bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge Management
Authors: Gelepithis Petros A.M. , Parillon Nicole
Published: May 2011

Although the debate on the nature of ‘knowledge’ and ‘information’ is far from settled, it is now taken for granted throughout the academic world that the two notions are related but fundamentally distinct. This result, and its significant consequences, still need to be realised and understood by the great majority of the business world. In the first section of this chapter, we briefly comment on some characteristic views of ‘knowledge’ and ‘knowledge management,’ and subsequently we analyse in-depth the core constituent notion of the latter, that is, knowledge. In section two, we outline three major consequences of our analysis. The first concerns the limits of management for a certain class of activities involving knowledge. The second concerns the scope and limits of technology for the same class of activities. The third concerns the issue of knowledge market. The thesis we develop is that knowledge cannot be taken as a commodity; in other words, the notion of a knowledge market is not implementable.
Dissemination in Portals
Authors: Woods Steven , Poteet Stephen R. , Kao Anne , Quach Lesley
Published: May 2011

While there are many aspects to managing corporate knowledge, one key issue is how to disseminate corporate documents with appropriate context. Upon finding an article on a certain subject, for example the material properties of titanium, a reader is likely to be interested in related articles such as applications of titanium or manufacturing methods for titanium parts. Each related article has the potential to increase the reader’s knowledge of the subject. Therefore, organizing documents into categories of interest plays an essential role in discovering and interpreting information. Furthermore, categories can be expected to provide historical context, describing how titanium was used in early designs or initial practices used for the repair of titanium parts.
Dynamic Taxonomies
Authors: Sacco Giovanni M.
Published: May 2011

End-user interactive access to complex information is one of the key functionalities of knowledge management systems. Traditionally, access paradigms have focused on retrieval of data on the basis of precise specifications: examples of this approach include queries on structured database systems, and information retrieval. However, most search tasks, and notably those typical of a knowledge worker, are exploratory and imprecise in essence: the user needs to explore the information base, find relationships among concepts, and thin alternatives out in a guided way.
Task-Based Knowledge Management
Authors: Burstein Frada , Linger Henry
Published: May 2011

In modern organizations, the major role of knowledge management is supporting knowledge work. The concept of knowledge work assumes not only task performance, but also the review and evaluation of the work done in order to understand and learn from the experience. Knowledge work relies on a body of knowledge to support processes that address both the performance of work and the intellective aspects of the work activity (Zuboff, 1988). In this sense knowledge management becomes one of the most important mechanisms in implementing such support. In this article we present task-based knowledge management (TbKM) as an alternative approach to knowledge management (KM).
Virtual Teaming
Authors: Elshaw Brenda
Published: May 2011

Given the ongoing advances in technology and the consequent changes in the work environment with the introduction of a mobile workforce, it is inevitable that more activities will be undertaken by virtual teams. As with any team, a virtual team is a group of people who share a common objective and combine to provide a variety of different and complementary skills in order to achieve that objective. Unlike traditional teams, they are not collocated and can be working from a variety of different geographical locations, which can be either office or home-based. Often, they work across different time zones, adding to the challenges involved in successfully bringing a team together.
Organisational Storytelling
Authors: Connell N. A.D.
Published: May 2011

In this article we consider some of the ways in which narrative approaches might contribute towards a better understanding of organisational knowledge management. The telling of stories has a long, rich, and varied tradition, stretching back hundreds of years. In the study of organisations, storytelling can be seen as part of a wider field of enquiry, Organisational Discourse, which seeks to ascribe meaning to social exchanges within organisations (Grant, Hardy, Oswick, & Putnam, 2004; Grant & Hardy, 2003). Narratives have been explicitly identified (Wensley, 1998; Denning, 2000; Ward & Sbarcea, 2001) as one of the ways in which knowledge might be exchanged in organisational settings, but only limited consideration has been given to the ways in which storytelling approaches can increase our understanding of the creation and dissemination of knowledge in organisations. In this article we reflect on what we might learn from the application of narrative processes, particularly organisational storytelling, and from narrative content, particularly organisational narrative knowledge, to assess the place of such storytelling in KM.
Issues in Clinical Knowledge Management
Authors: Bali Rajeev K. , Dwivedi Ashish , Naguib Raouf
Published: May 2011

The objective of this chapter is to examine some of the key issues surrounding the incorporation of the Knowledge Management (KM) paradigm in healthcare. We discuss whether it would it be beneficial for healthcare organizations to adopt the KM paradigm so as to facilitate effective decision-making in the context of healthcare delivery. Alternative healthcare management concepts with respect to their ability in providing a solution to the above-mentioned issue are reviewed. This chapter concludes that the KM paradigm can transform the healthcare sector.
The Challenge of Privacy and Security and the Implementation of Health Knowledge Management Systems
Authors: Orr Martin
Published: May 2011

