bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Load Balancing of Business Intelligence Reporting Systems
Authors: Kotulski Leszek , Dymek Dariusz
Published: May 2010

The UML model consists of several types of diagrams representing different aspects of the modeled system. To assure the universality and flexibility, the UML involves only a few general rules about dependence among different types of diagrams. In consequence people can have the different methodologies based on the UML, but in the same time we haven’t the formal tool for assure the vertical cohesion of created model. To test and reach the vertical cohesion of the model some auxiliary information about the relations among the elements belonging to different types of diagrams should be remembered. In this chapter the authors present the method of formal representation of such information in a form of the relation, called Accomplish Relation. This method is based only on the UML properties and is independent from any methodology. Additionally, they show how to use the UML timing diagrams for representing the users’ requirements in association with use cases. To illustrate the usefulness of this approach we present how it can be used for load balancing of distributed system in case of a Reporting Systems based on Data Warehouse concept.
Solutions to Challenges of Teaching "Systems Analysis and Design" for Undergraduate Software Engineers
Authors: Albayrak Özlem
Published: May 2010

This study is an enhancement of previous research presented at the 2nd AIS SIGSAND European Symposium on Systems Analysis and Design and its improved version presented at the 3rd National Software Engineering Symposium (UYMS) 2007. The AIS-SIGSAND 2007 study, the first phase, was part of ongoing research by which systems analysis and design-teaching experiences related to course evaluation items were enlightened. This study summarizes previous studies and introduces new findings suggested by those studies that relate to teaching challenges on systems analysis and design in software engineering. The first challenge studied is to decide a suitable evaluation item set in undergraduate level system analysis and design courses for software engineers. The second challenge relates to implicit assumptions made by software engineers during the analysis phase. Based on pre-interview, test, and post-interview data, the study presents a snapshot of an analysis in software engineering regarding implicit assumptions made by analysts. Related to these challenges, the study concludes with proposals on systems analysis and design education.
UML 2.0 in the Modelling of the Complex Business Processes of Reporting and Control of Financial Information System
Authors: Kwapisz Sebastian
Published: May 2010

The General Inspectorate of Financial Information is instituted under the Ministry of Finance. Its duty is to counteract bringing into financial circulation pecuniary assets derived from illegal sources and to intercept any possible signs of money laundering. The procedure requires institutions such as banks and insurance companies to forward information of “over-the-limit” transactions in which the amounts involved exceeds the value specified by the Ministry. The efficiency of collecting information about these transactions is actually working, and is determined to a large extent by the speed and efficiency of the information systems in particular institutions responsible for those issues. The chapter discusses and analyses problems associated with the sending information about such transactions by the institution under such obligation. It lays out the range of possibilities opened up by the Unified Modeling Language (UML), which constitutes a universal tool for exchanging information within IT groups and specifying complex business processes. The potential of the language lies in its numerous extensibility mechanisms, which allow the application of various stereotypes, depending on the area given. The chapter also emphasizes significance of the CASE tool, which makes it possible to control and create UML diagrams. Programs of the CASE type are also able to generate a skeleton code used subsequently by programmers during implementation.This chapter includes an analysis and design of a system with a task of improving the efficiency of the information forwarding process by the institutions under obligation so that the criteria laid down by law are met. The description of the system has been created in accordance with the specifications of UML 2.0 and - based on many diagram types and the architecture - the business processes that it extends to and the database structure required to collect information about transactions are set forth. Thanks to the application of use cases the main functionality of the system is defined: searching for and bringing together particular transactions followed by transformation and the dispatching of reports. Complex business processes are presented by corresponding activity and interaction diagrams. The architecture and the placement of the system within the structure of the organization, however, are depicted with the help of structure diagrams such as class, component and deployment diagrams. The use made of the extensibility mechanisms of UML merits attention here. The database stereotype presented in the work made it possible for the database to be designed at the level of implementation, and the functionality of the CASE tool enabled the complete software script to be compiled on this basis.
The UML 2 Academic Teaching Challenge
Authors: Wrycza Stanislaw
Published: May 2010

UML 2.x version has become even more complicated and diverse set of graphical techniques than its predecessors. Therefore, system developers propose preparation of its reduced, limited or minimal version called Light UML. This problem has become also the serious challenge for the UML academic teachers. The goal of this chapter is the study of specifying the UML 2.x Light version content on the basis of the questionnaire survey registering opinions of 180 university students of the University of Gdansk, Poland. After the introduction, the methodological prerequisites of the survey are clarified. Then, the research results are presented and discussed according to seven essential UML diagrams assessment criteria, included in a questionnaire. The final UML 2.x version, resulting from the accomplished survey is exposed in the last section of the chapter.
User Interface Generation from the Data Schema
Authors: Bajaj Akhilesh , Knight Jason
Published: May 2010

