviving Gondwanan lineages.
Biodiversity assessment among two Nebraska prairies: a comparison between traditional and phylogenetic diversity indices
Authors: Aust Shelly , Ahrendsen Dakota , Kellar P. Roxanne
Published: July 2015

Conservation of the evolutionary diversity among organisms should be included in the selection of priority regions for preservation of Earth’s biodiversity. Traditionally, biodiversity has been determined from an assessment of species richness (S), abundance, evenness, rarity, etc. of organisms but not from variation in species’ evolutionary histories. Phylogenetic diversity (PD) measures evolutionary differences between taxa in a community and is gaining acceptance as a biodiversity assessment tool. However, with the increase in the number of ways to calculate PD, end-users and decision-makers are left wondering how metrics compare and what data are needed to calculate various metrics.

In this study, we used massively parallel sequencing to generate over 65,000 DNA characters from three cellular compartments for over 60 species in the asterid clade of flowering plants. We estimated asterid phylogenies from character datasets of varying nucleotide quantities, and then assessed the effect of varying character datasets on resulting PD metric values. We also compared multiple PD metrics with traditional diversity indices (including S) among two endangered grassland prairies in Nebraska (U.S.A.). Our results revealed that PD metrics varied based on the quantity of genes used to infer the phylogenies; therefore, when comparing PD metrics between sites, it is vital to use comparable datasets. Additionally, various PD metrics and traditional diversity indices characterize biodiversity differently and should be chosen depending on the research question. Our study provides empirical results that reveal the value of measuring PD when considering sites for conservation, and it highlights the usefulness of using PD metrics in combination with other diversity indices when studying community assembly and ecosystem functioning. Ours is just one example of the types of investigations that need to be conducted across the tree of life and across varying ecosystems in order to build a database of phylogenetic diversity assessments that lead to a pool of results upon which a guide through the plethora of PD metrics may be prepared for use by ecologists and conservation planners.
Revisión de la validez del coeficiente de seguridad, propuesto por EHE-08, para la estimación de la vida útil de cálculo en estructuras de edificación sometidas a la acción de cloruros
Authors: Mosquera-Rey E. R.
Published: July 2015

El objetivo de este artículo es la necesidad de revisar el coeficiente de seguridad de la vida útil propuesto en el anejo 9º de EHE-08. En concreto, para la corrosión por cloruros bajo ciertas condiciones, se observa que los valores son claramente escasos o inseguros. En la metodología empleada solo se pondera la vida útil de proyecto. El resto de las variables (concentraciones, coeficiente de difusión, etc.), tienen carácter determinista y no se les atribuye aleatoriedad o la tienen en cuenta de forma implícita; además sus valores pueden variar, lo que se conoce como falta de invarianza de las medidas de seguridad. En estas condiciones la seguridad puede no ser única cuando la determinación del nivel de seguridad debe ser un invariante.

Se propone un coeficiente de seguridad en base a un determinado índice de fiabilidad (β) y un coeficiente de variación (CV), para una supuesta variable aleatoria (t).
Cúpulas de crucero en templos de la provincia de Alicante (s.XVII-XIX): construcción y geometría
Authors: Pérez-Sánchez J. C. , Piedecausa-García B.
Published: July 2015

El objetivo es determinar las características constructivas, geométricas y materiales en la construcción de cúpulas originales de ladrillo en templos de la provincia de Alicante desde finales del siglo XVII hasta principios del siglo XIX. Se estudian 38 cruceros de iglesias y catedrales en 35 localidades alicantinas mediante recopilación de dibujos originales, levantamiento de planos, construcción en 3D, termografías y toma de muestras, todo ello seguido de un análisis comparativo de variables. Constructivamente, el 88,57 % de las cúpulas simples analizadas son de una hoja de ladrillo macizo (colocado a rosca). Geométricamente, el 97,37 % presentan planta circular y el 92,1 % peralte. El acabado azul vidriado en cubierta es el característico de la provincia (68,42 %), adornado con limatesas en color blanco.
Video Use in Teacher Education
Authors: Hodge Ashley , Carbonara David D.
Published: July 2015

