bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learnability
Authors: Duchastel Philip
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses usability in terms of the concept of learnability, that is, what makes the content of an online learning site learnable? It considers three core issues underlying learnability: learning theory, instructional design, and curriculum choices. For learning, it proposes a model integrating comprehension, interest, and memorizing. For design, it distinguishes between representational models, illustrative cases, and simple facts. For curriculum content, it suggests focusing on structural issues and contrasts content design with process design. In looking to the future, it emphasizes information design as the true basis for learnability and places online instruction within the larger context of all instructional design.
Collection Development for Virtual Libraries
Authors: Pettijohn Patricia , Neville Tina
Published: May 2011

The evolution from paper to electronic resources transforms the way that information is owned, shared, and accessed. For libraries, the commodification of digital information has long-term implications for the acquisition and development of library collections. As licensing replaces purchasing, and the business practices of software companies replace those of publishers, access to information on demand supersedes collection building, and cooperative acquisitions supplement local collection development. Growing demand for full-text online content that can be easily searched and remotely accessed has led libraries to depend on a host of intermediary agents and cooperatives. Within this landscape of proliferating information and diminishing buying power, it is not surprising that when the Digital Library Federation launched an informal survey of the major challenges confronting research libraries, respondents identified digital collection development as their greatest challenge (Greenstein, 2001). In this chapter, we will look first at how libraries have responded to this paradigmatic shift by pioneering new collection development strategies, and then examine the changing responsibilities of collection development librarians in an electronic environment.
Access Services in the 21st Century
Authors: Burke Merilyn
Published: May 2011

Information technologies have transformed libraries in ways that most academic librarians could not have imagined twenty years ago. Traditional services, such as interlibrary loan and document delivery, have changed dramatically with the advent of technology and new telecommunications protocols. Electronic access to a myriad of databases, the proliferation of Internet sites, and patron expectations of speedy service have forced academic libraries to re-examine how they function. Higher education is no longer campus bound. Where librarians once served as the gatekeepers to information, that role is less important, as patrons now find information without the use of an intermediary. Thus, the questions for those librarians working in access services areas become those of service and resource provision. This chapter will examine interlibrary loan, electronic reserves, licenses and contracts, and the impact of distance learning on access to electronic resources and services.
Cataloging and Metadata Issues for Electronic Resources
Authors: Heron Susan Jane , Gordon Charles L.
Published: May 2011

The environment in which cataloging principles and standards operate has changed dramatically. The development of automated systems for the creation and processing of bibliographic data, the growth of large-scale shared cataloging programs, and emerging technologies have created new opportunities to provide access to national and international academic library collections. However, economic pressures have also prompted libraries to try to simplify the cataloging process, using “minimal level” cataloging records in order to keep pace with the continued growth of publishing. Cataloging librarians have identified two significant needs: 1) to adapt existing [cataloging] codes and practices to accommodate change resulting from new forms of electronic publishing and the advent of networked access to information resources, and 2) to respond more effectively to an increasingly broad range of user expectations and needs. München (1998) wonders how catalogers will guarantee the quality and relevance of bibliographic access within the exploding world of online materials. If so, what kind of bibliographic records will be required to meet the different uses and user needs? Finally, how should these bibliographic data be organized and structured for intellectual and physical access to the documents? This chapter will provide an overview of current cataloging principles, issues in handling evolving formats, and challenges for academic catalogs. It will include a brief examination of a model created by a large multi-campus urban university in determining best practice in the creation of records for shared, online academic environments. Finally, the chapter will look at the development of alternative frameworks for describing online resources.
Indiana University's Enterprise Portal as a Service Delivery Framework
Authors: Thomas James
Published: May 2011

