bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Taking a Case Method Capstone Course Online
Authors: Gill Grandon , Mullarkey Matthew
Published: October 2017

A capstone course is normally offered at the end of a program of study with the goal of helping students synthesize what they have learned in the courses preceding it. The paper describes such a course, —the undergraduate capstone course for MIS majors, —that was built around the case discussions and projects and originally offered in a face-to-face format. Over the course of the study, an asynchronous online version of the course was developed that was intended to be as faithful as possible to the classroom version. The pa-per examines the design, delivery and learning outcomes of the online offering, contrasting it with the classroom version.

The transition to an online course required many adaptations. Among the issues that we needed address: 1) moving the highly synchronous face-to-face discussions of each case study to an asynchronous format without losing fidelity and energy, 2) changing how “student participation” was defined and evaluated, 3) adapting the project component of the course—which ended with a very popular “science fair” activity at the end of the semester in the classroom version—to a delivery mechanism where students never interacted with each other face-to-face, and 4) evaluating the relative learning outcomes of the two approaches.

The results of the conversion proved to be consistent with some of our expectations, and surprising in other ways. Consistent with expectations, the online tools that we employed allowed us to create an online design that was relatively faithful to the original version in terms of meeting learning objectives. Also consistent with our expectations, student perceptions of the course—while quite positive overall—were more mixed for the online course than for its face-to-face predecessor. The course offering produced two surprises, however. First, the online approach to the project component of the course actually seemed to result in higher quality projects and presentations than the face-to-face version. Second, when results were compared from the instrument we used to evaluate student learning gains, the classroom and online versions of the class proved to be nearly indistinguishable. Given the very different delivery mechanisms employed, we had anticipated far more differences in student perceptions of what they had learned over the course of the semester. Given the challenges of taking a highly interactive class online, we viewed this surprise to be a very pleasant one.

A revised version of this paper was published in Journal of Information Technology Education: Research
Volume 14, 2015
Distribution of Execution Times for Sorting Algorithms Implemented in Java
Authors: McMaster Kirby , Sambasivam Samuel , Rague Brian , Wolthuis Stuart
Published: October 2017

Algorithm performance coverage in textbooks emphasizes patterns of growth in execution times, relative to the size of the problem. Variability in execution times for a given problem size is usually ignored. In this research study, our primary focus is on the empirical distribution of execution times for a given algorithm and problem size. We examine CPU times for Java implementations of five sorting algorithms for arrays: selection sort, insertion sort, shell sort, merge sort, and quicksort. We measure variation in running times for these algorithms and describe how the sort-time distributions change as the problem size increases. Using our research methodology, we compare the relative stability of performance for the different sorting algorithms.
South Africa Micro Entrepreneurs: Mobile ICT Adoption
Authors: Steyn Eunice , Steyn Riana , De Villiers Carina
Published: October 2017

The objective of this paper was to determine the perceived barriers and motivators of mobile ICT adoption by South African micro entrepreneurs. Current research shows that mobile ICT can help ensure the success of micro enterprises. However, there are barriers and motivating factors, which influence the mobile ICT adoption rate of micro enterprises and they seem to differ between countries. Semi-structured interviews with a number of South African micro entrepreneurs were used in this study to determine the barriers and motivators relevant in a South African context. The results from this study show that each individual entrepreneur has their own subset of factors, unique to their situation and environment, which influences their ICT adoption rate. Attempts to increase the mobile ICT adoption rate amongst South African entrepreneurs therefore needs to consider the unique set of mobile ICT adoption barriers and motivators that each entrepreneur faces.
IT Investment in ABC Textile and Dyeing Asia Pacific Perspective
Authors: Pham Hiep , Sriratanaviriyakul Narumon , Nkhoma Mathews
Published: October 2017