Video is a valuable technology used for teaching and learning and specifically, video plays a significant part in effectively preparing pre-service teachers (PSTs) for the profession. Video is now being used as a form of PST assessment, which raises concern as to whether PSTs are being properly supported in this process. Therefore, this chapter turns to years of research on video use in teacher education to 1.) Identify ways that video has effectively been utilized in teacher education 2.) Understand the most operative aspects of video with respect to both the developer and the observer 3.) Explain the concern surrounding video as a means for assessment in teacher education and 4.) Suggest ways to support PSTs in recording and creating their own video segments of teaching. In doing so, this chapter aims to contribute to improving teacher education programs in terms of video-based assessment.
Potentials of Selected Information and Communication Technologies in Adult Education Programmes in Nigeria
Authors: Hanachor Melvins Enwuvesi , Needom Rex Aduvo
Published: July 2015

This chapter evaluated the potentials of selected information and communication technologies in adult education programmes in Nigeria. Infrastructure and funding are among the important issues, but scepticism about the pedagogic value of information and communication technologies and staff development are probably the most challenging. Institutions are grappling with bringing use and funding of e-learning and other computer-based instructional strategies into the mainstream of their organizations, and are beginning to contemplate restructuring to take account of information and communication technologies, in terms of staffing, staff development, course design and student support. Even though studies have captured the imperatives of information and communication technologies in Nigeria's educational system, little is still known about the subject matter in relation to adult education systems in the country. Consequently, this chapter explores and provides the much-needed insight on the subject and the issues that the process raises in the context of adult education in Nigeria.
Blended Learning in Teacher Education
Authors: Kim Jackie HeeYoung , Baylen Danilo M. , Leh Amy , Lin Lijia
Published: July 2015

This chapter acknowledges that there is sparse literature to consult about the pedagogical and empirical foundations of blended learning in teacher preparation programs because this field is in its infancy. This chapter will first define blended learning, identify the challenges in teacher preparation programs and indicate how blended-learning approaches will assist teacher educators to meet long-standing and newly emerged challenges, and help future teachers to be reflective practitioners, better problem-solvers, and critical thinkers. This chapter also will discuss pedagogical values of blended learning and factors affecting blended learning course designs, and then showcase best practices using blended learning in order to show the effectiveness of blended learning approaches in teacher education. Lastly, this chapter will discuss considerations when blending teacher education courses.
Improving Initial Teacher Education in Australia
Authors: Finger Glenn
Published: July 2015

Initial teacher education (ITE) programs are subject to agencies which shape and define them through regulatory accreditation processes (Lloyd, 2013a, 2013b). This chapter argues that the design of ITE programs needs to build the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) capabilities (Mishra & Koehler, 2006, 2008) of future teachers. After establishing that there are both accountability and improvement agendas, this chapter outlines the Teaching Teachers for the Future (TTF) Project, which involved all 39 Australian Higher Education Institutions providing ITE programs in Australia. The TTF Project was a 15 month long, $8 million project, funded by the Australian Government's ICT Innovation Fund which adopted an approach reflecting an improvement agenda. The TTF Project is discussed in terms of the TPACK conceptualisation guiding the project, and the research and evaluation of that project. The TTF Project's key outcomes are summarised, and these inform the presentation of solutions and recommendations.
Curriculum Development and Scientific Research
Authors: Makewa Lazarus Ndiku
Published: July 2015

As a science, knowledge created during curriculum development should be both generated and placed within a scientific research corpus, peer reviewed, and published. In the context of science, the knowledge generated during the process of developing curriculum should be generated and placed within the public domain in a scientific manner. This chapter will describe a framework for curriculum development, study and evaluation of research based curricula. It will also provide a description of the framework, which will include three categories of activities and 10 phases that are embedded within those categories. It will propose that curriculum research should provide an ideal context for building a scientific knowledge base for education curriculum development.
Teacher Education in Nigerian Universities
Authors: Akuegwu Basil Azubuike
Published: July 2015

Teachers play pivotal roles in the education process. Knowledge transmission constitutes integral aspects of their roles. In order to perform this role effectively, institutions responsible for teacher training have been striving to reposition teacher education for greater results by aligning with global best practices, at the centre of which is instructional technology. However, one thing is to desire the infusion of instructional technology into teacher education, another is to plan how to achieve the best result with it. In this regard, this paper focused on teacher education in Nigerian universities and how leadership and management of instructional technology are reshaping it. Highlights of the discussion include: background, teacher education in Nigerian universities, instructional technology in teacher education in Nigerian, leadership and management in instructional technology in teacher education, challenges of leadership and management in instructional technology and strategies for improving leadership and management in instructional technology.
Current Economic and Political Dispensation and Teacher Education Programs in Niger Delta Region
Authors: Ololube Nwachukwu Prince , Major Nanighe Baldwin , Kpolovie Peter James
Published: July 2015