Indiana University has embarked on a journey to create an enterprise portal, a place to which faculty, staff, students, alumni, prospective students and others will travel to uncover a broad array of dynamic Web services. “OneStart” (http://onestart.iu.edu) provides a compelling place for faculty, staff and students to find services with the intent of developing life-long campus citizens of IU. Indiana University is a large and complex institution consisting of eight campuses, over 92,000 students and 445,000 alumni. Developing one enterprise portal for the entire institution presents tremendous challenges. IU’s portal strategy hinges on the ability to provide a “service delivery framework.” This framework provides single sign-on, customization, personalization and workflow. By making use of component based design methodologies, the framework also provides a flexible publishing environment allowing services to be created by different Web development teams across all IU campuses. This chapter describes the motivation and strategy behind the creation of OneStart, the enterprise portal service delivery framework at Indiana University.
Begin with the End (User) in Mind
Authors: Frazee James P. , Frazee Rebecca V. , Sharpe David
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a case study of the campus portal planning process at San Diego State University. The authors describe the use of participative decision-making strategies that capture the voices of key stakeholders, identify their concerns and priorities, and facilitate a successful portal rollout. Data was collected from faculty, students and campus leaders through a series of focus groups, interviews and online surveys. Findings were examined in light of the literature on technology adoption and the authors’ familiarity with portal initiatives at other large public universities. Participants described their vision of the ideal portal solution in terms of features, user interface and functionality. While faculty and students expressed enthusiasm about a campus portal, they also had concerns regarding training, support, reliability, security and standards. The authors make recommendations for addressing user concerns such as providing direction and leadership, segmenting the rollout, communicating the benefits and providing organizational support.
Values-Based Design of Learning Portals as New Academic Spaces
Authors: Campbell Katy , Aucoin Robert
Published: May 2011

Many guidelines for portal design tend to focus on the technical aspects of a portal or a network. However, as we continue to define portals as gateways for learning, we need to consider issues related to the social and cultural context in which portals are used. In this chapter we examine learning portals from both the instructors’ and the learners’ perspectives by synthesizing existing research and proposing a framework for quality guidelines. The Collaborative of Online Higher Education Research (COHERE), consisting of eight large research-intensive universities in Canada involved in Internet-based learning, was created to enhance learning and teaching through technology and to move toward a stronger culture of professional collaboration and scholarship in our educational practices (Carey, 2000). Based on our experience with COHERE, we have developed tools for the formative and summative evaluations of learning portals generally. These tools include usability studies, questionnaires and focus groups.
Educational Portal White Paper
Authors: Jafari Ali
Published: May 2011

This white paper conceptualizes and discusses the design and application of a super web portal for state or nationwide educational applications. The term “Educational Portal” refers to a web gateway environment that allows users with varied educational interests to access educational resources and information. The Educational Portal provides a collaborative environment where educators can find peers who share educational knowledge and creativity. It is also a “profile-based” web environment portal that can be totally personalized according to each user’s needs and interests, providing each user with specialized “MyPortal” functionality. Many educational institutions are currently in the process of offering Web-based portals to their instructors and students. This might include services like course portal, library portal and campus portal. However, each of these portals offers services available within the institution only to the members of that institution. For instance, each portal can offer authenticated student and faculty access to courses, library materials and Student Information Systems in an institution. But there is no direct sharing of knowledge or resources between and among the members of various educational institutions. It now appears necessary to offer a state or nationwide single front door portal gateway where any and all learners, regardless of institutional affiliation, can gain access to educational and training information. It will provide an opportunity for educators and trainers to share resources, and information and to collaborate on the development, evaluation and sharing of educational modules. For instance, the gateway will include a portal environment where a teacher can share the use of a personally developed e-Learning module with other teachers in the same field and class rank at other schools, or with students and others who wish to use it in their learning environment.
Introduction to Technology Across the Curriculum
Authors: Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2011

Teaching with Technology Across the Curriculum is a book for teachers who wish to use technology as a tool to enhance the teaching–learning process. Its focus is on integrating technology into the P–12 (preschool through Grade 12) curriculum using computers, software, and Web-based instructional materials to analyze, evaluate, and apply the academic content to be delivered. The book purports two primary themes: Creating Technology-Based Curriculum Instruction for the Classroom and Infusing Technology-Based Academic Content into the Curriculum.
Major Applications of Instructional Technology
Authors: Balach Claudia A.
Published: May 2011

In the words of Malcolm X, “education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” One such passport for educators grappling with the preparation of their students is the use of technology applications as tools for learning. Not only will children need these tools to successfully navigate their years of formal schooling, but they will also need these tools to successfully navigate their lives in the 21st century. To effectively use these tools, educators and their students must become comfortable via an ongoing daily integration of the major instructional technology applications in the classroom.
Technology in the Foreign Languages Classroom
Authors: Switala William J.
Published: May 2011