Quyen Le, Deputy Director at ABC Textile and Dyeing Joint Venture Company (JVC), returned from a meeting with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) service provider. Quyen was wondering which options of ERP implementation would be best suited to gain staff support and pre-pared the company for long term development.
ABC had undergone considerable growth in recent years. Having become one of leading manufacturers of denim fabric in Vietnam market, the company was now facing some organizational challenges. To cope with pressing competition in local and overseas markets, ABC had needed to acquire internationally recognized certification for its quality control system and standardized manufacturing process. The company implemented a quality management process in order to achieve its goal of ISO9000:2008 certification. There was substantial additional paperwork to be handled with the new process. ABC currently used an outdated decentralized computing system in managing its denim manufacturing process. It was time-consuming and difficult to obtain timely and accurate production information—including material planning, production costing, machinery inventory, production reports—and difficult to share information among departments. Furthermore, over a hundred different reports for various stages of the denim manufacturing process were generated and handled by several departments.
Lacking the technical knowledge to deal with complex technological context, Quyen considered outsourcing the implementation of an ERP system to ease the documentation tasks required by the ISO 9000:2008, and to manage more effectively the denim manufacturing and to streamline the reporting system.
Facing concerns and criticisms from staff during the implementation of the ISO 9000:2008 quality management process due to its complex, time-consuming documentation requirement and added workload with no immediate benefits, Quyen was facing a tough decision whether to move forward with implementing an ERP system that promised another tough challenge to get the sup-port from staff and required necessary organizational changes to create business value from the information technology (IT) investment.
ABC Textile and Dyeing JVC (ABC) was part of a textile industry that represented an important component of the global and local economies.
Evolving Consumption Patterns of Various Information Media via Handheld Mobile Devices
Authors: Gafni Ruti , Geri Nitza
Published: October 2017

This study examines diverse information media in order to identify those formats that are most suitable for consumption via handheld mobile devices, namely, smartphones and tablets. The preferences of the users are measured objectively by analyzing actual data of their relative use of handheld mobile devices and personal computing (PC) desktop devices, including laptops and notebooks, for consumption of information presented in various formats. Our findings are based on Google Analytics pageview data of five course Websites during a period of three semesters, by 11,557 undergraduate students. M-learning contexts were chosen, since in a learning environment the interests of information providers (i.e., the instructors) are in accord with those of the information consumers (i.e., the students), whereas in commercial settings there may be conflicts of interests. Our findings demonstrate that although about 90% of the pageviews were via PC devices, the rate of smartphone use for consuming learning content in diverse information media is gradually increasing as time goes by, whereas the rate of tablet use for these purposes is stagnant. The most promising direction for smartphone development, emanating from the findings, is online video content.
Information Gatekeepers – Aren't We All?
Authors: Bouhnik Dan , Giat Yahel
Published: October 2017

In today’s knowledge environment, individuals and groups who gather relevant information about the organization’s external environment and distribute that information for use by their colleagues receive increasing attention and are viewed with great importance. These individuals have been named Information Gatekeepers. Thus far, researchers have not established a unanimous and interdisciplinary definition regarding the human information gatekeeper. Nonetheless, a recurrent theme in previous papers regards gatekeepers as a select few throughout the organization. This approach creates two kinds of employees based on a specific set of criteria – those who are gatekeepers and those who are not. The main goal of this research is to examine whether gate keeping is an individual attribute that exists or does not exist within the organization, or whether gate keeping is a continuous attribute that exists within every member and throughout the organization in varying intensity subject to differences in personal characteristics and other factors. We find that evidence to the existence of latter approach is significant and suggest practical recommendations that arise from these findings.
Full Conference Proceedings
Authors: Cohen Eli
Published: October 2017

Papers accepted for the Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2015 were published as the proceedings papers listed below or in one of the ISI journals. A complete listing of papers published as the full Proceedings of the Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2015 can be found at http://proceedings.informingscience.org/
“How do I get From Here to There?” An Examination of Ph.D. Science Students’ Career Preparation and Decision Making
Authors: Thiry Heather , L Laursen Sandra , G. Loshbaugh Heidi
Published: October 2017

Drawing on developmental networks theory, this qualitative research study explores the professional preparation and career decision-making processes of doctoral students in the sciences. The study is based on 95 semi-structured interviews with informants at three research universities in the United States. Though many students were interested in non-academic career tracks, they were largely unaware of the breadth of their choices or how to best prepare for these careers. Unable to cultivate networks in non-academic careers, many students turned to peers to fill the career development gap. Due to their lack of knowledge about career options, among other factors, students often delayed selecting and preparing for careers until the end of their graduate studies. Implications for doctoral education practice are discussed.
Exploring Student Success in a Doctoral Program: The Power of Mentorship and Research Engagement
Authors: Gisemba Bagaka's Joshua , Bransteter Irina , Rispinto Sarah , Badillo Natale
Published: October 2017