In this chapter we highlighted the impact of the current economic and political dispensation in Nigeria and its impact on teacher education programs and the means of enhancing teacher education in the Niger Delta region. This paper is a conceptual and methodological breakthrough in Nigeria's academic landscape where qualitative and quantitative experiences highlight issues that are pertinent to teacher education program in the Niger Delta. The chapter proposed that the Niger Delta region's and the entire Nigeria's teacher education programs would be advanced if the component parts of the current economic and political disposition are resolved. This chapter contends that the Niger Delta region has the potential to address the challenges currently faced in the region such as social disruption (violence threat), poverty, hunger, disease, conflict, marginalization, and the achievement and improvement for effective teacher education programs. This chapter is of the immense judgment that successfully addressing the challenges currently faced in the Niger Delta region, teacher education programs will greatly improve qualitatively and quantitatively.
Using Social Network Sites for Library Services in Public Libraries
Authors: Kumar Ashok , Thanuskodi S.
Published: July 2015

Social Network sites are one of the innovative technologies contributing libraries the opportunity to reach out to its patrons. Keeping library users up to date is the primary aim of every library, online library services taken the role successfully, and among them Social Network Sites plays the unique role to keep the patrons informative. In this chapter, we provide a study of an attempt to use social media to engage with public libraries. Also this chapter has come out with a testimony on library services and the challenges through FaceBook, Twitter and Weblogs.
Webscale Discovery Tools
Authors: S. Aswathy
Published: July 2015

Due to the overwhelming increase in the electronic resources and databases, there is a difficulty in searching and locating the exact piece of information and at this context, resource discovery tools or web-scale discovery services emerged. No person is capable to cope up with all the information / literature available in electronic sources. At this point, resource discovery tools are providing a helping hand to find the precise information at the user's point of view. This chapter deals with various concepts, definitions, needs, type of services offered and different providers of discovery tools are discussed.
Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Rural Women
Authors: Pandiselvi P. , Lakshmi M.
Published: July 2015

Indian society has been bound by culture and tradition since ancient times. The patriarchal system and the gender stereotypes in the family and society have always showed a preference for the male child. Sons were regarded as a means of social security and women remained under male domination. Due to her subordinated position, she has suffered years of discrimination, exploitation and subjugation. She became the victim of several evils like child marriage, sati, polygamy, Purdah system, female infanticide, forced pregnancy, rape etc. In such incidents/recorded cases surprisingly mother-in-law are also taking active part. This discrimination and violence against women had an effect on the sex ratio in India. The main causes of violence are unequal power-relations, gender discrimination, patriarchy, and economic dependence of women, dowry, low moral values, negative portrayal of women's image in media, no participation in decision-making, gender stereotypes and a negative mindset. In this study about 69.39% of the respondents were married and 4.91% respondents were widow, it is observed that 3.82% of respondents were divorcee. The rest of them 21.85% were unmarried. In this study 50.27% majority of the women need information on education information, followed by information on others respectively 25.68%, agriculture information 22.95%, employment information 15.30%, health care information 11.48%, loan and politics information 9.29%, food nutrition, entertainment information respectively 6.01%, the lowest 3.28% of the respondents needed information on religion. In this study 88% of respondents responded that they were highly satisfied with the source of information, where as 9% of respondents responded that they were partially satisfied, 2.73% of respondents said that the source of information are moderately satisfied.
Mapping Forensic Odontology Literature Using Open Source Bibliographies and Software
Authors: Jeyasekar J. John , Saravanan P.
Published: July 2015

Domain visualization, an emerging field of study is used to map the growing domain structure of scientific disciplines. Scientometrics is a distinct discipline that has emerged from citation based domain visualization. Visualization with the aid of science maps enables visual comprehension. Science maps can be effectively created with the help of computer algorithms. Bibliographic databases are also available freely over the internet. The various computer algorithms and bibliographic databases are discussed. Some of the different bibliometric indicators are also briefly explained. A mapping study of forensic odontology literature for a five year period of 2009 to 2013 is done using two bibliometric databases, viz., PubMed and Google Scholar, which are freely available. MS-Excel spreadsheets and Publish or Perish (PoP) software are used for data analysis. Co-word maps are also created using VOSviewer to visualize the sub-fields of forensic odontology.
Expectation of Research Scholars and Students on Library Resources and Services
Authors: Thanuskodi S. , Revathi C.
Published: July 2015