The world is shrinking every day. Television, the Internet, and jet travel have put people from all over the globe in closer contact than ever before in history. Because of this close contact, customs, beliefs, and cultures are shared on a regular basis. The door has also opened for greater interaction and economic interdependence in the global economy. However, one of the major stumbling blocks in this globalization and cultural sharing is the fact that communication among people still depends on an understanding of each other’s language, an understanding that entails the written, as well as, the spoken, word.
Considering Structure
Authors: Mumford Enid
Published: May 2011

The last two case studies showed the importance of understanding a problem before embarking on its solution and the need to develop an appropriate strategy before making any change. Here it was suggested that it was good policy to take account of two things. These were relevant strategic thinking, such as that developed by the Tavistock Institute, and how to use this for particular problems and appropriate industries. The next step in problem solving for change is structure. Choosing an appropriate organizational structure to accompany and accommodate change is always difficult. There will be many constraints, including the skills and availability of labour, the requirements of technology and the knowledge of management. Despite these problems, there will usually be a number of different options available. The excellent manager will have the ability to distinguish good organizational design from bad. Sometimes this has to be a result of trial and error, but as the last chapter suggested, a useful first strategy is to investigate what other companies have done and evaluate the different organizational options they have used.
Designing for an Uncertain Future
Authors: Mumford Enid
Published: May 2011

The philosophy of this book is that problem solving and the management of change will be facilitated by participation. By participation is meant that all those affected by change, or their representatives, will be able to play some part in its definition, in agreeing strategies for its implementation and in evaluating its success. Most of the case studies discussed have been concerned with the positive aspects of change involving systems redesign. The stimulus here was usually the introduction of a new technical system. Early projects used participation as a means for assisting the introduction of a specific new system into a single or small number of departments. Later ones were larger and had more dramatic effects. All employees would now be involved, either from a particular function or from the company as a whole and, on occasion, from its environment. My objective has been to try and assist the creation of work systems which are both efficient and meet human needs for acceptable, stimulating and satisfying work environments. As well as user involvement, these systems will aim to have certain other desirable characteristics, namely, suitability, flexibility, complementarity and sustainability. Suitability requires them to provide a good fit with the technical and social needs of the work situation. In other words they do a good job in production and human terms. They are also flexible and able to cope easily with subsequent technical and organizational change. They complement existing systems and connect easily with these, and because they have these characteristics, they are sustainable and endure into the future. Their complementarity feature will also extend into the external environment so that industrial and clerical systems will mesh easily with environmental systems and create harmonious work, community and physical environments. But, most important, they are also democratic. All except the first enabled the people who would work with or be affected by them to have a role in their design, development and implementation.
Faculty Participation in Distance Education Programs
Authors: Schifter Catherine
Published: May 2011

Universities around the globe are putting Distance Education (DE) in place, often through administrative choice. However, if a DE program is to be successful, faculty must be involved. This change is multidimensional in that established systems may need to change to support development and delivery of courses through DE technologies. This chapter presents results from two related studies that attempt to answer two questions that should be asked and answered before starting a DE program: (1) What factors are considered motivating or inhibiting to faculty for participating in DE? and (2) Which compensation models support DE make sense?
Design and Evaluation of an Internet-Based Personalized Instructional System for Social Psychology
Authors: Davis Blann Erica , Hantula Donald A.
Published: May 2011

Two iterations of an Internet-based Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) course are described. The course was designed to capitalize on the unique advantages of the PSI system while using the Internet to overcome some of its noted administrative drawbacks. Unlike previous computer-based PSI courses, the asynchronous nature of the Internet and the automated features built into Blackboard made it possible for students to attend lectures, to take quizzes and examinations, and to communicate with the instructor and other class members at any time from any networked computer. This reduced the labor intensiveness previously associated with PSI while training students to learn through distance education. The combination of PSI and the Internet produced an effective instructional strategy, reviving Keller’s (1968) original PSI model while setting the stage both for more advanced PSI research and Internet-based instruction.
Training for Digital Government
Authors: Schelin Shannon Howle
Published: May 2011

The era of digital government is upon us. Are government officials and employees prepared for this paradigm shift? The use of digital government applications has increased exponentially in the past decade but the training that should accompany it has not. This article seeks to offer insight into the current need for and state of training for digital government, as well as to highlight key models at each level of government. Additionally, it attempts to outline a training methodology for Federal, state and local employees and officials in order to reduce the information asymmetry that occurs within the context of digital government.
Digital Government and the Digital Divide
Authors: Groper Richard
Published: May 2011