Traditionally, the data model and the process model have been considered separately when modeling an application for construction purposes. The system analysis and design area has largely ignored the issue of the relationship between the user interface (UI) and the underlying data schema, leaving UI creation within the purview of the human computer interaction (HCI) literature. Traditional HCI methods however, underutilize the information in the data schema when designing user screens. Much of the work on automatic user interface (UI) generation has met with limited success because of the added load on the human designer to use specialized scripts for UI specification. In this research in progress, the authors propose a methodology applicable to database driven systems that a) automatically infers a draft interface directly from an extended entity relationship (EER) model schema and b) lists the interactions that need to take place between the designer and the tool in order to generate the final user schema.
Decision Rule for Investment in Reusable Code
Authors: Gelbard Roy
Published: May 2010

Reusable code helps to decrease code errors, code units and therefore development time. It serves to improve quality and productivity frameworks in software development. The question is not HOW to make the code reusable, but WHICH amount of software components would be most beneficial (i.e. costeffective in terms of reuse), and WHAT method should be used to decide whether to make a component reusable or not. If we had unlimited time and resources, we could write any code unit in a reusable way. In other words, its reusability would be 100%. However, in real life, resources and time are limited. Given these constraints, decisions regarding reusability are not always straightforward. The current chapter focuses on decision-making rules for investing in reusable code. It attempts to determine the parameters, which should be taken into account in decisions relating to degrees of reusability. Two new models are presented for decisions-making relating to reusability: (i) a restricted model, and (ii) a non-restricted model. Decisions made by using these models are then analyzed and discussed.
Web-Based Systems Development
Authors: Lang Michael
Published: May 2010

This chapter encapsulates the main findings of an in-depth study of Web development practices in Ireland. The essential research objective was to build a richer understanding of the modern context of Web development and of how that context influences design practices. At the outset, a conceptual framework was derived through a synthesis of issues in the literature and an analysis of existing models of IS development. Data was then gathered through a dual-mode (Web and postal) quantitative survey which yielded 165 usable responses, and later through a series of 14 semi-structured qualitative interviews in a follow-up field study. Following an interpretive approach, elementary statistics and grounded theory were used to iteratively analyze the data until a reasonably comprehensive and stable explanation emerged. This is presented in the form of an elaborated conceptual framework of Web-based systems development as “situated action.”
Configurable Reference Modeling Languages
Authors: Recker Jan , Rosemann Michael , van der Aalst Wil M.P. , Jansen-Vullers Monique , Dreiling Alexander
Published: May 2010

This chapter discusses reference modeling languages for business systems analysis and design. In particular, it reports on reference models in the context of the design-for/by-reuse paradigm, explains how traditional modeling techniques fail to provide adequate conceptual expressiveness to allow for easy model reuse by configuration or adaptation and elaborates on the need for reference modeling languages to be configurable. We discuss requirements for and the development of reference modeling languages that reflect the need for configurability. Exemplarily, we report on the development, definition and configuration of configurable event-driven process chains. We further outline how configurable reference modeling languages and the corresponding design principles can be used in future scenarios such as process mining and data modeling.
Formal Methods for Specifying and Analyzing Complex Software Systems
Authors: He Xudong , Yu Huiqun , Deng Yi
Published: May 2010

Software has been a major enabling technology for advancing modern society, and is now an indispensable part of daily life. Because of the increased complexity of these software systems, and their critical societal role, more effective software development and analysis technologies are needed. How to develop and ensure the dependability of these complex software systems is a grand challenge. It is well known that a highly dependable complex software system cannot be developed without a rigorous development process and a precise specification and design documentation. Formal methods are one of the most promising technologies for precisely specifying, modeling, and analyzing complex software systems. Although past research experience and practice in computer science have convincingly shown that it is not possible to formally verify program behavior and properties at the program source code level due to its extreme huge size and complexity, recently advances in applying formal methods during software specification and design, especially at software architecture level, have demonstrated significant benefits of using formal methods. In this chapter, we will review several well-known formal methods for software system specification and analysis. We will present recent advances of using these formal methods for specifying, modeling, and analyzing software architectural design.
Content Integration in Games-Based Learning Systems
Authors: Gómez-Martín Marco A. , Gómez-Martín Pedro P. , González-Calero Pedro A.
Published: May 2010