Health information privacy is one of the most important and contentious areas in the development of Health Knowledge Systems. This chapter provides an overview of some of the daily privacy and security issues currently faced by health services, as health knowledge system developments risk outpacing medico-legal and professional structures. The focus is a mixture of philosophy and pragmatics with regard to the key “privacy” and “security” issues that challenge stakeholders as they try to implement and maintain an increasing array of electronic health knowledge management systems. The chapter utilises a number of evolving simple visual and mnemonic models or concepts based on observations, reflections and understanding of the literature.
Knowledge Management Systems for Emergency Preparedness
Authors: Raman Murali , Ryan Terry , Olfman Lorne
Published: May 2011

This article is about the design and implementation of an information system, using Wiki technology to improve the emergency preparedness efforts of the Claremont University Consortium. For some organizations, as in this case, responding to a crisis situation is done within a consortium environment. Managing knowledge across the various entities involved in such efforts is critical. This includes having the right set of information that is timely and relevant and that is governed by an effective communication process. This study suggests that Wiki technology might be useful to support knowledge management in the context of emergency preparedness within organizations. However, issues such as training in the use of a system(s), a knowledge-sharing culture among entities involved in emergency preparedness, and a fit between task and technology/system must be there in order to support emergency preparedness activities that are given such structures.
Organic Knowledge Management for Web-Based Customer Service
Authors: Durbin Stephen D. , Warner Doug , Richter J. Neal , Gedeon Zuzana
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces practical issues of information navigation and organizational knowledge management involved in delivering customer service via the Internet. An adaptive, organic approach is presented that addresses these issues. This approach relies on both a system architecture that embodies effective knowledge processes, and a knowledge base that is supplemented with meta-information acquired automatically through various data mining and artificial intelligence techniques. An application implementing this approach, RightNow eService Center, and the algorithms supporting it are described. Case studies of the use of eService Center by commercial, governmental and other types of organizations are presented and discussed. It is suggested that the organic approach is effective in a variety of information-providing settings beyond conventional customer service.
Opportunities for Data Mining and Customer Knowledge Management for Shopping Centres
Authors: Dennis Charles , Marsland David , Cockett Tony
Published: May 2011

Shopping centers are an important part of the UK economy and have been the subject of considerable research. Relying on complex interdependencies between shoppers, retailers and owners, shopping centers are ideal for knowledge management study. Nevertheless, although retailers have been in the forefront of data mining, little has been written on customer knowledge management for shopping centers. In this chapter, the authors aim to demonstrate the possibilities and draw attention to the possible implications of improving customer satisfaction. Aspects of customer knowledge management for shopping centers are considered using analogies drawn from an exploratory questionnaire survey. The objectives of a customer knowledge management system could include increasing rental incomes and bringing new life back into shopping centers and towns.
Strategic Knowledge Management in Public Organizations
Authors: Anttiroiko Ari-Veikko
Published: May 2011

New public management and the more recent concept of new public governance have become the dominant management doctrines in the public sector. Public organizations have become increasingly network-like units with various governance relations with actors from the public, business, and voluntary sectors. Their organization is based more on networks than on traditional hierarchies, accompanied by a transition from the command-and-control type of management to initiate-and-coordinate type of governance.
Knowledge Management Trends
Authors: Petrides Lisa A. , Ngyuen Lilly
Published: May 2011

While the pressure of public accountability has placed increasing pressure on higher education institutions to provide information regarding critical outcomes, this chapter describes how knowledge management (KM) can be used by educational institutions to gain a more comprehensive, integrative, and reflexive understanding of the impact of information on their organizations. The practice of KM, initially derived from theory and practice in the business sector, has typically been used to address isolated data and information transfer, rather than actual systemwide change. However, higher education institutions should not simply appropriate KM strategies and practices as they have appeared in the business sector. Instead, higher education institutions should use KM to focus on long-term, organization-wide strategies.
Creating Knowledge for Business Decision Making
Authors: Khan Shiraj , Ganguly Auroop R. , Gupta Amar
Published: May 2011