There seems to be a consensus among scholars and pundits that the lack of access to the Internet among African-Americans and Latinos has created a digital divide in the United States. The digital divide has negatively affected the ability of minority groups to accumulate social capital . This study compares Internet access rates in California and the United States in order to test the premise that race is the primary influence upon Internet access. In California, the data explicitly depicts a stronger relationship between Internet access and education and income than it does with Internet access and race.1 Across the United States, the results are not as stark. However, education and income are increasingly becoming important variables. The policy implications of this study are dramatic . Since most governmental and non-profit efforts in the United States have put resources and money into decreasing the racial divide, this study suggests that at least some of those resources should be shifted to alleviating the educational and economic discrepancies that exist among the American people.
User-Centered Design (Part 2-Age, Gender and Accessibility)
Authors: Campbell Katy
Published: May 2011

In the previous chapter you looked at the challenges involved in writing for diverse audiences. You became aware that diversity is not limited to international audiences, but that just one group may contain learners with varying learning styles, native languages, and cultural backgrounds. This chapter focuses the work on accessibility in the better-known sense. That is, accessibility issues such as levels of cognitive development, health, mobility, and perceptual factors which inform user-centered design practices. This chapter includes gender and technical access issues as well.
Selecting and Evaluating Learning Objects
Authors: Whybrow Ellen
Published: May 2011

In the previous chapters, you became acquainted with key issues in developing online learning. You gained an awareness of some of the overall issues facing learning organizations. Finally, you looked at the needs of your audience in terms of learning styles, inclusivity, and adult learning characteristics.
The Active e-Reader
Authors: Campbell Katy
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces a number of terms and phrases that you may not be familiar with. These terms are listed in the accompanying Handbook with enough space to define them in your own words or note examples, references, and resources.
Usability Testing
Authors: Campbell Katy
Published: May 2011

In his book Designing Web Usability (2000), Jakob Nielsen names three conditions that would have to happen for him to give up writing books and focus on writing for the Web. The first two, better computer monitors and interfaces, make it as fast, easy and pleasant to read from a screen as from a book.
Interpersonal Trust in Online Partnerships
Authors: Davenport Elisabeth , McLaughlin Leo
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, trust is treated as a form of tacit knowledge that can be made explicit to some extent by means of knowledge management techniques such as codification and pattern matching. The authors explore the issue of representing interpersonal trust by means of a case study. This describes the development of an online platform to support partnership among small firms where remoteness, and/or lack of time, preclude the long-term build-up of trusting relationships. The authors argue that in such a situation, infrastructure and process may be designed to support trustful interaction. They review a number of empirical studies of interpersonal trust that suggest that judgments about trust in the early stages of the formation of partnerships are indicative of relationship quality in subsequent stages. Such assessments may be seen as “representations” of trust. A specification to support such assessment is described.
Identifying the Enablers and Barriers of IT Personnel Transition
Authors: Darais Karin M. , Nelson Kay M. , Rice Sarah C. , Buche Mari W.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents the initial findings from a National Science Foundation-supported study of IT personnel transition. We used the revealed causal mapping method (Narayanan & Fahey, 1990) to elicit barriers, enablers, and examples of IT personnel transition. The chapter reveals new knowledge and insight into factors that enable and prevent IT personnel transition as organizations evolve. The data is presented in the form of interpretation of revealed causal maps from 84 respondents. The results are the first steps toward developing a theory of IT personnel transition that is distinct from general transition theories.
Managing Limited-Perspective Bias in IT
Authors: Moore Jo Ellen , Burke Lisa A.
Published: May 2011

We define limited-perspective bias (LPB) as a human tendency to overestimate the completeness of what we know and to act on our own (limited) perspective of what is important. This bias contributes to ineffective decision-making, especially in the IT arena. Elements of interdependence, uncertainty, ambiguity, role incompatibility, and a deadline-driven work pace set the stage for occurrences of LPB in IT. To aid in our understanding and awareness of LPB, we examine its occurrence within two contemporary IT contexts (technology implementation projects and retention of IT professionals), discussing ways in which LPB can create problems and, more importantly, ways to minimize LPB. We conclude by summarizing the basic pattern of our advice for managing limited-perspective bias in IT.
The Relationship Between Role Variables and Turnover Intentions Among IT Professionals
Authors: Lee Patrick Chang Boon
Published: May 2011