The study shows that around 50% of the research scholars and students who have participated in the study were from the age group of below 25, around 30% from the age group of 25-30, 15.14% from the age group of 31-35, and 10.27% from the age group of above 35. The results reveal that frequency of library visit is good enough among respondents as 34.05% respondents used it daily, 29.73% used it twice in a week, whereas 21.62% used it weekly. This means that more than 85% students used it regularly. The present study shows that 50.27% of the respondents spent less than 1 hour in the library, 27.57% of the respondents spent 1-2 hours in the library. 8.65% users spent 2-3 hours and 13.51% spent more than3 hours in the library. The present study shows that 40% of respondents were very satisfied with the quality of library services, 55.68% satisfied with the library services, only a very few respondents 4.32% partially satisfied with the library services.
The Significance of Usage (Web) Metrics in Electronic/Digital Era
Authors: Suseela V.J.
Published: July 2015

Currently, libraries are passing through a challenging phase of progress as the entire scholarly publishing process is getting through the publisher's remote servers from the stage of production to users accessing the information. The server log created in this process measures their usage in several dimensions. As libraries strive to become more user-centric, usability factor becomes increasingly important for the development of collection as well as services. Consequently, the need is arising to explore methods to evaluate the usefulness of new type of resources also since they became integral part of the library collection. The subscribing libraries, organizations and consortia have been relying on the data for quantitative as well as qualitative assessment. The chapter discusses about the characteristics of electronic information, genesis of server logs and transformation into usage metrics and also the role of relevant standards in formatting the usage standards and advantageous features. The objectivity of data mining and research applications of usage metrics in supporting the library management as well as establishing the credibility of authors, institutions, journals or databases etc. are highlighted in this chapter.
E- Learning
Authors: Natarajan R.
Published: July 2015

This paper aims to provide the circumstance by outlining a short history of distance education, describing the media used in providing far-flung education, and to review explore literature on achievement, attitude, barricade to gain knowledge of education and learner characteristics. This paper explains little disparity in achievement between distance and traditional learners, although using a multiplicity of media, both to deliver pedagogic material and to make smooth the progress of communication, does give the impression to boost up the learning. Similarly, outlook the studies appear to show that the greater number of channels offered, the more positive students are about their experiences. With regard to barriers to completing courses, the main problems appear to be family or work obligations. Current research being carried out by the authors should enhance the findings accrued by the literature, by exploring the impact of “on-demand” video material, delivered by something no previous research appears to have examined. Discusses different electronic systems and their exploitation for distance education, and cross-references these with several aspects evaluated in the literature: achievement, attitude, and barriers to take-up or success, to provide a holistic picture hitherto missing from the literature.
Ancient Thinking and Modern Challenges
Authors: Giuseffi Frank G.
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this chapter was fourfold: 1) to offer an overview of current thinking on the 21st Century skills educational agenda - its intentions and goals for the future, along with the eventual teaching and learning challenges; 2) to present an historical analysis and several working definitions of critical thinking – an educational objective within the 21st Century skills movement; 3) a brief, yet important description of the life of Socrates as a person and as a teacher- with specific emphasis on the use of his method, and 4) the history and influence the Socratic method has had on critical thinking and its hopeful entry into mainstream 21st Century educational discussion.
Critical Thinking and Character
Authors: Delibovi Dana
Published: July 2015

This chapter advances the view that critical thinking and character must be redefined as mutually reinforcing capabilities, and taught in the light of this redefinition. After an analysis of how critical thought and character came to be separated into independent skill sets, the chapter surveys the limited efficacy of skills-based, character-neutral education in critical thinking. Next, the chapter presents rationales and methods for uniting critical thinking and character in higher education, drawing upon philosophical, sociological, and pedagogical evidence in support of this unification. Educational recommendations and directions for future research round out the chapter. Included among these recommendations is an emphasis on relationship-building as an instructional model to integrate education in character and critical thinking. Ultimately, the chapter makes the case that critical thinking cannot be taught effectively to students who have not developed the character necessary to face the consequences of critical thought.
Critical Thinking, Socratic Seminars, and the College Classroom
Authors: Long John D.
Published: July 2015