Business forecasts and predictive models are rarely perfect. A paraphrase of the Nobel winning physicist Neils Bohr is apt in this context: Prediction is difficult, especially if it is of the future. However, executives and managers in enterprises ranging from retail and consumer packaged goods to high tech and semiconductors have to resort to forecasting and planning about the future. Phenomenal growth and spectacular failures are associated with organizations depending on their ability to understand market directions and respond quickly to change. Relatively minor improvements in forecast accuracy and predictive modeling at detailed levels can translate to significant gains for the enterprise through better strategic decisions, continuous performance management, and rapid translation to tactical decisions. The key to these processes is the knowledge-based enterprise, which can effectively utilize information from multiple sources as well as the expertise of skilled human resources, to develop strategies and processes for creating, preserving, and utilizing knowledge. These efforts, spanning revenue-generation endeavors like promotion management or new product launch, to cost-cutting operations like inventory planning or demand management, have significant impacts on the top and bottom lines of an enterprise.
Workflow Systems and Knowledge Management
Authors: Berztiss Alfs T.
Published: May 2011

The business reengineering movement has left two lasting benefits: One is the identification of an organization as a set of processes (Davenport, 1993); the other is an emphasis on knowledge management (Davenport, 1997). The process orientation finds an expression in workflow systems. Processes have to be supported by knowledge management. Our purpose here is to provide an outline of how knowledge management relates to workflow systems.
Knowledge Producers and Consumers
Authors: Kankanhalli Atreyi , Wei Kwok-Kee
Published: May 2011

In a knowledge-based economy, organizations find it difficult to compete based upon the individual knowledge of a few organizational members. This provides the rationale for knowledge management wherein organizational knowledge must be shared, combined, and reused in order to enable organizations to compete more effectively. Hence, knowledge sharing is considered an essential process in knowledge management. Unfortunately, sharing is often unnatural for the parties involved in it, that is, knowledge contributors or producers and knowledge seekers or consumers. Hoarding knowledge and not accepting knowledge from others are natural tendencies that are difficult to change (Davenport & Prusak, 1998). Knowledge contributors may be inhibited from sharing their knowledge due to perceptions of loss of power, lack of time or incentives, and other barriers. Knowledge seekers may find it laborious to seek advice from others and desire to discover solutions for themselves. Therefore, it is vital to understand and foster the motivations of knowledge contributors and seekers toward participating in knowledge sharing.
An Integrative Knowledge Management System for Environmental-Conscious Construction
Authors: Chen Zhen , Kong Stephen C.W. , Li Heng , Xu Qian
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces an integrative knowledge management prototype named E+ for environmental-conscious construction based on a comprehensive integration of current environmental management (EM) techniques and tools in construction. The overall objective is to apply the theory of knowledge management (KM) in EM in construction, and the authors will achieve it though developing the E+ model and its tools for dynamic EM in construction. The approaches applied in this chapter include system analysis and development, literature review, questionnaire survey and interview, and case study. The results from this chapter include the E+, a comprehensive review of EM tools adopted in construction, and a demonstration of the implementation of the E+. Furthermore, the authors hope that the adoption and implementation of the E+ can effectively improve contractors’ performance in EM and reduce adverse environmental impacts in construction.
Multidisciplinary Project Teams
Authors: Fong Patrick S.W.
Published: May 2011

Knowledge in designing a product or rendering a service does not form a complete and coherent body of knowledge that can be precisely documented or even articulated by a single individual. Rather, it is a form of knowing that exists only through the interaction among various collective actors (Gherardi & Nicolini, 2000). Existing literature (Kanter, 1988; Nonaka, 1994; Spender, 1998; Starbuck, 1992) has highlighted a need for the development of a diverse workforce if knowledge creation is to be promoted and sustained within organisations. This literature suggests that a diverse set of resources (experts with different backgrounds and abilities) provides a broad knowledge base at the individual level, offering greater potential for knowledge creation.
Principles to Guide the Integration and Implementation of Educational Technology
Authors: Dexter Sara
Published: May 2011

The Educational Technology Integration and Implementation Principles (eTIPs) are six statements that describe the K-12 classroom and school-level conditions under which the use of technology will be most effective. The eTIPs are an example of materials that can aid teachers in designing instruction and participating in creating supportive conditions for technology supported classroom instruction.
What Do They Learn?
Authors: Payne Carla R.
Published: May 2011