Results from prior studies have indicated that role ambiguity and role conflict are sometimes directly related to turnover intentions among information technology professionals, but sometimes they are not. The purpose of this research is to provide possible explanations for these discrepant results. This study hypothesized that the relationships between role variables and turnover intentions are moderated by (a) achievement need strength and (b) organizational tenure. These hypotheses were tested using data from a questionnaire survey. The results showed that achievement need strength moderates the relationship between role variables and turnover intentions, and organizational tenure moderates the relationship between role ambiguity and turnover intentions. One implication of these results is that moderating variables may help to clarify inconsistent findings in prior research. Another implication is that employers should take into consideration the effects of moderating variables when designing retention strategies.
Hervey Bay in Transition
Authors: Pease Wayne , Wright Lauretta , Cooper Malcolm
Published: May 2011

In regional Australia there is a growing interest and investment in community capacity building and this is beginning to be formalised in a desire to integrate information communications technology opportunities with other forms of community development. This paper explores the opportunity for greater social integration based on the formation of community-based information communication technology (ICT) driven organizations, using a case study approach.  It is suggested that whether disseminating information, collaborating with other communities, assisting the development of new industries, or simply by sharing the lessons learned along the way, community-based IT can assist and support a community’s economic and social development.  Further, the paper supports the view that, where understanding and developing new forms of information technology through community informatics is accepted as an integral part of such development, communities will not just ‘improve the old’ but will more radically restructure themselves towards a knowledge-based future. The case study that underpins these observations is that of the development of Bay Connect, a community-based Internet development and training project, begun in Hervey Bay with Networking the Nation support, and which is now expanding into the adjacent Maryborough and surrounding Shires. It is also supported by the University of Southern Queensland’s Wide Bay and has an emergent role in supporting new and existing IT businesses, Bay Connect and the Hervey Bay City Council, in the creation and nurturing of an IT skills base within the region.
Organizational Data Mining (ODM)
Authors: Nemati Hamid R. , Barko Christopher D.
Published: May 2011

An increasing number of organizations are struggling to overcome “information paralysis” — there is so much data available that it is difficult to understand what is and is not relevant. In addition, managerial intuition and instinct are more prevalent than hard facts in driving organizational decisions. Organizational Data Mining (ODM) is defined as leveraging data mining tools and technologies to enhance the decision-making process by transforming data into valuable and actionable knowledge to gain a competitive advantage (Nemati & Barko, 2001). The fundamentals of ODM can be categorized into three fields: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technology (IT), and Organizational Theory (OT), with OT being the core differentiator between ODM and data mining. We take a brief look at the current status of ODM research and how a sample of organizations is benefiting. Next we examine the evolution of ODM and conclude our chapter by contemplating its challenging yet opportunistic future.
The Role of Data Mining in Organizational Cognition
Authors: Amaravadi Chandra S. , Daneshgar Farhad
Published: May 2011

Data mining has quickly emerged as a tool that can allow organizations to exploit their information assets. In this chapter, we suggest how this tool can be used to support strategic decision-making. Starting with an interpretive perspective of strategy formulation, we discuss the role of beliefs in the decision-making process. Referred to as Micro-Theories (MTs), these beliefs generally concern some assumption regarding the organization’s task environment, such as sales increasing in a certain segment or customers preferring a certain product. The strategic role for data mining, referred to as Organizational Data Mining (ODM) is then to provide validation for these beliefs. We suggest a four-step process for identifying and verifying MTs and illustrate this with a hypothetical example of a bank. Implications and future trends in ODM are discussed. Ultimately results of data mining should be integrated with strategic support systems and knowledge management systems.
A Data Mining Approach to Formulating a Successful Purchasing Negotiation Strategy
Authors: Min Hokey , Emam Ahmed
Published: May 2011

A successful path to purchasing negotiation often hinges on the buyer’s ability to gain relative bargaining strength. The buyer’s bargaining strength, in turn, depends upon the extent of the buyer’s preparation and preplanning for the negotiation. We postulate that the buyer’s level of expertise and/or simulated negotiation experiences through the experiential learning process help him/her better prepare for the negotiation and, thereby, increase his/her bargaining strength. Under such a premise, this study empirically investigates the impact of expertise and experiential learning on the bargaining position of purchasing professionals and their subsequent negotiation outcomes. The main objective of this chapter is to use both statistical data analysis and data mining techniques and demonstrate their usefulness in the optimal performance of business-to-business negotiations.
An Intelligent Support System Integrating Data Mining and Online Analytical Processing
Authors: Singh Rahul , Redmond Richard T. , Yoon Victoria
Published: May 2011