A key challenge to move forward the state of the art in games-based learning systems is to facilitate instructional content creation by the domain experts. Several decades of research on computer aided instruction have demonstrated that the expert has to be deeply involved in the content creation process, and that is why so much effort has been devoted to building authoring tools of all kinds. However, using videogame technology to support computer aided instruction poses some new challenges on expertfriendly authoring tools, related to technical and cost issues. In this chapter the authors present the state of the art in content creation for games-based learning systems, identifying the main challenges to make this technology cost-effective from the content creation point of view.
The Path between Pedagogy and Technology
Authors: Price Colin
Published: May 2010

The power of computer game technology is currently being harnessed to produce “serious games”. These “games” are targeted at the education and training marketplace, and employ various key game-engine components such as the graphics and physics engines to produce realistic “digital-world” simulations of the real “physical world”. Many approaches are driven by the technology and often lack a consideration of a firm pedagogical underpinning. The authors believe that an analysis and deployment of both the technological and pedagogical dimensions should occur together, with the pedagogical dimension providing the lead. This chapter explores the relationship between these two dimensions, and explores how “pedagogy may inform the use of technology”, how various learning theories may be mapped onto the use of the affordances of computer game engines. Autonomous and collaborative learning approaches are discussed. The design of a serious game is broken down into spatial and temporal elements. The spatial dimension is related to the theories of knowledge structures, especially “concept maps”. The temporal dimension is related to “experiential learning”, especially the approach of Kolb. The multi-player aspect of serious games is related to theories of “collaborative learning” which is broken down into a discussion of “discourse” versus “dialogue”. Several general guiding principles are explored, such as the use of “metaphor” (including metaphors of space, embodiment, systems thinking, the internet and emergence). The topological design of a serious game is also highlighted. The discussion of pedagogy is related to various serious games we have recently produced and researched, and is presented in the hope of informing the “serious game community”.
Games-Based Learning in the Classroom and How it can Work!
Authors: Routledge Helen
Published: May 2010

Based on real-world experiences using a variety of digital games, this chapter presents a guide for teachers on how to use games-based learning in the classroom. Beginning with a theoretical overview of the change in learning styles and the growing digital divide, the impact that games have had on young people will be discussed. The limitations faced and ways to overcome these to create effective pedagogical experiences when using games will follow. The second half of this chapter aims to provide a practical guide for teachers wishing to integrate games into their classrooms, beginning with an overview of the changing role of the teacher, moving onto preparation guidelines, before finally discussing assessment and practical implementations.
Games for Learning
Authors: Boyle Elizabeth A. , Connolly Thomas
Published: May 2010

Developing educational computer games that will appeal to both males and females adds an additional level of complexity to an already complicated process. Schools and universities need to be inclusive and new learning methods and materials should aim to be gender neutral. Traditional computer games are more popular with males than females, although the use of some simple guidelines in developing games for learning should reduce this preference. However females have a more careful and committed approach to learning and may be more willing to try out new methods of learning including computer games. These opposing influences make it difficult to predict how gender will impact on the acceptance of games for learning. There is some evidence that both males and females enjoy the kinds of games that have most potential for learning. The impact of new computer games for learning needs to be evaluated to ensure that they facilitate learning without disadvantaging one gender over the other.
Sustainable and Interoperable e-Infrastructures for Research and Business
Authors: Andronico Giuseppe , Barbera Roberto , Fargetta Marco , Giorgio Emidio , Marco Salvatore , Scardaci Diego
Published: May 2010

Grid computing allows for the creation of e-infrastructures providing computational power and information storage capabilities needed both by present and future research centres around the world. Although the value of Grids is recognised by its early users, many companies, which would benefit from the adoption of this new paradigm, are still waiting claiming that Grid technologies are still not wellestablished and continuously evolving. A company usually takes a risk when it adopts a technology before its standardisation because if the technology subsequently demonstrates to diverge from (de-facto) standards then the investments can be partially lost and, additionally, switching to the new standard technology will probably be more expensive. In this chapter we present a couple of approaches which allow existing Grid infrastructures to evolve, by including newer Grid middleware, and consequently preserve the investment made on the infrastructure. The capability to evolve reduces current problems of Grid implementation (especially the lack of standards), so it makes Grid adoption by business companies and research centres painless.
Social Media Marketing
Authors: Baruh Lemi
Published: May 2010