In many college classrooms, the requirement that students engage in critical thinking is missing. Students have become point gatherers and not thinkers. The Socratic Seminar, derived from the teaching techniques of Socrates, is a proven method to increase the critical thinking in class, and out. This structured discussion is not a debate. This chapter includes a description of, the purpose for, and successful strategies for conducting a Socratic Seminar, based on the researcher's experiences. The use of a foundational reading grounds the discussion on a common reference point. The purpose of the seminar is to improve the quality of discussion by having the students be more precise in their questions and answers. Questioning clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth, and breadth of statements forces graduate students to move past the shallow parts of discussion to areas which more fully explore a topic. Graduate level work requires this depth of understanding and this method improves their ability for in-depth discussion.
The Erosion of Critical Thinking Development in Post-Secondary Education
Authors: Hepner Michael Robert
Published: July 2015

A quick look at virtually any list of college-level learning outcomes will almost certainly uncover the desire to develop critical thinking skills. While prioritizing the development of critical thinking skills on campuses nationwide is a noble cause, issues quickly arise because the definition of critical thinking varies widely amongst the different disciplines, so this chapter provides a history of the idea of critical thinking in higher education, as well as various critical thinking development strategies and assessment instruments. This chapter also outlines the need for the academe to move from simply mentioning the development of critical thinking skills in various institutional documents to prioritizing such skills through the return of liberal education.
Critical Thinking Skills in Virtual Learning Environments
Authors: Little Julie M. , Feldhaus Charles
Published: July 2015

As the increase in the growth of online education continues with the expansion of both online courses and programs within higher education, the most recent challenge faced by educators is how to incorporate the basic skill of critical thinking into synchronous and asynchronous virtual courses successfully. For instructors, it is then crucial to understand the correlation between critical thinking and an online learning environment. The greater goal of this chapter is to better understand the intersection of critical thinking within online delivery systems and virtual learning environments. This chapter also examines the various barriers and challenges to successful integration of delivering critical thinking courses online, while at the same time building on existing critical thinking research in an effort to connect existing critical thinking concepts to current new media and web 2.0 tools in order to reach the ‘digital native' in the online course.
Developing an Assessment Program to Measure Critical Thinking
Authors: Barron Caulyne N.
Published: July 2015

This chapter posits that the assessment cycle is a valuable part of the discussion of teaching critical thinking skills in post-secondary settings. Acknowledging that critical thinking is a crucial skill for post-secondary students, the chapter ties accreditation mandates to the need to include robust outcomes assessment measures in college programs that teach critical thinking. The chapter traces one small, nationally-accredited online college's efforts to develop a robust assessment plan to measure how well students met general education and program objectives, particularly those related to critical thinking skills in a business program. The efforts to comply with accreditation standards and to demonstrate a culture of assessment resulted in a culture shift that sought meaningful data about how well the college was educating its students and meeting its mission.
Mapping Problems to Solutions
Authors: Shepperson Tara Loraine , Blakely April
Published: July 2015

Faculty used visualization and inquiry methods to help teacher leaders in a master's course design problem-to-solution exercises. These assignments were based on an actual educational issue present in their school. By developing both a problem and solution model, students were able to experience real-world problem-based learning. This chapter presents theories supporting the approach, examples of exercises, and some lessons learned after working with 300 students over two years. Although taught online and to geographically dispersed students, the logic model exercise replicated many aspects of clinical experiences and provided professional skill development. The value of using logic models to represent real-world phenomena and to provide authentic learning experiences to teacher leaders is discussed.
Watching TV News
Authors: Cernik Joseph Albert
Published: July 2015

This chapter focuses on the shortcomings of learning about complex policy issues from television news. The chapter uses the Vanderbilt University Television News Archive website to examine issues raised and not raised by television news, as well as the duration of time spent on issues by news shows. Examining the limitations of television news' ability to present and address complex public policy issues serves as a means to focus on critical thinking in the higher education setting. Two public policy issues are explored in this chapter, Constitutional interpretation and the Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as ObamaCare, as the means to show how limited television news is regarding presenting the often frustrating aspects of complex policy issues. Several methods used by the author to help students apply critical thinking skills are discussed. The results of these methods are also addressed.
Critical Thinking as a Multifaceted Phenomenon
Authors: Bednarikova Maria
Published: July 2015