The study explored features of an educational doctoral program that enhances doctoral student success. Doctoral student success is defined broadly to include not only completion and retention rates, but also the ability of the program to produce effective scholars in the field. The study utilized a mixed-method approach, incorporating quantitative and qualitative data from both alumni and current doctoral students. A total of 113 students participated in the survey and another 20 students participated in two parallel focus group discussions. A factor analysis of the 31-item-survey identified six dimensions representing different aspects of the doctoral program with an internal consistency measure of reliability ranging from 0.76 to 0.97. Quantitative and qualitative findings converged in highlighting the importance of Program Support/Program Structure, Advisor Support/Faculty Mentorship, and Research Engagement/Formation of Scholars on doctoral students’ success. These features incorporate effective socialization activities within the program. The study recommends that doctoral programs incorporate research engagement and effective mentorship activities into the program’s structure for sustainable scholarship.
‘Our Breadcrumb Trail through the Woods’: Reflections on the Use of a Secret Facebook Group as a Strategy for Surviving and Thriving on the Doctoral Journey
Authors: Satchwell Candice , Partington Hazel , Barnes Lynne , Gurjee Ridwanah , Ramsdale Susan , D Dodding Jacqueline , Drury Kathryn
Published: October 2017

This article explores the value of attending to the emotional side of the doctoral journey by focusing on the use of a ‘secret’ Facebook group amongst a cohort of EdD (Professional Doctorate in Education) students at one English university. Presented as a piece of action research in which the participants created an intervention to address a perceived problem and then reflected on its effectiveness, it is co-authored by the cohort of six students and their tutor. The stresses and loneliness of the doctoral journey have been well documented and constitute the ‘problem’ addressed by this cohort of students. Their inception and use of a Facebook group was a response to challenges experienced in their studies, with the expectation of facilitating peer support. As will be shown this aim was successfully met with enhancements in academic, social, and emotional support. However, unexpected benefits arose from the interactions within the group including a normalization of the challenges of the doctoral quest and the advantage of being able to follow the ‘breadcrumb trail’ found in the group postings as group journal and aid to reflection. Further, both tutors and students have noted the development of a strong sense of ‘cohortness’ and inclination to work collaboratively. Through a process of individual and group reflection on experiences of the intervention, combined with analysis of the content of the postings, this article examines the characteristics of the Facebook intervention and considers some ethical implications. We suggest that key characteristics that have contributed to its success include the student ownership, the protection of the secret format, and the combination of emotionally supportive, academic, and irreverent exchanges between group members. It is hoped that these insights may be useful to future doctoral candidates and their tutors as they negotiate their own way through the doctoral woods.
A Qualitative Descriptive Analysis of Collaboration Technology in the Navy
Authors: Wark Ryan , K. Webber Jon
Published: October 2017

Collaboration technologies enable people to communicate and use information to make organizational decisions. The United States Navy refers to this concept as information dominance. Various collaboration technologies are used by the Navy to achieve this mission. This qualitative descriptive study objectively examined how a matrix oriented Navy activity perceived an implemented collaboration technology. These insights were used to determine whether a specific collaboration technology achieved a mission of information dominance. The study used six collaboration themes as a foundation to include: (a) Cultural intelligence, (b) Communication, (c) Capability, (d) Coordination, (e) Cooperation, and (f) Convergence. It was concluded that collaboration technology was mostly perceived well and helped to achieve some levels of information dominance. Collaboration technology improvement areas included bringing greater awareness to the collaboration technology, revamping the look and feel of the user interface, centrally paying for user and storage fees, incorporating more process management tools, strategically considering a Continuity of Operations, and incorporating additional industry best practices for data structures. Emerging themes of collaboration were collected to examine common patterns identified in the collected data. Emerging themes included acceptance, awareness, search, scope, content, value, tools, system performance, implementation, training, support, usage, structure, complexity, approach, governance/configuration management/policy, and resourcing.
Scaffolding Students’ Independent Decoding of Unfamiliar Text with a Prototype of an eBook-feature
Authors: T Gissel Stig
Published: October 2017

This study was undertaken to design, evaluate and refine an eBook-feature that supports students’ decoding of unfamiliar text. The feature supports students’ independent reading of eBooks with text-to-speech, graded support in the form of syllabification and rhyme analogy, and by dividing the word material into different categories based on the frequency and regularity of the word or its constituent parts. The eBook-feature is based on connectionist models of reading and reading acquisition and the theory of scaffolding. Students are supported in mapping between spelling and sound, in identifying the relevant spelling patterns and in generalizing, in order to strengthen their decoding skills. The prototype was evaluated with Danish students in the second grade to see how and under what circumstances students can use the feature in ways that strengthen their decoding skills and support them in reading unfamiliar text. It was found that most students could interact with the eBook-material in ways that the envisioned learning trajectory in the study predicts are beneficial in strengthening their decoding skills. The study contributes with both principles for designing digital learning material with supportive features for decoding unfamiliar text and with a concrete proposal for a design. The perspectives for making reading acquisition more differentiated and meaningful for second graders in languages with irregular spelling are discussed.
INTEGRATING ICT IN SCHOOL EDUCATION: A CASE OF PRATHAM INFO TECH FOUNDATION, INDIA
Authors: Basargekar Prema , Sanjayraj Singhavi Chandan
Published: October 2017