In recent years social media applications, which enable consumers to contribute to the world of online content, have grown in popularity. However, this growth is yet to be transformed into a sustainable commercial model. Starting with a brief overview of existing online advertising models, this chapter discusses the opportunities available for advertisers trying to reach consumers through social media. The chapter focuses on viral marketing as a viable option for marketers, reviews recent viral marketing campaigns, and offers recommendations for a successful implementation of social media marketing. In conclusion, the author examines future trends regarding the utilization of the emerging Semantic Web in marketing online.
Corporate Added Value in the Context of Web 2.0
Authors: Bohl Oliver , Manouchehri Shakib
Published: May 2010

Firms have faced and explored the increased use of Web 2.0. Driven mainly by private users, Web 2.0 may also have significant implications for corporate actions and business models. By systematically scanning and verifying possible positive and negative effects on the value of their creation, firms might be able to formulate and establish well-grounded strategies for corporate Web 2.0 applications and services. To establish such a process in an effective and adequate manner, it is necessary to analyze the relationship between Web 2.0 and corporate added value. This chapter contributes to these efforts by demonstrating that the corporate use of Web 2.0 applications is reinforced by fundamental and long-term business trends. The discussion pertains to the possibilities emerging from the application of Web 2.0 paradigms to business models; the market model, the activity model, and the capital market model. The potentials, risks, mainsprings, and restrictions associated with the corporate use of Web 2.0 are evaluated.
Folksonomy
Authors: Weller Katrin , Peters Isabella , Stock Wolfgang G.
Published: May 2010

This chapter discusses folksonomies as a novel way of indexing documents and locating information based on user generated keywords. Folksonomies are considered from the point of view of knowledge organization and representation in the context of user collaboration within the Web 2.0 environments. Folksonomies provide multiple benefits which make them a useful indexing method in various contexts; however, they also have a number of shortcomings that may hamper precise or exhaustive document retrieval. The position maintained is that folksonomies are a valuable addition to the traditional spectrum of knowledge organization methods since they facilitate user input, stimulate active language use and timeliness, create opportunities for processing large data sets, and allow new ways of social navigation within document collections. Applications of folksonomies as well as recommendations for effective information indexing and retrieval are discussed.
Wiki Use in Higher Education
Authors: Koh Elizabeth , Lim John
Published: May 2010

In recent years, the field of education has discovered the educational value of social interaction technologies, including wikis. However, a lack of conceptual understanding and operationalization of wiki use has prevented a more extensive adoption of this collaborative technology by educational institutions. The present chapter provides insights into the functionality of wikis and their educational implications for higher education. The authors contend that a conceptualization of wiki use in the classroom context can be derived from a typology of online interactive pedagogies. The proposed conceptualization is based on the assumption that certain kinds of wiki-related activities correspond to certain levels of classroom interactions; namely, social interaction, general discussion, topic focused discussion, and collaborative activities. Additionally, group size and task complexity should be considered as criteria for wiki implementation. The main premise of the chapter is that the instructional use of wiki-based classroom technologies can enhance student learning.
The Hybrid Course
Authors: Jackson Lorraine D. , Grimes Joe
Published: May 2010

This chapter surveys the benefits and challenges of hybrid courses, which blend face-to-face instruction with online learning, and opportunities provided by the introduction of web-based social interaction technologies. It discusses the pedagogical implications of various Web 2.0 tools; that is, asynchronous discussion boards, blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS, e-portfolios, folksonomies, educational gaming, data mashups, and simulations. The authors argue that as hybrid courses continue to evolve to meet the needs of students, instructors, and institutions of higher learning, the integration of Web 2.0 applications in a hybrid model requires thoughtful course design, clear educational objectives, and carefully planned activities.
The Virtual Social Continuum Expressed
Authors: Rea Alan
Published: May 2010

From the interactive textual worlds of MUDs and MuSHes to the visually rich, textured three-dimensional realms of MMORPGs, participants move from loose to strong associations forming social networks via structured guidelines and interaction patterns. These virtual world inhabitants create communication conduits, collaborate to attain goals and solve problems, or entertain themselves. In this chapter, the author uses Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, one of the most successful MMORPGs to date, to chart the various associations ranging from casual conversations to groups and guilds in which role specialization is critical to close-knit community success. The author argues that using rewards for accepted behavior creates a socialization continuum that stimulates players to interact with one another.
Legal Issues Associated with Emerging Social Interaction Technologies
Authors: Sprague Robert D.
Published: May 2010