The chapter deals with critical thinking (CT) theoretical modeling. CT is explained as a multifaceted phenomenon that should be examined systematically on interdisciplinary platform. The prototype of such a platform is that of cognitive sciences. The basic issues linked to an interdisciplinary research of CT are: relations between CT and language, logical and cognitive operations in the process of critical analysis, methods of CT and their anchoring in the methodology of science, the process of CT in relation to personal dispositions and attitudes, possibilities of development, and evaluation of CT within educational and learning processes. The possibilities of a CT development are specified in the scientific methodology classes where students are guided through propositional logic, towards the analysis of judgments and arguments so they are capable of drafting research papers that have explanatory and argumentative character. The mutual conditionality between the scientific methodology, the procedure of scientific research, and the basic thought operation of CT is stressed.
Developing Critical Thinking in Doctoral Students
Authors: Smith Peter
Published: July 2015

The PhD is the highest level of academic qualification, and is by its very nature an exercise in the development of critical thinking. This chapter discusses what it means to study for a PhD and the problems that students have with developing skills of criticality. The author discusses his own experiences of supervising over 50 doctoral students and relates this to the relevant literature. The role that the supervisor, research training, the thesis, dissemination and the viva can play in developing critical thinking are discussed. The power of specific techniques including reflection, action research and action learning are also explored. The chapter presents areas worthy of future study and concludes by presenting an agenda which PhD students and their supervisors might follow.
Faculty Support and Guidance for Doctoral Candidates
Authors: Wisdom Sherrie L.
Published: July 2015

This chapter describes practices of doctoral faculty in their efforts to support and encourage doctoral candidates for the EdD in conducting reliable and valid research for the writing of the dissertation. The setting of the degree program is in the School of Education in a private, four-year, liberal arts university in the Midwest United States. In guiding the doctoral candidates in their research endeavors, the faculty are promoting critical thinking applied to research design. Critical thinking is a process that represents a collection of skills difficult to teach in a doctoral program, as students who enroll bring a wide range of skills. The chapter includes a description of the doctoral program, some of the challenges faced by the doctoral faculty, and some of the strategies applied to promotion of strong research design among student work.
Toward Principles of Cyberspace Security
Authors: Maybury Mark T.
Published: July 2015

Increasing global dependence on cyberspace, rapidly and continuously changing technology, sustained vulnerabilities, and advanced persistent threats are driving an increasing societal risk of attack in cyberspace. Assuring a broad range of infrastructure critical for a well-functioning society is essential in a broad range of areas including but not limited to communications, transportation, and commerce. Based on an engagement with government, industry, and academia, and building upon prior research in computer security principles, this chapter articulates a set of enduring cybersecurity principles that can serve as a focusing framework to improve trust and assurance of systems considering requirements, architecture and design, and operations and maintenance. This chapter first outlines the threat and its consequence, describes prior research in cybersecurity principles, and then outlines a set of succinct and actionable cybersecurity principles.
Cyber Warfare
Authors: Robinson Michael , Jones Kevin , Janicke Helge
Published: July 2015

The term cyber warfare is becoming increasingly common in mainstream media, on the political stage and in military circles. To many it will appear as if the world has been caught unaware by the rise of cyber warfare and its impact on global society. In reality, research on cyber warfare in the form it is known today dates back to the 1980s. This chapter presents cyber warfare from the perspective of the research community. It highlights current research into eight distinct areas of cyber warfare, and examines the arguments, agreements and disagreements between various authors in each field. The chapter is organised into sections, with each section providing background and analysis into a particular area.
Cybersecurity Requires a Clear Systems Engineering Approach as a Basis for Its Cyberstrategy
Authors: Curts Dr. Raymond J. , Campbell Dr. Douglas E.
Published: July 2015

Systems engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the development of large and complex systems, where a system is understood to be an assembly or combination of interrelated elements or parts working together toward a common objective. Past experience has shown that formal systems engineering methodologies have not always been successfully applied to large and complex cybersecurity systems. These complex systems have become commonplace when applying cyberstrategies in cybersecurity operations. The ability to build, operate and maintain such systems is crucial to the effectiveness of cybersecurity operations. Most importantly, a cyberstrategy program must surround these systems on a global scale across multiple inter-related platforms. In this chapter, the authors demonstrate why a systems engineering approach is best suited for large and complex information systems used in cybersecurity, as well as the overall cyberstrategies that must also reside over these systems.
Towards Protecting Critical Infrastructures
Authors: Caldeira Filipe , Cruz Tiago , Simões Paulo , Monteiro Edmundo
Published: July 2015