In the scorching and sultry heat of a Mumbai summer Prem Yadav, the Director of Pratham Info Tech Foundation (referred to as the Foundation), Mumbai, India and his team were busy teaching basic computer skills to students attending a school for children raised in poor households. These children were stumbling at every stage. Classrooms were very small and congested. Electricity supply was erratic. Software products were available only in English and were not compatible with the hardware. Schools and teachers were unenthusiastic if not wary of the additional burden put on them. This was the situation in spite of the fact that for four years since 1998, Prem and his team had tried everything to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in 54 Municipal Corporation schools, (schools run by the civic body that governs the city) started mainly for unprivileged children. The team enjoyed moderate success, but the overall impact was small.
Uses of ICT in education were perceived to be an add-on support, rather than an effective toolbox to bring consistency and equality in providing quality education and empowerment to underprivileged children. Information technology had led to decisive and sweeping changes in other fields like healthcare, e-governance, logistics, and manufacturing. Yet so far ICT had very limited success in the field of education especially at pre-primary and secondary school levels (i.e., from standard 1st to 8th). On the one hand, India was emerging as a knowledge based economy by exporting IT and IT based services to the world, and, on the other hand, most of the population belonging to the low income group did not have any access to learn basic knowledge and skills related to IT. Prem was convinced that this digital gap needed to be closed as early as possible; otherwise India would risk leaving a large section of the population far behind. He knew that it was not the technology per se, but the implementation of the technology at the grass roots level that was more important.
GAPS 2030: Building a Global Access Movement for Sustainable Development
Authors: Kaiser Florian , Atherton Graeme , Millett Catherine , Tupan-Wenno Mary , Wickham Diana
Published: October 2017

In September 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 agenda including sustainable development goals, for the first time addressing access to all levels of education. This essay has two aims. Firstly, it will illustrate why access to post-secondary education is emerging as a major global concern and provide examples of access gaps. The second is to describe a young global initiative for access to post-secondary education, which could help to realize the United Nations’ vision for lifelong learning.
Estimating the Accuracy of the Return on Investment (ROI) Performance Evaluations
Authors: Botchkarev Alexei
Published: October 2017

Return on Investment (ROI) is one of the most popular performance measurement and evaluation metrics. ROI analysis (when applied correctly) is a powerful tool in comparing solutions and making informed decisions on the acquisitions of information systems. The purpose of this study is to provide a systematic research of the accuracy of the ROI evaluations in the context of information systems implementations. Measurements theory and error analysis, specifically propagation of uncertainties methods, were used to derive analytical expressions for ROI errors. Monte Carlo simulation methodology was used to design and deliver a quantitative experiment to model costs and returns estimating errors and calculate ROI accuracies. Spreadsheet simulation (Microsoft Excel spreadsheets enhanced with Visual Basic for Applications) was used to implement Monte Carlo simulations. The main contribution of the study is that this is the first systematic effort to evaluate ROI accuracy. Analytical expressions have been derived for estimating errors of the ROI evaluations. Results of the Monte Carlo simulation will help practitioners in making informed decisions based on explicitly stated factors influencing the ROI uncertainties.
lnfotainment:Cultural Hypertext Of Double Virtuality
Authors: Augustinaitis Arunas
Published: October 2017

The main question of this analysis is a character of mechanism of increasingly netted culture as an intercultural communication context. The shift of culture is related with tendencies of post-modernity and globalization. In fact the contemporary culture is lying on another paradigm, which has a different structure and consecution from traditional culture.” Double virtuality” and infotainment are the hegemonic characteristics of current cross-cultural communicating. The netted culture implies new forms of information representations and dynamic orientations of intercultural actions. There are the consequences of trans-informationality and cultural diffusion, which are internal processes of postmodern culture. We assume the radical transformation of idiosyncrasy of intercultural communication.
A Framework for Effective User Interface Design for Web-Based Electronic Commerce Applications
Authors: Rudnicka Justyna , R. Madey Gregory
Published: October 2017