Significant learning is marked by transformation in ways of thinking and in the making of meaning. As Winn (1997) put it: “Information is not knowledge and knowledge is not wisdom.” He goes on to point out that “the acquisition of knowledge from information requires effort and involves perceptual and cognitive processes that decode symbols, deploy literacy skills to interpret them, and apply inferencing [sic] abilities to connect them to existing knowledge.” I have argued elsewhere that the instructor must make cognitive development an overall course goal (Payne, 2004). The possibility that there can be developmental change must be an underlying assumption of effective course design. But even given a strong commitment to our students’ cognitive growth, how can we know that the most careful course design and the most thoughtful discussion facilitation are having a positive impact on their thinking abilities? We need some evidence about the impact of our strategies to guide us in improving them. In this chapter, I suggest that the transcripts generated by asynchronous discussion can be more than the objects of quantitative analysis, and that our practice as teachers in any discipline can also benefit by attention to these highly accessible records of our students’ work. Dewey and his heirs, the educational constructivists, set forth certain conditions for significant learning: that students are active, interactive, and reflective, within any particular learning environment (Payne, 2004). In this chapter, one emphasis is on interaction, the social aspect of the construction of knowledge, as it may occur and be fostered in a specific context, asynchronous discussion. The other is on the identification of indicators of development in transcripts of those discussions. In this case, the indicators selected are for interactivity and for inference, one of those higher-order thinking skills considered to be an aspect of reflective thinking.
Online Problem-Based Learning Approach in Higher Education
Authors: Donnelly Roisin
Published: May 2011

This paper begins with a brief review of the history of problem-based learning (PBL) integrated with online learning, and surveys relevant learning theory, including constructivism and cognitivism. Recent case-study research on a postgraduate diploma module in learning and teaching for faculty and lecturers in higher education is then provided to illustrate the key issues for both faculty and students in this evolving area. Emerging trends in combining PBL and online learning are outlined, along with potential opportunity to continue to research the topic in a different light. The paper concludes with an overview of the research area, aspects of which have been confirmed as strengths, and others that have been highlighted for change.
Learning IT
Authors: McGill Tanya , Bax Samantha
Published: May 2011

Lectures are the traditional method of content delivery in undergraduate information technology degrees, yet concerns have been raised about their effectiveness. This paper addresses the role of lectures within information technology degree programs from a student perspective; it examines the factors that influence lecture attendance and student perceptions of the usefulness of a variety of possible lecture activities. Overall, the results suggest that students see the lecturer as contributing significant value to their learning experience through the lecture setting. Students appear to value the expertise of the lecturer and find activities that can best make use of the lecturer’s expertise the most useful. The results also suggest that students recognize the importance of active learning within the constraints of traditional learning settings.
Assessing Satisfaction and Academic Locus of Control of Dropout Students in online Learning Courses
Authors: Levy Yair
Published: May 2011

Numerous studies have been conducted related to dropouts from on-campus and distance education courses. However, no clear definition of dropout from academic courses was provided. Additionally, literature suggest that students attending e-learning courses dropout at substantially higher rates than their counterparts in on-campus courses. However, little attention has been given in literature for key constructs related to this difference. This chapter explores two main constructs (students’ satisfaction and academic locus of control) with online learning. Results show that students’ satisfaction with e-learning is a key indicator in students’ decision to dropout from online learning courses. Additionally, completer students reported to have significantly higher satisfaction with online learning than students who dropped out from the same courses. Moreover, results suggest that the academic locus of control appears to have no
Strategies for teaching students With Exceptional Needs in cyber schools
Authors: Hipsky Shellie , Adams Lindsay
Published: May 2011

Cyber schools for K-12 students are growing in number. It is vital that appropriate strategies are devised in order to meet the needs of students with exceptionalities. The PA Cyber Charter School serves 353 students who have Individualized Education Plans. Parent surveys were thematically analyzed and revealed six predominant themes, including communication, interests, focus, less-stigma from the special education label, education differences in comparison to other methods, and cyber school shortcomings. The study also utilized the action research model to determine and present the techniques and strategies that are working in the PA Cyber Charter School for their students with special needs. Teacher-tested documents included in the Appendix were based on the study, and a model for special needs strategies in the cyber learning environment has been established through this article.
Gender and the Culture of Computing in Applied IT Education
Authors: Herring Susan C. , Ogan Christine , Ahuja Manju , Robinson Jean C.
Published: May 2011