Critical Infrastructures (CIs) such as power distribution are referred to as “Critical” as, in case of failure, the impact on society and economy can be enormous. CIs are exposed to a growing number of threats. ICT security plays a major role in CI protection and risk prevention for single and interconnected CIs were cascading effects might occur. This chapter addresses CI Protection discussing MICIE Project main results, along with the mechanisms that manage the degree of confidence assigned to risk alerts allowing improving the resilience of CIs when faced with inaccurate/inconsistent alerts. The CockpitCI project is also presented, aiming to improve the resilience and dependability of CIs through automatic detection of cyber-threats and the sharing of real-time information about attacks among CIs. CockpitCI addresses one MICIE's shortcoming by adding SCADA-oriented security detection capabilities, providing input for risk prediction models and assessment of the operational status of the Industrial Control Systems.
Cyber-Attacks, Retaliation and Risk
Authors: Brown Cameron S. D.
Published: July 2015

This chapter examines legal and technical issues that arise when considering strategic retaliatory countermeasures to cyber-attacks. Implications connected with endorsing techniques of active defense for nation-states are viewed alongside challenges faced by private entities. Proactive avenues for tackling cyber-security threats are evaluated and shortcomings within the international system of governance are analyzed. Retributive justice as a legal and philosophical concept is viewed through the lens of customary international law pertaining to use of force and self-defense. Difficulties in adapting rules governing kinetic warfare to instances of cyber-conflict are elucidated. The danger of executing counterstrikes for private entities is explained with reference to cross-border dilemmas, conflict of laws, and risks stemming from civil, criminal, and also administrative liability. Protocols for safeguarding anonymity are observed and the problem of attribution is illustrated. Costs and benefits associated with adopting methods of active defense are presented and solutions to avoid accountability failure are recommended.
Cyber Attacks and Preliminary Steps in Cyber Security in National Protection
Authors: Aydin Faruk , Pusatli O. Tolga
Published: July 2015

Cyber attacks launched by individuals and/or supported by nation states have increased due to the prevalence of information technologies at critical infrastructure of the states. In this chapter, such attacks and consecutive impacts are visited. In connection with this issue, evolution of cyber threats from annoying malware to serious weapons is studied by examples; hence, precautions against such threats are visited and usage of anti-malware applications as prevalent precautions is assessed within the scope. Selected information security standards and strategies of selected states and precautions for cyber security of Turkey are studied. Our findings underline that educated citizens and companies along with public institutions should cooperate to provide a nationwide cyber security. Consequently, it is defended that governments should play an affective role to protect, educate, and guide governmental and private companies and citizens on the cyber security by promoting the cyber security topic in the successive national development plans.
The Infomediary Campaign in the Philippines as a Strategy to Alleviate Information Poverty
Authors: Manalo IV Jaime A. , Balmeo Katherine P. , Berto Jayson P. , Saludez Fredierick M.
Published: July 2015

This chapter is about the Infomediary Campaign in the Philippines, a strategy to mobilize young people in agriculture and to alleviate information poverty in remote rice-farming communities. It reflects on how information and communications technology (ICTs) and some offline means can converge to address information poverty, and thereby contribute to positive social change. Social change in this chapter is operationalized as moving from a period of information scarcity to one with additional communication pathways to alleviate information poverty. Surveys, interviews, and content analyses were used in data collection. This chapter combines Stakeholder Theory and the Livelihoods Approach to better unpack the results of this research. Key ingredients for upscaling the Campaign are identified. The strengths and weaknesses of using the combined approach are discussed.
Captive Offshore IT Outsourcing
Authors: Adelakun Olayele
Published: July 2015

A captive offshore center is a separate business arm of the parent company, wholly owned, to provide IT solutions to its parent company. Some of the reasons for setting up a captive offshore center in the literature include controlling cost and gaining access to low-cost skilled professional but in the case of a Chicago based Company (sears Holdings) it was considered a strategic. One hiding agenda was to lunch a new line of business offering to its US base customers from a low cost location. This chapter reveals how a Sears Holdings lunched a successful captive offshore IT center and why they received outsourcing best practices award from the industry. In achieving the goal of the chapter, interview data was collected from the management team in Chicago and the head of the offshore operation. We compare our result to previous research on offshore best practices and we find many correlations.
Engineering the Services of the Library through Mobile Technology
Authors: Mtshali Eunice
Published: July 2015