Intelligent decision support requires flexible, knowledge-driven analysis of data to solve complex decision problems faced by contemporary decision makers. Recently, online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining have received much attention from researchers and practitioner alike, as components of an intelligent decision support environment. Little that has been done in developing models to integrate the capabilities of data mining and online analytical processing to provide a systematic model for intelligent decision making that allows users to examine multiple views of the data that are generated using knowledge about the environment and the decision problem domain. This paper presents an integrated model in which data mining and online analytical processing complement each other to support intelligent decision making for data rich environments. The integrated approach models system behaviors that are of interest to decision makers; predicts the occurrence of such behaviors; provides support to explain the occurrence of such behaviors and supports decision making to identify a course of action to manage these behaviors.
Knowledge Mining in DSS Model Analysis
Authors: Steiger David M. , Steiger Natalie M.
Published: May 2011

The three stages of mathematical modeling include model formulation, solution and analysis. To date, the primary focus of model-based decision support systems (DSS), in general, and Management Science/Operations Research (MS/OR), specifically, has been on model formulation and solution. In fact, with a few notable exceptions, computer-assisted model analysis has been ignored in both information systems (IS) and MS/OR literature (Swanson & Ramiller, 1993). This lack of attention to model analysis is especially noteworthy for two reasons. First, the primary bottleneck of modeling is in the analysis and interpretation of model results (Greenberg, 1993). Second, the basic purpose of DSS and mathematical modeling is insightful understanding of the modeled environment through insightful analysis (Geoffrion, 1976; Steiger, 1998). Developing insight into the complex decision-making environment is ultimately a process of discovery, finding trends and surprising behaviors and comparing the behavior of the model to what is expected or observed in the real system (Jones, 1992). Thus, insightful understanding often entails the inductive analysis of several (if not many) model instances (i.e., what-if cases), each of which has one or more different values for input parameters in an attempt to understand the associated changes in the modeled output.
Gaining Strategic Advantage Through Bibliomining
Authors: Nicholson Scott , Stanton Jeffrey
Published: May 2011

Library and information services in corporations, schools, universities and communities capture information about their users, circulation history, resources in the collection and search patterns (Koenig, 1985). Unfortunately, few libraries have taken advantage of these data as a way to improve customer service, manage acquisition budgets or influence strategic decision making about uses of information in their organizations. In this chapter, we present a global view of the data generated in libraries, and the variety of decisions that those data can inform. We describe ways in which library and information managers can use data mining in their libraries, i.e., bibliomining, to understand patterns of behavior among library users and staff members and patterns of information resource use throughout the institution. The chapter examines data sources and possible applications of data mining techniques in the library.
Translating Advances in Data Mining in Business Operations
Authors: Dillon Henry , Hope Beverley
Published: May 2011

Knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) is a field of research that studies the development and use of various data analysis tools and techniques. KDD research has produced an array of models, theories, functions and methodologies for producing knowledge from data. However, despite these advances, nearly two thirds of information technology (IT) managers say that data mining products are too difficult to use in a business context. This chapter discusses how advances in data mining translate into the business context. It highlights the art of business implementation rather than the science of KDD.
E-Commerce and Data Mining
Authors: Partow-Navid Parviz , Slusky Ludwig
Published: May 2011

Web mining is the application of data mining techniques to discover the usage patterns of Web data, in order to better serve the needs of Web site visitors. Web mining consists of three phases: data gathering, analysis and reporting. This chapter describes each of these phases in detail along with a discussion of electronic customer relationship management (eCRM). Several challenging research areas that need to be investigated for further enhancement of this field are also presented.
The Daily Work of Teaching
Authors: Porter Lynnette R.
Published: May 2011

So far, you have read about the tools you will use on the job, a little bit of theory about how online teaching is supposed to operate, and the role of the facilitator/teacher. Another part of implementing an online curriculum is critically evaluating work tasks using these tools and planning how you want to approach online education. You evaluate how well your experience with online courses matches the expected outcomes for learners who take that course. At the completion of your course, are learners ready for the next part of the curriculum? Do you think that students were prepared to take your course—both in their knowledge of the discipline and their ability to complete course objectives online? Your daily work is a good measure of the curriculum’s strengths and weaknesses.
Planning for the Future
Authors: Porter Lynnette R.
Published: May 2011