The “shrinking pipeline” of women who ascend through the ranks in computer science education programs and careers is by now a familiar problem. Women drop out at rates faster than men at all levels of educational and professional advancement, resulting in a gender gap especially pronounced at the highest levels of the computing workforce, and that has not narrowed appreciably at any level in more than 20 years (Camp, 1997; ITAA, 2005; Vegso, 2005). Efforts to move more women into the pipeline at lower levels have met with limited success (cf. the Carnegie Mellon experience as reported by Margolis & Fisher, 2002); girls and women still express less interest than boys and men in studying computer science and pursuing information technology (IT) careers (Bentson, 2000; Vegso, 2005). A reason often cited in the literature is the masculine culture of many computer science programs and IT workplaces, which is perceived by many women as alien and unwelcoming (Bentson, 2000; Spertus, 1991; Turkle, 1988). Even when institutions make efforts to treat women and men equally or accord women special consideration in admissions and hiring decisions, attitudes discouraging women from entering computing persist, both within the institutions and in society at large. Sometimes these attitudes are expressed overtly: Underground “hacker” culture is notoriously antagonistic to women (Gilboa, 1996), and even mainstream computer aficionados respond with resistance and sexist jokes to proposals to recruit more girls and women to study computer science (Slashdot.org, 2005). Moreover, there is a widespread perception that computer experts are socially-isolated “geeks” or “nerds” obsessed with technology, a mode of being that women, who tend to be more socially oriented, find unappealing (Margolis & Fisher, 2002; Turkle, 1988). Fortunately, the situation for computer science does not tell the whole story. In the latter part of the 20th century, the expansion of computing and the Internet fueled the rise of applied IT fields in which technical skills, rather than being developed for their own sake, are increasingly put to use in the service of human needs. Applied fields, such as information science, information systems and instructional technology, have gained strength, and a new interdisciplinary field, informatics, has emerged. At the same time, interest in computer science itself is declining, especially among women (ITAA, 2005; Vegso, 2005). In this article, we explore the possibility that applied IT fields may provide more women-friendly cultures while still focused on technology. The larger question underlying this exploration is: Does applied IT education have the potential to bridge the “gender computing gap”?
Evaluating Student Learning in Distance Education
Authors: Diamadis Efstratios T. , Polyzos George C.
Published: May 2011

Evaluating students is critical to education. Evaluation results give students feedback about their performance so that they can learn from their successes and failures. On the other hand, these results allow instructors to determine how well students are performing, and what areas and subjects need more attention. The conventional methodology to evaluate student work is by “pen and paper.” It can take many forms—such as traditional exams, open-books exams, reports, practical work, and others—as the next section illustrates.
Qualitative Standards for E-Learning
Authors: Breithaupt Krista , MacDonald Colla J.
Published: May 2011

This study compliments the theoretical work that led to the development of a new e-learning model, termed the Demand-Driven Learning Model (DDLM), and describes the development of a survey that can be used to determine the quality of e-learning programs. Scores from the survey are intended to provide a useful indication of the extent to which e-learning programs provide evidence of quality defined by the DDLM. In this way, the DDLM represents a proposed standard for the quality of online learning. The authors also provide a description of the development and pilot study of the survey measure, and propose this survey as a means of assessing the quality of e-learning programs against this standard.
An Adaptive Predictive Model for Student Modeling
Authors: Castillo Gladys , Gama João , Breda Ana M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents an adaptive predictive model for a student modeling prediction task in the context of an adaptive educational hypermedia system (AEHS). The task, that consists in determining what kind of learning resources are more appropriate to a particular learning style, presents two issues that are critical. The first is related to the uncertainty of the information about the student’s learning style acquired by psychometric instruments. The second is related to the changes over time of the student’s preferences (concept drift). To approach this task, we propose a probabilistic adaptive predictive model that includes a method to handle concept drift based on statistical quality control. We claim that our approach is able to adapt quickly to changes in the student’s preferences and that it should be successfully used in similar user modeling prediction tasks, where uncertainty and concept drift are presented.
Ubiquitous Agent-Based Campus Information Providing System for Cellular Phones
Authors: Koyama Akio , Barolli Leonard
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, a campus information providing system (CIPS) for cellular phones is proposed. By using this system, the search time to find the necessary information in the campus is reduced. Users can access the system using the cellular phone terminal and by clicking the links or by inserting a keyword in the form they can get easily the campus information. The system has four agents, which deals with Web information required by users, Net News, the student’s login state, campus navigation and the filtering of the received campus information for cellular phone terminal. Therefore, the proposed system can provide different media information to a cellular phone. By using the proposed ubiquitous system, the users are able to get the information anywhere and anytime. The system performance was evaluated using a questionnaire. From the questionnaire results, we found that the system was able to show the required information.
Automatic Authoring of Adaptive Educational Hypermedia
Authors: Cristea Alexandra I. , Stewart raig
Published: May 2011