This chapter focuses on legal issues that may arise from the increasing use of social interaction technologies; prospective employers searching the Internet to discover information from candidates’ blogs, personal web pages, or social networking profiles; employees being fired because of blog comments; a still-evolving federal law granting online service providers sweeping immunity from liability for userpublished content; and attempts to apply the federal computer crime law to conduct on social networking sites. The U.S. legal system has been slow to adapt to the rapid proliferation of social interaction technologies. This paradox of rapid technological change and slow legal development can sometimes cause unfairness and uncertainty. Until the U.S. legal system begins to adapt to the growing use of these technologies, there will be no change.
30 of the Communications Decency Act
Authors: Azriel Joshua
Published: May 2010

As a federal law, the 1996 Communications Decency Act (CDA) criminalizes any offensive content posted on a computer server that is operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The law exempts ISPs and other “users” from any liability for the illegal content that is posted by third parties as long as they make a “good faith” effort to restrict the information. Plaintiffs, who claim to be victims of offensive messages and sued ISPs, consistently lost their court cases. District and appellate courts have upheld Section 230’s provisions and Congress’s authority to regulate in this area of online communication. The CDA applies to many forms of Internet communication; for example, websites, chat rooms, discussion forums, wikis, and blogs. This chapter reviews the law, examines how federal and state courts have interpreted the CDA regarding ISPs, describes under what conditions an ISP can be held responsible for illegal content, analyzes the “user” portion of the law, and presents the legal dangers of providing immunity for “users” who post illegal content online.
A Framework for Analyzing Social Interaction Using Broadband Visual Communication Technologies
Authors: O’Donnell Susan , Molyneaux Heather , Gibson Kerri
Published: May 2010

Broadband visual communication (BVC) technologies—such as videoconferencing and video sharing—allow for the exchange of rich simultaneous or pre-recorded visual and audio data over broadband networks. This chapter introduces an analytical framework that can be utilized by multi-disciplinary teams working with BVC technologies to analyze the variables that hinder people’s adoption and use of BVC. The framework identifies four main categories, each with a number of sub-categories, covering variables that are social and technical in nature; namely, the production and reception of audio-visual content, technical infrastructure, interaction of users and groups with the technical infrastructure, and social and organizational relations. The authors apply the proposed framework to a study of BVC technology usability and effectiveness as well as technology needs assessment in remote and rural First Nation (Indigenous) communities of Canada.
Using the Social Web for Collaboration in Software Engineering Education
Authors: Kamthan Pankaj
Published: May 2010

Recent innovations in the computer and software industry have placed new demands on academic programs in software engineering. Over the past decade, the technological environment in which software engineering education (SEE) resides has been rapidly changing. To be able to design, develop, and evaluate software applications and systems, future software engineers have to learn to adopt new technologies and acquire new skills. This chapter examines the educational impact of Social Web applications in classroom activities pertaining to SEE. The feasibility issues of the selection and adoption of collaborative technologies and applications are emphasized, and the pedagogical patterns are discussed. The potential prospects of such an integration and related concerns are illustrated through examples.
Blogs as a Social Networking Tool to Build Community
Authors: Kervin Lisa , Mantei Jessica , Herrington Anthony
Published: May 2010

This chapter examines blogging as a social networking tool to engage final year preservice teachers in reflective processes. Using a developed Web site, the students post their own blogs and comment upon those of others. The authors argue that opportunity to engage with this networking experience provides avenue for the students to consider their emerging professional identity as teachers. The blogging mechanism brought together the physical university context and virtual online environment as students identified, examined and reflected upon the intricacies of what it means to be a teacher. The authors hope that examining the findings that emerged from our research will inform other educators as to the affordances of blogging as a social networking tool.
Introduction to Open Source Products
Authors: Lee Chao
Published: May 2010

Web-based teaching has become one of the main stream teaching and learning methods in most of the higher education institutions. To support teaching and learning activities over the Internet, Web-based teaching has been implemented with various technologies. Among the various solutions, using the open source technology to construct a platform for supporting online teaching and learning has attracted a great deal of attention. To better understand the open source technology and how it can be used to support online teaching and learning, we will first take an overview of the open source technology in this chapter. We will investigate the roles played by the open source technology. We will also examine the strengths and weaknesses of the open source technology in general. At the end of this chapter, a framework of the book will be presented to give an overall picture of the discussion in the book.
Network Development and Management
Authors: Lee Chao
Published: May 2010