Online education is big business. Some virtual and traditional schools have closed their online education programs when they did not produce profit or remain manageable. With the introduction of more commercial vendors into what primarily had been an academic market, administrators have to ensure that not only do their programs meet students’ needs and high academic standards, but also can be competitive in an increasingly crowded market.
Linking the IT Balanced Scorecard to the Business Objectives at a Major Canadian Financial Group
Authors: Van Grembergen W. , Saull R. , De Haes S.
Published: May 2011

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) initially developed by Kaplan and Norton is a performance management system that enables businesses to drive strategies based on measurement and follow-up. In recent years, the BSC has been applied to information technology (IT). The IT BSC is becoming a popular tool, with its concepts widely supported and dispersed by international consultant groups such as Gartner Group, Renaissance Systems, Nolan Norton Institute, and others. As a result of this interest, the first real-life applications are starting to emerge. In this paper, the development and implementation of a departmental BSC within an Information Services Division (ISD) serving a Canadian financial group will be described and discussed. We use an IT BSC maturity model to determine the maturity level of the IT BSC under review.
Governing Information Technology through COBIT
Authors: Guldentops Erik
Published: May 2011

Board oversight of information technology has not kept pace with the rapid growth of IT as a critical driver of business success. However, this is shortsighted, since effective governance over IT Governance protects shareholder value; makes clear that IT risks are quantified and understood; directs and controls IT investment, opportunity, benefits and risks; aligns IT with the business while accepting IT as a critical input to and component of the strategic plan; sustains current operations and prepares for the future; and is an integral part of a global governance structure. Like most other governance activities, IT Governance engages both board and executive management. Among the board’s responsibilities are reviewing and guiding corporate strategy, setting and monitoring achievement of management’s performance objectives, and ensuring the integrity of the organisation’s systems. Management’s focus is generally on cost-efficiency, revenue enhancement and building capabilities, all of which are enabled by information, knowledge and the IT infrastructure. The four main focus areas for IT Governance are driven by stakeholder value. Two are outcomes: value delivery and risk mitigation. Two are drivers: strategic alignment and performance measurement. Action plans for implementing effective IT Governance, from both a board and an executive management point of view, consist of activities, outcome measures, best practices, critical success factors and performance drivers. In addition, organisations must assess how well they are currently performing and be able to identify where and how improvements can be made. The use of maturity models simplifies this task and provides a pragmatic, structured approach for measurement. Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT), a third edition of which was issued by the IT Governance Institute in 2000, incorporates material on IT Governance and a Management Guidelines component. COBIT presents an international and generally accepted IT control framework enabling organisations to implement an IT Governance structure throughout the enterprise. The Management Guidelines consist of maturity models, critical success factors, key goal indicators and key performance indicators. This structure delivers a significantly improved framework responding to management’s need for control and measurability of IT by providing tools to assess and measure the organisation’s IT environment against COBIT’s 34 IT processes.
The Evolution of IT Governance at NB Power
Authors: Callahan Joanne , Bastos Cassio , Keyes Dwayne
Published: May 2011

IT and business are inextricable linked. It is incomprehensible to think the two should ever again be independent. IT Governance will penetrate how IT is executed, as organizations like NB Power endeavor to become better at governing and managing their IT investments. NB Power, in 1998, implemented an IT Governance framework. Through IT Governance the organization was able to address the results of a diagnostic study on their internal IT service provider who was attempting to respond to a seemingly endless list of requests for IT support. Four years later, factors critical to the success of implementing an IT Governance framework are evident. The IT Governance framework is still evolving, but the organization is now well positioned to take advantage of its IT investment.
Intelligence from Space
Authors: Hendriks Paul
Published: May 2011