Many universities are struggling to response the needs of its users. This is attributed to the rapid change in technological innovations. The growing interest on mobile technology in organisations is at a fast pace, particularly in institutions of higher learning. Mobile technology could be used in academic libraries to provide a better service to their clients or improve the service that they currently provide. Case study research was conducted at Capital University to understand the factors that could influence and impact the adoption of mobile technology in academic library services.
E-Competences for Organisational Sustainability Information Systems
Authors: Mitrovic Zoran
Published: July 2015

The present patterns of economic development are deemed to be ‘unsustainable'. It is believed that the concept of sustainability, assisted by the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) through organisational sustainability information systems (OSIS), is a ‘cure' for current extraordinary environmental changes. However, the effective use of these systems requires an ICT competent (e-competent) workforce. E-competences, a combination of ICT-related knowledge, skills and attitudes are discussed in a number of studies but the European e-Competence Framework 3.0 is the only known framework that includes a single sustainability related e-competence. This study, however, reveals that, although the E-eCF3.0 sustainability e-competence is relevant, it is not sufficient for the effective use of OSIS as it transpired that the users should also possess other e-competences if these systems are to be exploited effectively.
On Mobility and Interaction Landscapes
Authors: Wiberg Mikael
Published: July 2015

In this chapter we address how the landscape of mobile HCI is changing. With a point of departure taken in how mobile interaction design is nowadays not only about interface design for digital devices, but about the design of wide-ranging interaction landscapes we explore how mobile HCI are now heavily interwoven in complex arrangements of computational devices, platforms and services. In exploring these current developments, this chapter identifies three contemporary strands of developments related to 1) the formation of new interaction landscapes, 2) the long tail of interaction, and 3) digital materialities. With a point of departure taken in these three strands, this chapter presents a research agenda for moving forward followed by a discussion on the implications of this agenda for mobile HCI research.
Modern Standards for VoiceXML in Pervasive Multimodal Applications
Authors: Schnelle-Walka Dirk , Radomski Stefan , Mühlhäuser Max
Published: July 2015

In this chapter, we will consider the language support of VoiceXML 2.1 to express flexible dialogs in pervasive environments. Missing information about the environment and the inability to react to external events lead to rigid and verbose dialogs. But building upon the recently defined W3C MMI architecture we present an approach where dialog authors can adapt their dialogs' behavior with regard to the users' surroundings and incorporate available information and devices from the pervasive environment. Adding these features extends the expressiveness of VoiceXML 2.1, and allows for an integration into a multimodal and mobile interaction as anticipated in the, as of now, dormant VoiceXML 3.0 standard.
Rethinking Education for Sustainability
Authors: Giusti Leonardo , Pollini Alessandro , Casalegno Federico
Published: July 2015

This chapter presents a pedagogical model and a technological platform consisting of web and mobile technologies designed to support a mix of formal and informal, indoor and outdoor learning experiences. In particular, the platform is a reconfigurable system that can be adapted to support different kinds of learning formats. Two case studies will be presented to describe how the proposed pedagogical model and the technological platform can be adapted to address different contexts and learning objectives. The first case study – H2Flow – has been carried out in an high-school in Trento (north Italy) as an extension of the school curricula; the second one – Youth Mapping – has been deployed in underserved areas in Rio De Janeiro as part of a community-driven initiative led by UNICEF. In the conclusion, we discuss educational challenges and design opportunities concerning the use of mobile technologies in the context of education on sustainable development.
Investigating Serendipitous Smartphone Interaction with Public Displays
Authors: Baldauf Matthias , Fröhlich Peter
Published: July 2015

Today's smartphones provide the technical means to serve as interfaces for public displays in various ways. Even though recent research has identified several approaches for mobile-display interaction, inter-technique comparisons of respective methods are scarce. In this chapter, the authors present an experimental user study on four currently relevant mobile-display interaction techniques (‘Touchpad', ‘Pointer', ‘Mini Video', and ‘Smart Lens'). The results indicate that mobile-display interactions based on a traditional touchpad metaphor are time-consuming but highly accurate in standard target acquisition tasks. The direct interaction techniques Mini Video and Smart Lens had comparably good completion times, and especially Mini Video appeared to be best suited for complex visual manipulation tasks like drawing. Smartphone-based pointing turned out to be generally inferior to the other alternatives. Finally, the authors introduce state-of-the-art browser-based remote controls as one promising way towards more serendipitous mobile interactions and outline future research directions.