In the previous chapter, we investigated the technology requirements for an online teaching/learning system. Networks are one of the major components in an online teaching/learning system infrastructure. As mentioned earlier, an online teaching/ learning system is often constructed on a client-server structure. A network is used to link the tiers of the client-server structure. Through the network, the client side can send requests to the server side and get response from the server. A network consists of routers, switches, network adapters, modems, multiplexers, different types of transmission media, network protocols, and network management tools. There are different types of networks such as local area networks, wide area networks, Internet, and so on. Not only does an online teaching/learning system depend on a reliable and secure network infrastructure, many technology-based courses also use networks for hands-on practice.
Database Development for Online Courses
Authors: Lee Chao
Published: May 2010

In the previous chapter, we discussed the issues related to the server operating system which is used to host other application software such as a learning management system and database management system. The discussion in the previous chapter indicates that, for the learning management system, a database is required for storing course and student information. This chapter will first explore some of the open source database management systems. Several commonly used open source database management systems will be introduced. The features of the database management systems will be compared. We will examine how these features are used to store the course and student information and to support the management of the online teaching/learning system. The next topic in this chapter is about database design for an online teaching/ learning system. Within this topic, we will first review the database development cycle. Then, we will go through some general database procedures which consist of three stages, conceptual design, logical design, and physical design. We will discuss issues such as colleting information about the requirements for the new database, design a data model to meet the requirements, and discuss issues related to physical design.
Security Management
Authors: Lee Chao
Published: May 2010

During the operation of an online teaching/learning system, security is a top priority. As an online system, the teaching/learning system is vulnerable to Internet hackers and hundreds of malicious viruses. A security related problem can cause significant damage to the online teaching/learning system. This kind of damage can possibly shut down the entire system or even spread viruses to the university’s network and infect other systems on the network. To ensure the health of the online teaching/learning system, great effort has to be made to ensure the system’s security. In this chapter, we will investigate issues on securing the online teaching/ learning system.
Client Computer System and Remote Access
Authors: Lee Chao
Published: May 2010

An online teaching/learning system is often constructed on the Web-based clientserver architecture. Personal computers at students’ homes perform client-side operations. These computer systems share some computation load and should be properly configured so that they can remotely access the servers through the Internet. For the online teaching/learning system, the configuration and management of the client computers present many challenges due the variety of computer types and application software. In this chapter, we will examine various challenges on the client side and look for solutions that can be implemented with open source products. This chapter begins with the discussion of the Linux open source desktop operating systems. Linux originally created for personal computers is suitable for personal computers and workstations. We will discuss several major Linux desktop operating systems and look at the components included in them.
Implementation and Evaluation of Online Courses
Authors: Lee Chao
Published: May 2010

As stated in the discussion of the ADDIE model in the last chapter, implementation and evaluation are part of the development process. Once online course materials are developed, the next task is to deploy the course materials to students. The first topic of this chapter will deal with the issues related to the deployment of online course materials. In this chapter, we will discuss the tasks such as planning and training involved in the deployment process. Once the online course materials have been deployed, there will be a large number of requests from the students for help on technology and course content related issues. To keep the online teaching/learning system running successfully, we need a strong technical support team including experienced computer service personnel, instructors, and fellow students. This chapter will deal with the issues related to technical support. We will discuss various ways to provide technical support services.
Trends and Advances
Authors: Lee Chao
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, we will discuss the advances in open source products and the trends in the technologies used for developing online teaching/learning systems. The topics of trends and advances discussed in previous chapters will be summarized in this chapter. We will also look at new features and new ideas in the application of the open source products that will potentially have an impact on the online teaching/ learning systems. The discussion will start with the advances in the network related open source tools. As more and more university courses are taught online, there is an increasing demand for faster and more reliable network technologies. A lot of effort has been made to improve network hardware and software. In this chapter, we will examine some of the new network and telecommunication related technologies and how these new technologies will impact online teaching and learning. Then, we will look at the advances in server operating systems and services. We will investigate the trends in server software, hardware, and services. We will discuss the new and emerging technologies that can potentially improve servers’ performance and reliability.
Context Related Software Under Ubiquitous Computing
Authors: Rao N. Raghavendra
Published: May 2010

The advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) have resulted in the new concepts being developed in this discipline. Ubiquitous and pervasive computing are among the number of other concepts provided by the ICT. Especially these concepts are providing scope for radical changes in business processes of organizations. It would become a necessity for integrating business with these concepts to face the new realities in business process in organizations. This chapter describes the historical background of commerce in electronic environment, the concepts related to context computing, ubiquitous computing and pervasive computing, and Grid computing. Further it explains the recent trends and also talks about the three business models with these concepts incorporated in three different contexts.
How Research can Help to Create Commercially Successful Ubiquitous Services
Authors: Palo Teea , Koskela Kaisa , Koivumaki Timo , Tahtinen Jaana
Published: May 2010

Ubiquitous computing will change the way people live with technology. At the same time it will also affect the way people access and use services. It is obvious that these new ubiquitous services have a lot of business potential. However, before this potential can be fully exploited, we need to understand the crucial factors behind creating commercially successful ubiquitous services. To do so, research is needed in three important areas. Firstly, we need to understand the basic nature of ubiquitous services, i.e., their unique characteristics. Secondly, we need to know the needs of the customers in order to create value to them so that they will accept and use ubiquitous services. This can be done by involving users into the innovation process of ubiquitous services. And thirdly, we need to understand the value creating networks developing and commercializing the ubiquitous services as well as to find an appropriate business model for describing them. Value creation is impossible without a successful network business model which is yet to be found. Thus, the aim of this chapter is to describe, examine and give proposals for further research in these three important research fields which can be seen as the prerequisites for developing commercially successful ubiquitous services.
Framework for Proximity Aware Mobile Services
Authors: Quah Jon T.S. , Jain V.
Published: May 2010

This chapter discusses a service oriented framework to realize proximity aware services for mobile devices. It describes the architecture at both client and server ends. Using the proposed framework we develop a prototype to realize a real world application. The chapter ends with a discussion on the framework and possible future enhancements.
A Study of the Relationship between PEOU and PU in Technology Acceptance in E-Learning
Authors: Cho Vincent , Hung Humphry
Published: May 2010

In models to study technology acceptance, the empirically validated path from perceived ease of use (PEOU) to perceived usefulness (PU) is usually rationalized by the argument that the less effort it is required to use a technology, the more useful the technology is. This argument is rather generic to fully account for the relationship between PEOU and PU. In this study we examine the effects of the common antecedents of PEOU and PU on their relationship. We first extensively reviewed the literature to identify the common antecedents of PEOU and PU. We then conducted a survey of users’ acceptance of some common e-learning forums such as ICQ, WebCT, and MSN. Based on variance analysis we found that user-interface design (UID) explains 43% of the relationship between PEOU and PU, and that learners consider UID very important in deciding whether to accept an e-learning forum for their learning and communication. This chapter contributes to research by identifying the factors that account for the relationship between PEOU and PU, and provides e-learning developers with managerial insights on how to leverage UID for business success.
Data Quality on the Internet
Authors: Cho Vincent
Published: May 2010

This chapter will review the studies on the data quality on the Internet and will propose some suggestions to improve existing Internet resources. The layout of this chapter is as follows. First, the definitions of data quality will be visited. Next, the author would like to review the reasons of poor data quality. Framework and assessment based on the past literature will be reviewed and finally some recommendations are highlighted.
Don't Thing but Look
Authors: Komaitis Konstantinos
Published: May 2010

Over the past decade, electronic commerce has expanded and has provided new ways of conducting businesses in a brand new environment. Lately u-commerce seems to be pioneering the field of electronic transactions. Where ‘u’ stands for ubiquitous, unison, unique and universal, u-commerce offers the opportunity to users to conduct business everywhere and at any given moment in time. The simplicity of u-commerce transactions makes the issue of domain names more relevant than ever before. This chapter examines the procedural unfairness of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) in an effort to demonstrate that the ‘regulatory’ framework surrounding domain names does not respect their technological necessity.
South Korea
Authors: Bang Jounghae , Choi Inyoung
Published: May 2010

Koreans envision a world in which anyone can access information and the tools to explore it anytime, anywhere. Korea has been one of the leaders in the mobile industry and this chapter explores the past, present and future of mobile technology and markets in Korea. Starting with background and a brief overview of the current situation, this chapter uses the CLIP framework to describe mobile services in Korea. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of challenges and future strategies.
Ensuring Security and Integrity of Data for Online Assessment
Authors: Armatas Christine , Colbert Bernard
Published: May 2010