Efficient delivery of relevant product information is increasingly becoming the central basis of competition between firms. The interface design represents the central component for successful information delivery to consumers. However, interface design for web-based information systems is probably more an art than a science at this point in time. Much research is needed to understand properties of an effective interface for electronic commerce. This paper develops a framework identifying the relationship between user factors, the role of the user interface and overall system success for webbased electronic commerce. The paper argues that web-based systems for electronic commerce have some similar properties to decision support systems (DSS) and adapts an established DSS framework to the electronic commerce domain. Based on a limited amount of research studying web browser interface design, the framework identifies areas of research needed and outlines possible relationships between consumer characteristics, interface design attributes and measures of overall system success.
Evaluating Higher Education Learners through Portfolio Assessment
Authors: Akar Hanife
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a part of a larger needs assessment study that aimed at designing a course called Instructional Planning and Evaluation (IPE), which is offered at Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Education, Turkey. The purpose of this study was to understand how undergraduate students perceived portfolio assessment (PA) with respect to IPE courses, and how students wanted to work during PA implementation. Data was obtained through a five-point Likert-type scale, interviews, field notes, and unobtrusive measures. Results reveal that students were frustrated in the initial stages of the implementation, and frequently demanded guidance by their lecturer. Although individual work was preferred, collaborative work facilitated preparing the content of portfolios. In course of time, data obtained through participant observations or unobtrusive measures reveal that PA led learners to become selfregulated learners.
Using ICT in Distance Education: a Case
Authors: Koppelman Herman , van Dijk Elizabeth
Published: October 2017

The paper describes a distance education course which uses ICT in a number of ways. In the first place the World Wide Web provides for part of the content. Next, the course is as far as possible available in a hyperstructure in electronic form. Finally, most of the necessary communication (for example between the students and between the students and their teacher) is supported by ICT. The paper describes extensively experiences with this course.
A Framework for Developing Distributed Cooperative Decision Support Systems - Inception Phase
Authors: Gachet Alexandre
Published: October 2017

This paper describes the This paper describes the inception phase of the development process of a Framework for Developing Distributed Cooperative Decision Support Systems (DSSs). It analyzes the reasons why the broad use of DSSs has not occurred yet and makes propositions to improve this situation. It shows that, for the most part, modern distributed computing architectures could solve many of the presented issues. In the first section, this paper gives an overview of DSSs, based on definitions, history, taxonomies and DSS architectures. In the second section, it covers three categories of problems in the DSS area: human factors, conceptual factors and technical factors. To finish, it proposes possible solutions to these problems using concepts borrowed from new distributed computing architectures.
Can E- Commerce Enable Marketing in an African Rural Women's Community Based Development Organisation?
Authors: Rhodes Jo
Published: October 2017

The World Bank Development Report (2000) findings show that at the macro level the most effective anti poverty policies are those that achieve equity through redistribution whilst simultaneously enhancing the efficiency of the markets used by poor people. It also found that even if markets work, poor people need assistance to overcome the obstacles that prevent them from freely accessing markets on an equal basis with other business groups. Investment in infrastructure and modern technologies such as ITC’s may break down some of the barriers of access such as physical remoteness and are cited by the World Bank as a potential solution to creating market access. However there is little existing research that examines this scenario at the micro level. This paper uses a case study- the Rural Women's Association (RWA) of Sekhuhkuneland, Northern Province, South Africa to examine if E- commerce can enable access to markets in a impoverished, under resourced rural location. This paper has 5 parts: Part 1 consists of the background and rationale for this study, Part 2 focuses on the education, business acumen and gender issues. Part 3 discusses the current market environment. Part 4 discusses possible business models that can integrate e-commerce in its implementation. Part 5 provides the research questions and the methodology for this study. The final discussion in this study provides us with a viable e- commerce model that could be used in a rural setting and could provide greater economic development for this community.
Human Services Information Technology
Authors: Winer Charles , W. Pavkov Thomas
Published: October 2017

From surveyed responses and evolving technologies, technical issues related to developing a secure county/regional based human services information systems solution are identified. Components of such a system are identified and discussed as to their viability to successfully design and implement shared data between government agencies and non-profit groups throughout Lake County and the State of Indiana. Some of these components are a common intake function, master client/family index to including client education, training and history components, a master provider index, case coordination/management system, and the use of E-forms to reduce traditional paper processing and encourage more efficient usage of data storage and retrieval technologies within a clientcentric environment.
Information Literacy: A Community Service Learning Approach
Authors: Rathswohl Eugene
Published: October 2017