Adaptive Hypermedia (AH) can be considered the solution to the problems arising from the “one-size-fits-all” approach to information delivery prevalent throughout the WWW today. Adaptive Educational Hypermedia (AEH) aims to deliver educational content appropriate to each learner, adapted to his or her preference and educational background. The development of AEH authoring tools has lagged behind that of delivery systems. Recently, AEH authoring has come to the fore, with the aim of automating the complex task of AEH authoring, not only within a system but also porting material between different AEHs. Advances in intra-system automation are described using the LAOS framework, whereby an author is only required to create a small amount of educational material that then automatically propagates throughout the system. Advances in inter-system conversions are also described; the aim is to move away from a “create once, use once” authoring paradigm currently in force with most AEH systems, towards a “create once, use many” paradigm. The goal is to allow authors to use their content in the AEH delivery system of their choice, irrespective of the original authoring environment. As a step along this road, we describe the usage of a single authoring environment (MOT) to deliver content in three independently-designed Educational Hypermedia systems—AHA!, WHURLE and SCORM-compliant Blackboard. Therefore, this chapter describes advances in automatic authoring and conversion towards a simple and flexible AEH authoring paradigm.
Simulation and Gaming in IT Education
Authors: Pendegraft Norman
Published: May 2011

The rapid change in information technology presents several serious problems to IS educators. In particular, the number of basic ideas that must be mastered is constantly increasing while the time available is not. This makes it essential to use class time efficiently as well as effectively. Simulations and simulation games provide an interesting and useful tool to help in this effort.
Digital Literacy and the Use of Wireless Portable Computers, Planners, and Cell Phones for K-12 Education
Authors: Garland Virginia E.
Published: May 2011

Wireless technologies have transformed learning, teaching, and leading in K-12 schools. Because of their speed and portability, laptops, planners, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cellular telephones are major components of digital literacy. In this chapter, current international trends in the educational uses of portable technologies will be discussed. The implications of newer hardware specifications and educational software applications for laptop computers will be analyzed, including inequities in student access to the handhelds. Next, the role of planners and PDAs as more recent instructional and managerial tools will be evaluated. This study also includes a review of the current debate over whether or not cell phones, especially those with photographic capabilities, should be allowed to be used by students in schools. Finally, potential uses of wireless technologies for interactive learning and collaborative leadership on a global basis will be investigated.
Evaluating the Learning Effectiveness of Using Web-Based Instruction
Authors: Chen Sherry Y.
Published: May 2011

The use of Web-based instruction is becoming widespread in higher education; however, much remains to be learned about how different learners react to such instructional programs. The study presented in this article evaluates students’ learning performance and their perceptions in a Web-based instructional program, which was applied to teach students how to use HTML in Brunel University’s Department of Information Systems and Computing. Sixty-one master’s students participated in this study. A number of interesting interactions were found. Students’ task achievements were affected by the levels of their previous system experience. On the other hand, the post-test and gain scores were positively influenced by their perceptions and attitudes toward the Web-based instructional program. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Multimedia Technologies in Education
Authors: Cirrincione Armando
Published: May 2011

MultiMedia Technologies (MMT) are all that kind of technological tools that make us able to transmit information in a very large meaning, transforming information into knowledge through stimulating the cognitive schemes of learners and leveraging the learning power of human senses. This transformation can acquire several different forms: from digitalized images to virtual reconstructions, from simple text to iper-texts that allow customized, fast, and cheap research within texts; from communications framework like the Web to tools that enhance all our sense, allowing complete educational experiences (Piacente, 2002b).
How ePortfolios Support Development in Early Teacher Education
Authors: McNair Victor , Marshall Kevin
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports on a pilot study which examined how student teachers of a one-year Post Graduate Certificate in Education course in Northern Ireland developed reflective ePortfolios and then used them to embed ICT in their first (Induction) year as qualified teachers. Two central themes emerged. First, the process of constructing the ePortfolio developed confidence among the beginning teachers which supported them when faced with the challenges of starting teaching. Second, the ePortfolio was used to ease the transition from Initial Teacher Education to Induction, but where there is a lack of critical reflection, barriers to professional development can emerge. These issues are discussed within the context of technology policy, teacher training, and emerging technology in Northern Ireland.
Sustaining ePortfolios
Authors: Huang Yi-Ping
Published: May 2011

The teacher education programs at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and its professional community have undergone substantial changes, as developing and sustaining interventions for systemic impact involve changes in culture, policy, and practice. This chapter discusses the progress, challenges, and changing dynamics associated with sustaining an ePortfolio. An ePortfolio is an integral part of a Web-based Education Accountability System (EAS) developed and implemented by the author and the Department of Education to facilitate community-based teaching and learning, to help address national and state accreditation mandates, and to ensure continual improvements.
Effective Technology-Mediated Education for Adult Chinese Learners
Authors: Ching Hsianghoo Steve , McNaught Carmel , Poon Paul W.T.
Published: May 2011