Two challenges with online assessment are making sure data collected is secure and authenticating the data source. The first challenge relates to issues such as network security, robustness against attack and data management. The second is currently a significant impediment to widespread implementation of formal online assessment due to difficulties ensuring the identity of the person completing the assessment. In this chapter the authors discuss technical aspects associated with keeping data secure and the implications this has for delivering online assessment. The chapter also examines technologies that can assist with the issue of authenticating the identity of individuals completing online assessments and we provide some practical advice for those considering using online assessment tools. To conclude the chapter, the authors look at technologies likely to be available in the future and examine how these could be used to conduct online assessment that ensures data security and integrity without imposing an unreasonable burden on users.
Introducing Integrated E-Portfolio Across Courses in a Postgraduate Program in Distance and Online Education
Authors: Bhattacharya Madhumita
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents a description and analysis of salient issues related to the development of an integrated e-portfolio application implemented at Massey University to help students track and accumulate evidence of skills developed over their period of study, particularly associated with the three core papers in the program. The Web-based e-portfolio project was initiated to help students provide evidence required by employers and research supervisors in a progressive and reflective manner by identifying the links across different papers and demonstrating their own conceptual understanding. Administrative issues are discussed, as well as considerations for future developments based on the experiences of this study.
Introduction to E-Commerce
Authors: Shareef Mahmud Akhter , Dwivedi Yogesh K. , Williams Michael D. , Singh Nitish
Published: May 2010

The growth, integration, and sophistication of ICT are changing our society and economy. The emergence of the Internet as a general communication channel has opened the opportunity for E-Commerce (EC) to expand worldwide. EC is now viewed by researchers and practitioners as providing the future direction in which organizations must move. Diffusion of the Internet has led to significant shifts in the methodology of operating business globally. Therefore, it is both an interesting and challenging issue to address, explore, and conceptualize proliferation of EC and also adoption and cultural resistance and evolution for global consumers.
Diffusion of E-Commerce in Developed and Developing Countries
Authors: Shareef Mahmud Akhter , Dwivedi Yogesh K. , Williams Michael D. , Singh Nitish
Published: May 2010

Based on the theoretical framework revealed in Chapter V, this chapter is intended to investigate the country-specific roles of governments, private organizations, and consumers and the status of infrastructure development and the market mechanism of some developed and developing countries in terms of EC diffusion. In this connection, EC diffusion status and role of different stakeholders are analyzed for developed countries: USA and Denmark, developing countries with stronghold in ICT: Mexico and India, and developing countries: Bangladesh and Ghana.
Local Content and SMEs
Authors: Mutula Stephen M.
Published: May 2010

There are diverse opinions in literature on the meaning of the term ‘content’ going by the different definitions encountered in the course of writing this book. The lack of unanimity on what constitutes ‘content’ suggests that the definition of ‘local content’ is most certainly not cast in stone. This chapter first begins by unpacking the concept of content, before proceeding to local content, and how they can be applied to enhance the business values of SMEs in the global digital economy. Some literature tends to suggest that if an idea, or information, knowledge or data, is not in digital format, then it is not content. Siemens (2003) falls into this category, believing content to consist of e-journals, images, graphics, videos, movies, websites, online databases, emails, online news, software, and animations, among others. Claiborne (2005) simply defines content as the “stuff on your site”. Some definitions do not differentiate between the media and content, while others perceive content to be recorded information or knowledge. Other definitions gleaned from the Web follow: content is everything included in a collection (WordReference, 2008); content refers to material that is of interest to users, such as text, images, music and movies (The Linux Information Project, 2005); content refers to information and experiences that may provide value to an end-user/audience (Wikipedia); and content is published information and experiences found in novels, movies, music, games, web pages, presentations, organised data, etc (Wiktionary). In their diversity, these varied definitions provide a framework for redefining the term ‘content’ on the one hand and ‘local content’ on the other.
Key Topics in the Ethics and Economics of Cyber Security
Authors: Aboud Sattar J.
Published: May 2010

Cyber security is the significant issue for customers, sellers, and discipliners since hackers who utilize vulnerabilities can make considerable damage. In this chapter, we study key topics in a nascent literature on a cyber security. We first concentrate on how inducements influence the major topics in information security. Three significant topics pertinent for a cyber security concerns are: an exterior security, the internet consequence and information sharing which make effect in the information security. The budding literature has started to study the relationships between vulnerability revelation, patching, manufactured goods prices and profits.