Business, academic, and government leaders have spoken out for professional education to integrate solid knowledge and skills with a spirit of volunteerism and community service (Briscoe, 1998; Hayes, 1997; Small/Venkatesh, 1998). This paper describes an example of how community service-learning has been applied in an information systems course that emphasizes information literacy required in a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
Designing Application Authorizations
Authors: A. Maciaszek Leszek , L. Owoc Mieczyslaw
Published: October 2017

Information systems must be protected from unauthorized access. Authorization has been studied extensively as the main form ofpreserving the security of databases. Every database management system provides a sophisticated set of options aimed at protecting the database from unauthorized access. An important practical problem is how to take advantage of the database security options to ensure that a user is permitted to access the database through the application program but may not be allowed to access the database directly via database query tools. A related issue is how to extend the user privileges on the client part of the application so that only authorized GUI controls are available to the user. In this paper we propose a model for the design of necessary authorization settings into both the client and the server parts of a database application. The settings are stored in an Authorization Database (ADB) to which the program connects to customize itself for the current user. The customization is based on an application role granted to the user. An application role is activated for a connection (user session). After the database server authenticates the user, the user login to the application role can be transparently obtained by the application from the ADB.
Testing Different Teaching Techniques in First Year Finance Seminars
Authors: Allsopp Louise
Published: October 2017

The author compares the relative successes of two different teaching techniques in seminars for a first year university course in Finance. This paper tests to see if there is one overriding approach that enables all students to learn effectively in seminars or whether different students benefit from different teaching techniques. An experiment will be carried out on a subset of a first year Finance group in Semester 1, 2001 for five separate fifty-minute sessions. Four groups (i.e. sixty students) will be taught using one teaching technique. The remaining four groups will face an alternative approach. The author will consider the performance of the students in these groups in the light of a personality questionnaire designed to ascertain preferred learning styles. The ultimate goal is to deliver seminars that offer the students the best possible learning environment.
Hybrid Delivery of Computer Literacy Requirements for Undergraduate Business Schools: A New Model
Authors: A. Marold Kathryn , Fustos Janos
Published: October 2017

The paper presents a revised model for handling the computer literacy and information systems requirements for undergraduates. The model was proposed for School of Business students at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. Through a combination of entrance screenings, self-paced Web Based Training courses on the campus network, and traditional classroom Introduction to Computers courses, a more efficient model for computer literacy was established. Then a hybrid model to deliver the introductory information systems class was proposed - to save scarce faculty and campus resources, yet preserve the traditional classroom instruction that some students need. The proposed hybrid model takes into consideration the higher level of computer literacy of many modern students, and takes advantage of the newest methods of interactive Web based training that make self-paced courses a practical means of learning.
Behavior Toward E-Communication Tools: A New Theoretical Model Based on Evolution Theory
Authors: Kock Ned
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a new theoretical model to explain behavior toward electronic communication tools based on evolution theory. The model proposes that inherited biological traits acquired by the human species through Darwinian evolution bias an individual's choice of preferred communication toward face-to-face communication. The model also suggests that e-communication media that selectively incorporate elements of actual unencumbered face-to-face interaction (e.g., physical presence, ability to see and hear others, synchronicity) will be perceived as more adequate for communication than other media devoid of those elements, and therefore as demanding less individual cognitive effort to be used, particularly in tasks requiring intense communication.
An Application of Active Learning and Distance Education
Authors: Pencek Tom , Bialaszewski Dennis
Published: October 2017

This paper discusses the planning and observations of a group project using the Internet between two schools, one in Indiana and one in North Carolina. Students at each school are members of a group assigned to do some financial research on the Internet. Specifically, two companies are researched by each group and two financial ratios computed and compared. Finance students in North Carolina have the assignment to explain the meaning of the two ratios to their colleagues in Indiana, who are mainly freshmen Management Information Systems students. The goals are to promote the use of the Internet, active learning, and teamwork. Despite some problems, the project is deemed to be a success.
Interaction Support System for Unlocking Computational and Informational Resources
Authors: Baghdadi Youcef
Published: October 2017