This article will address several areas relating to online learning and technology. We will report on work done in the development of four models that have been used to deliver effective professional development for adult learners. The courses are run in Taiwan from a base at Feng Chia University in Taichung, and all the attendees are Chinese. The key content is developed by instructors who are all native speakers of English from a range of countries. Some of this key content is delivered face-to-face and some is delivered virtually. Course facilitators are experienced in online learning and are Chinese. Our models thus utilize both internationally known teachers and local expertise.
Delivering Management Education via Tutored-Video Instruction
Authors: Murray L. W. , Efendioglu Alev M.
Published: May 2011

The University of San Francisco (USF) initially contracted with a Hong Kong-based, Chinese multinational firm, China Resources Holding Company (CRC), to deliver an entire MBA program to approximately 40 of its fast-tracked employees. The technologies known as Tutored- Video Instruction (TVI) were selected as the means of delivery. The success of the first cycle resulted in a contract with a second Chinese company, Guangdong Enterprises (GD), based in Guangdong (Canton). During 1989–2000, a total of five academic cycles were undertaken, each lasting approximately two years. Three of the cycles involved students from CRC, designated in this paper as CRC1, CRC2 and CRC3, and the remaining two cycles involved students from GD, designated GD1 and GD2. Both programs utilized lock-step cohorts; that is, a group of students taking the same classes at the same time throughout the MBA program, with no elective course choices. Each cohort group averaged about 35 students; a total of 175 students received their MBA degrees during the five cycles of instruction.
Using E-Learning to Globalize a Teacher Education Program
Authors: Wilder Hilary
Published: May 2011

This case study explores the use of online distance learning technology to bring an international component to a teacher education program. By converting a course in the program into a fully online offering, the author was able include students from Namibian teacher education programs in the class along with her own students from New Jersey. The objective was to give all students a chance to interact with peers that they would not otherwise have the chance to meet, and to explore differences and commonalities in their respective education systems. This case study describes the pitfalls and successes in meeting that objective.
Online program Assessment
Authors: Lesht Faye L. , Montague Rae-Anne , Page Vaughn J. , Shaik Najmuddin , Smith Linda C.
Published: May 2011

Through case study, this chapter lends insight to ways online assessment can facilitate a holistic approach to the evaluation of distance education programs. In 2001, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign transitioned from program evaluation methods that relied heavily on data gathering by postal mail to online instruments. While the transition was spurred by the need to evaluate the campus’ first online degree program, online assessment methods are now used to review all off-campus degree programs. Results of this new assessment strategy have proven beneficial for continuous quality improvement across all modes of delivery.
Inquisitivism
Authors: Harapnuik Dwayne
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces inquisitivism as an approach for designing and delivering Web-based instruction that shares many of the same principles of minimalism and other constructivist approaches. Inquisitivism is unique in that its two primary or first principles are the removal of fear and the stimulation of an inquisitive nature. The approach evolved during the design and delivery of an online full-credit university course. The results of a quasi-experimental design-based study revealed that online students in the inquisitivism-based course scored significantly higher on their final project scores, showed no significant difference in their satisfaction with their learning experiences from their face-to-face (F2F) counterparts, and had a reduction in fear or anxiety toward technology. Finally, the results revealed that there was no significant difference in final project scores across the personality types tested. The author hopes that inquisitivism will provide a foundation for creating effective constructivist-based online learning environments.
Information Technology Certification
Authors: McGill Tanya
Published: May 2011

Certification has become a popular adjunct to traditional means of acquiring information technology skills and employers increasingly specify a preference for those holding certifications. This article reports on a study designed to investigate student perceptions of both the benefits and risks of certification and its importance in obtaining employment. Certification was perceived as an important factor in achieving employment and students undertaking it anticipate that it will lead to substantial financial benefits. Yet higher salaries are not seen as the most important benefit of certification. The potential benefits that students believe are most important relate to real-world experience. The respondents were aware of the possible risks of certification but did not appear to be overly concerned about them.
The Most Dramatic Changes in Education Since Socrates
Authors: Schmieder Allen
Published: May 2011