The spatial element, which is omnipresent in data and information relevant to organizations, is much underused in the decision-making processes within organizations. This applies also to decision-making within the domain of Competitive Intelligence. The chapter explores how the CI function may benefit from developing a spatial perspective on its domain and how building, exploring and using this perspective may be supported by a specific class of information systems designed to handle the spatial element in data: Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The chapter argues that the key element for linking GIS to CI involves the identification of situations in which spatial analysis may support organizational decision-making within the CI domain. It presents a three-step procedure for identifying how CI may recognize spatial decision problems that are useful to boost the operation of the CI function. The first step concerns identifying relevant spatial variables, for instance by analyzing economic, demographic or political trends as to their spatial implications. The second step involves using GIS for positioning the organization with respect to the identified variables (present and projected position). The third step amounts to drawing strategic conclusions from Step 2 by assessing how the competition in relationship with the own organization would be positioned along the identified spatial analysis lines.
The Use of Structural Equation Modeling in IS Research
Authors: Im Kun S. , Grover Varun
Published: May 2011

The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique has significant potential as a research tool for assessing and modifying theoretical models. There have been 139 applications of SEM in IS research published in major journals, most of which have been after 1994. However, despite its increasing use in the field, it remains a complex tool that is often difficult to apply effectively. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the previous IS applications of SEM and to suggest guidelines to realize the potential of SEM in IS research. The 72 empirical applications of SEM gathered from leading IS journals are reviewed and evaluated according to prescribed criteria. Avenues for improvement are suggested which can facilitate application of this important technique in IS theory development and testing.
Application of an Instructional Design Model for Industry Training
Authors: Hanlis Elizabeth
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines reflections, considerations, and the problems encountered when attempting to apply an instructional design model in the design and development of two online courses for industry training. Recommendations are included for instructional designers to avoid and handle many of the issues that arise in the real world. Specific issues addressed include: tight budgets, limited cooperation from SMEs, high expectations of clients, major changes to ‘finalized designs,’ and the importance of dealing with such matters promptly and effectively. The significance of both formative and summative evaluation and the role of project management are also discussed.
Cultural Wisdom and Hindsight
Authors: Rickertt Jillian
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes a real situation in Asia where an instructional designer encounters numerous unexpected challenges and cultural experiences. The experiences are described, along with advice for anyone intending to take a similar path. It is expected that many of the experiences could make interesting case studies for students studying instructional design.
Conducting Congruent, Ethical Qualitative Research on Internet-Mediated Research Environments
Authors: Maczewski M. , Storey M.-A. , Hoskins M.
Published: May 2011

Research practices in Internet-mediated environments are influenced by the dynamic interplay of online, onground and technical research spheres. This chapter illuminates the different ways in which studies can be located within these spheres and explores the resulting implications for researcher-participant relationships. Issues of participant recruitment, data collection, data use and ownership, trust and voice are discussed. The authors suggest that to conduct ethical qualitative research online, the researcher is required to develop and demonstrate awareness of the specific Internet-mediated research contexts, knowledge of technologies used and of research practices congruent with the situatedness of the study.
Multimedia Systems and Content-Based Retrieval
Authors: Deb Sagarmay
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we present a basic introduction of the two very important areas of research in the domain of information technology, namely, multimedia systems and content-based image retrieval. The latter is still a widely unresolved problem. We discuss some of the works done so far in content-based image retrieval in the context of multimedia systems.
Knowledge Economy and Intelligent Enterprises
Authors: Sharma Sushil K. , Gupta Jatinder N.D.
Published: May 2011

Intelligence enterprises are evolving where knowledge management and other business intelligence (BI) solutions provide the in-depth analytical capabilities needed to turn raw data into actionable knowledge for an enterprise. This chapter describes why there is a need for such intelligent enterprises in knowledge-based economy and how to create those enterprises.
New Challenges in Electronic Payments
Authors: Reichenbach Martin
Published: May 2011

While it’s essential for “intelligent enterprises” to deliver value added to their customers it’s getting increasingly important for them to consider new challenges in electronic payments. This is to meet the users’1 requirements to pay in a secure, efficient and “easy to use” way, both in e-commerce and m-commerce. In the end, secure and efficient2 electronic payment systems are one of the most crucial elements of transactions in e- and m-commerce. Currently, one can detect opacity3 for users because of the huge number of different payment systems and their different impact on the users’ individual requirements in different transaction situations posing them possible risks. Thus, assuring users of features such as convenience, low costs and privacy while conducting transactions may form the basis of competitive advantage for intelligent enterprises. This chapter presents an approach enabling users to evaluate possible risks related with electronic payment systems and hereby eliminating the above mentioned opacity. It highlights the definition of user requirements as a prerequisite for individual risk management. The solution introduced assists users in choosing a convenient payment system in the long term during individual portfolio-setup as well as in the short term while conducting payment transactions.