Due to business innovation and IT, information systems (IS) are made up of distributed autonomous subsystems running on heterogeneous IT platforms. These subsystems implement differently same business objects and processes. Thus pieces of data and processes are overlapping and replicated. Moreover, informational and computational resources are locked i.e. they do exist, but they are not accessible. This paper specifies an interaction-dedicated subsystem of the IS called interaction support system (ISS). It is a support for interactions. It aims to: (1) provide subsystems of IS with a unified and consistent representation of business objects, (2) coordinate processes, and (3) lock data and processes. An implementation of a web-based business object-oriented ISS, a specialization of the ISS, is made up of four elements: 1) browser used by subsystems to browse and query business objects over the Internet/Intranet, 2) a web server on which run the logic of the ISS, 3) a metadata representing distribution of business objects and processes, and 4) business objects implementations over the subsystems willing to interact.
Secure Socket Layer
Authors: Bhiogade Mittal
Published: October 2017

This paper tells about the need for security on the Internet, SSL Protocol, and how a Certificate is used to meet the demand for safe interaction over the Internet.
A Template-based Approach to Online Content Delivery: An Alternative to Blackboard
Authors: F. Braun Gerald , Crable Elaine
Published: October 2017

As student access to computers and the Internet becomes more commonplace, professors have come to rely on a variety of tools to deliver course materials for both classroom-based and distance learning courses. Software products such as WebCT, Learning Space, and Blackboard are among the most popular. They all provide the instructor with an easy-to-use environment for delivering content and communicating with students. This paper gives a brief overview of these three products along with a detailed description of an HTML template approach as an alternative to the more costly software tools. Comparisons are made to Blackboard as a representative product based on seven criteria - general design, setup, delivery of materials, interaction, assessment, support and security, and site maintenance. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
The Joint Accounting/e-Business Technology Major: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Curriculum Development
Authors: Brenner Vince , Surynt Ted , Augustine Fred , Stryker Judson
Published: October 2017

The promise and potential of the new business paradigm labeled “e-business” is the driving force behind the tremendous demand for accounting professionals with both a technology background and a traditional accounting background. Where will these professionals come from? This paper lays out in detail the foundation for a new undergraduate academic program which is designed to both attract students and to provide them with the skill set necessary to succeed in this new e-business universe - the Joint Accounting/e-Business Technology major. Course content for this undergraduate major is based on a set of courses designed to integrate concepts and technologies necessary for an understanding of the infrastructure that supports e-business. Students, recruiters, and faculty will appreciate the distinct competitive advantages offered by this unique program.
A Case Study of Social and Corporate Responsibility in Bridging the Digital Divide
Authors: Butler Tom
Published: October 2017

Being on the wrong side of the digital divide limits the life chances of the socially excluded, who have had neither the wherewithal nor the opportunity to obtain highly paid, skilled positions in IT. Irish policy makers see education as the solution to this problem. However, providing institutional support for third level education in IT for the socially disadvantaged poses significant challenges. This paper describes these problems and explains how they were overcome in implementing an undergraduate university course. This diploma course has been an unqualified success has achieved its objectives and those of the policy makers who instituted it. However, what made it so was the commitment of concerned stakeholders, from members of the executive steering committee who developed and implemented the course, to the lecturers who delivered it, and the students who participated in it.
Information Privacy Issues in the Information Age
Authors: Caftori Netiva , Teicher Steve
Published: October 2017

Information privacy is the primary issue discussed in the majority of papers about e-commerce security. We observed and confirmed from literature that while privacy is a voiced concern of consumers, it is not the insurmountable barrier to doing business. There are other information accuracy and operational issues that add or detract from consumer experience. We will discuss these using real-life anecdotes.
Web Technologies and Sciences Epistemologies
Authors: Cartelli Antonio
Published: October 2017

The paper reports first of all the results of several studies on misconceptions and mental schemes many researchers carried out in different disciplines and several countries. At the end of this section an overview of open questions and unresolved problems concerning knowledge construction is reported. The paper continues describing the different ways computers entered in education and how they were used to help students in overcoming their difficulties. At last a snapshot of the influence of the Internet phenomenon on the educational processes follows. The last sections propose the analysis of two experiences the author made up with the use of Web technologies and suggest the adoption of an Information system to hit the following target: to improve the everyday work of teachers, to help students in overcoming their wrong ideas, to deepen the analysis of students' ideas and attitudes when they approach scientific disciplines and to redefine the relations existing among the disciplines involved in the study of teaching/learning processes.
Integrating Intelligent Methodological and Tutoring Assistance in a CASE Platform: The PANDORA Experience
Authors: Castro Elena , Cuadra Dolores , Martinez Paloma , Iglesias Ana
Published: October 2017