This is an urgently needed topic. It is the author’s conviction that, currently, there are no 21s t century schools and, even worse, there is no substantive and widely held vision about what such schools should look like, and what the role and competencies of teachers in those schools should be. So, the tendency of most educators writing about needed 21s t century teaching competencies will be to pretty much “rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.” Most will be driven by another equally repugnant cliché, “Technology is only a tool,” and they will try to determine how this misunderstood tool can best enhance out-of-date and fast-aging approaches to K-12 curriculum, instruction, and assessment. This is not to say that the wonderful array of traditional teaching competencies and skills that have enabled teachers to have generally done such an impressive job of teaching our children over the last century will cease to be important. The ability of teachers to understand and connect with students; to impart considerable knowledge and wisdom about their subject; to provide them with good adult role models; to cultivate their motivation for learning; to encourage their sensitivity toward, and appreciation of, individual and cultural differences; to prepare them for post-secondary education and/or the world of work; and even, to sometimes be “the sage on the stage,” will remain critical competencies as long as there is a teaching profession. But just as technology has dramatically transformed society, the way we work, the way we live, even the way we think about things, schools must be dramatically transformed in the way they work, in the way content is processed, and maybe most importantly, in the way teachers teach and students learn.
Contextualized Learning
Authors: Specht M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents an overview of research work for contextualized learning, integrating the background of adaptive hypermedia, ubiquitous computing, and current research on mobile learning systems that enable support for contextualized learning. Several examples for new learning paradigms are analyzed on their potential for mobile learning and contextualization. In the second part, examples for systems that integrate mobile learning solutions in existing learning systems for schools and working context are presented. The RAFT project realizes application for computer-based field trip support and shows an integration of m-learning tools in an established teaching method of school field trips. The SMILES prototype shows the integration of e-learning services and its stakeholders with mobile learning technology.
Understanding Cognitive Processes in Educational Hypermedia
Authors: Boechler P. M.
Published: May 2011

Cognitive load theory (CLT) is currently the most prominent cognitive theory pertaining to instructional design and is referred to in numerous empirical articles in the educational literature (for example, Brünken, Plass, & Leutner, 2003; Chandler & Sweller, 1991; Paas, Tuovinen, Tabbers, & Van Gerven, 2003; Sweller, van Merri¸nboer, & Paas, 1998). CLT was developed to assist educators in designing optimal presentations of information to encourage learning. CLT has also been extended and applied to the design of educational hypermedia and multimedia (Mayer & Moreno, 2003). The theory is built around the idea that the human cognitive architecture has inherent limitations related to capacity, in particular, the limitations of human working memory. As Sweller et al. (pp. 252-253) state: The implications of working memory limitations on instructional design cannot be overstated. All conscious cognitive activity learners engage in occurs in a structure whose limitations seem to preclude all but the most basic processes. Anything beyond the simplest cognitive activities appear to overwhelm working memory. Prima facie, any instructional design that flouts or merely ignores working memory limitations inevitably is deficient. It is this factor that provides a central claim to cognitive load theory. In order to understand the full implications of cognitive load theory, an overview of the human memory system is necessary.
Factors Affecting the Adoption of Educational Technology
Authors: Salter G.
Published: May 2011

There are many in education who appear to think that it is sufficient to purchase and install technology for it to be successfully used (Boddy, 1997). Another common belief is that teachers will “automatically seek to learn about new technology and instructional methods” (Dooley, 1999, p. 38). However, while the investment in technology is there, surveys have consistently found that very few teachers integrate technology into either the K-12 (Newhouse, 1999) or the university classroom (Spotts, 1999). One research study found that even when the technology is readily available and staff accept the functionality of it, they “might not anticipate their personal use of it” (Mitra, Hazen, LaFrance, & Rogan, 1999).
Academic, Economic, and Technological Trends Affecting Distance Education
Authors: Lindsay Natahn K. , Williams Peter B. , Howell Scott L.
Published: May 2011

A number of prominent distance learning journals have established the need for administrators to be informed and prepared with strategic plans equal to foreseeable challenges. This article provides decision makers with 32 trends that affect distance learning and thus enable them to plan accordingly. The trends are organized into categories as they pertain to academics (including students and faculty), the economy, technology, and distance learning.
Motivating Women to Computer Science Education
Authors: Varma Roli , LaFever Marcella
Published: May 2011

The problem of disproportional representation of women in the computer science (CS) field in post-secondary education has become a major concern (AAUW, 2000; Camp, 2002; Carver, 2000; Varma, 2003). Currently, universities are increasing their focus on retaining women into CS programs. However, the number of women in that field remains low in proportion to males, and many women who are recruited often drop out or switch majors before completing their degree in CS (National Science Board, 2004, pp. 2-6, 3-17). In order to promote retention, it is important to compare possible differences in learning motivation between males and females in CS, examine changes in motivations across the span of CS study, and assess whether recruitment messages and program structures are matched (or mismatched) to the motivations of females. This article investigates the motivations for women to enter into, remain in, and continue the study of CS at the post-secondary level.