Database Design discipline involves so different aspects as conceptual and logical modelling knowledge or domain understanding. That implies a great effort to carry out the real world abstraction task and represent it through a data model. CASE tools emerge in order to automating the database development process. These platforms try to help to the database designer in different database design phases. Nevertheless, this tools are frequently mere diagrammers and do not carry completely out the design methodology that they are supposed to support; furthermore, they do not offer intelligent methodological advice to novice designers. This paper introduces the PANDORA tool (acronym of Platform for Database Development and Learning via Internet) that is being developed in a research project which tries to mitigate some of the deficiencies observed in several CASE tools, defining methods and techniques for database development which are useful for students and practitioners. Specifically, this work is focused on two PANDORA components: Conceptual Modelling and Learning Support subsystems.
Into the New Millennium: Why do Students Decide to Study IT?
Authors: Downes Sandra
Published: October 2017

The shortage of Information Technology (IT) professionals is a recognised world wide problem. During the last ten to fifteen years we have seen the introduction of computers into high school and also primary school. These computers are now being used, not only as an adjunct to school subjects, but for the study of IT as a subject in its own right. As we begin this new millennium, this study aims to discover if these changes in curriculum are affecting students’ decisions to become IT professionals. A survey was administered to a group of students, undertaking an IT programme of study, to examine the IT subjects they completed in high school and the effect these subjects had on their decision to study IT. The literature suggests that gender is an important constructs in students’ decision to study IT and so this variables were examined also.
Using Keywords to Improve the Display of a Search Results List
Authors: Drori Offer
Published: October 2017

This article presents the results of a comparative study of various user interfaces used to obtain search results from textual databases. This study is one of a series carried out at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It focuses on the display of text elements in search results and their impact on user behavior. The findings indicate several distinct benefits in the interface developed for the experiment, in which the search results display consists of the document title, keywords, and several lines from the text that fulfill the search criteria. These user benefits include ease of use, increased confidence that the parameters defined for the search query will yield the correct results and allow successful completion of the task, and satisfaction with the relevance of the information displayed.
Reflections on Communication Processes and Virtual Teams by Lecturer and Student Cohort: a Case Study
Authors: Egea Kathy , Gregor Shirley
Published: October 2017

This paper explores processes and outcomes from virtual teamwork in a university course in Human-Computer Interaction. The course has students both on- and off-campus, with a very wide geographic distribution. The novel approach adopted in the course organized students into both small teams (three students) and into larger units (a group of six teams). Teams worked collaboratively, using a variety of communication channels: email, chat groups, face-to-face, and phone. Each team was responsible for preparing a power-point presentation that incorporated human-computer interaction design principles, that was then critiqued by other teams in their ‘group’. Overall, students’ experiences were extremely positive and recognized learning that contributed to course goals and effective virtual teamwork. Reflections on the processes involved in successful teamwork indicated that important factors included clear goals for the team, good task organization, similar personal achievement goals among team member, reliability and efficiency, open communication styles, and respect and understanding for others in the team.
An Instructional Model for Teaching Troubleshooting Skills
Authors: Fenrich Peter
Published: October 2017

It is typically difficult or impractical to teach troubleshooting skills in a classroom or lab setting. A computer-based training software package was designed and developed to teach students the problematic skill of how to troubleshoot malfunctions in hydronic heating systems. A summative evaluation was needed to ascertain whether the skills learned on the computer would transfer to the real world. The results of this study show that the instructional model used in teaching learners how to troubleshoot hydronic heating systems was effective (p < 0.001). Learners were able to transfer what they learned on the computer to real systems. Students can effectively learn these troubleshooting skills through CD-ROM delivery without instructor intervention. It is hypothesized that this unique instructional model can be used to teach other troubleshooting skills. This paper describes the initial project and discusses the summative evaluation results.
Evaluation of New Technology Implementation via POC Analysis
Authors: Furukawa Masaru
Published: October 2017

In recent years the evolution of highly developed and complicated computerization has boosted the importance to business of IT infrastructure. Enhancement of business agility is not possible unless greater flexibility is built into IT infrastructure. More often than not, MIS’s today are not flexible enough in this sense to agilely accommodate demands for system change incessantly confronting them. We have been focusing our research on MIS flexibility, its evaluation and the development of methodology for its enhancement. This paper aims to present a comparative evaluation via POC (penalty of change) analysis of system alternatives involving a case of new technology implementation. To start with, we will define the concept of MIS flexibility. We will then describe an actual case of technology implementation and define the problem it involved and go on to illustrate the evaluation of MIS flexibility via POC analysis.