bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interdepartmental Knowledge Transfer Success During Information Technology Projects
Authors: Laframboise Kevin , Croteau Anne-Marie , Beaudry Anne , Manovas Mantas
Published: May 2011

This article reports on a study that investigates the knowledge transfer between an information systems/ technology (IS/IT) department and non-IT departments during IT projects. More specifically, we look into the link between the knowledge management capabilities of the IT department and the effectiveness and efficiency of the knowledge transfer to a client department. Knowledge management (KM) capabilities are defined by Gold, Malhotra, and Segars (2001) as the combination of knowledge infrastructure capabilities (structural, technical, and cultural) and knowledge processes capabilities (acquisition, conversion, application, and protection). Data collected through a Web-based survey result in 127 usable questionnaires completed by managers in large Canadian organizations. Data analysis performed using partial least squares (PLS) indicates that knowledge infrastructure capabilities are related to the knowledge transfer success, and more specifically to its effectiveness whereas knowledge processes capabilities are only related to the efficiency of such transfer. Implications of our results for research and practice are also discussed.
XML Security with Binary XML for Mobile Web Services
Authors: Kangasharju Jaakko , Lindholm Tancred , Tarkoma Sasu
Published: May 2011

In the wireless world, there has recently been much interest in alternate serialization formats for XML data, mostly driven by the weak capabilities of both devices and networks. However, it is difficult to make an alternate serialization format compatible with XML security features such as encryption and signing. We consider here ways to integrate an alternate format with security, and present a solution that we see as a viable alternative. In addition to this, we present extensive performance measurements, including ones on a mobile phone on the effect of an alternate format when using XML-based security. These measurements indicate that, in the wireless world, reducing message sizes is the most pressing concern, and that processing efficiency gains of an alternate format are a much smaller concern. We also make specific recommendations on security usage based on our measurements.
Taxonomy of Grid Systems
Authors: Kurdi Heba , Li Maozhen , Al-Raweshidy H. S.
Published: May 2011

Advances in Grid computing are stimulating the emergence of novel types of Grids. Accessible Grids, manageable Grids, interactive Grids and personal Grids represent a significant evolution of Grid computing. More and more researchers are realising the potentials of emerging Grids in bridging the current gap between Grid technologies and end users. Nevertheless, no reviews or classifications on emerging Grids are available. Therefore, this chapter aims to give a review on Grid systems. It sets out to develop a comprehensive classification of both traditional and emerging Grid systems with an aim to motivate further research and to assist in establishing a solid foundation in such a rapidly developing and expanding field.
Enhancing ICT Application in Science and Mathematics Education
Authors: Yoong Suan , Lew Lee Yuen
Published: May 2011

This chapter reviews the Malaysian experience in implementing the Smart School Flagship initiatives, notably in the implementation of information communication technology (ICT) application in science and mathematics education. From a macro perspective, this chapter takes stock of the achievements of the Smart School Flagship in enabling ICT infrastructure and Internet connectivity in Malaysian schools. It attempts to appraise current trends and practice, clarifies emerging issues or challenges that schools face in trying to improve the ways in which ICT is applied to enhance teaching and learning, and identifies promising good practices so that general lessons may be drawn that are of interests to Malaysia and other countries. It does not claim to comprehensively cover every aspect of the initiatives but aims to contribute to current thinking about this topic by presenting a practical and pragmatic evaluation of some of its key features.
Effective Teaching with Technology in Adult Education
Authors: Wang Victor X.
Published: May 2011

Effective teaching with technology in adult education stems from many factors. Technology is only used to enhance learning. Not only are teachers of adult learners required to study the tools related to the use of technology, but are also required to study the nature of knowledge, the nature of learning, constructivism and various kinds of teaching philosophies. Without thorough knowledge of these factors, effective teaching with technology cannot occur in adult education, let alone other educational fields. This article is comprehensive concerning effective teaching with technology in adult education because it also addresses the interrelationships between the use of technologies and the teaching and learning process.
Teaching Adult Learners in Online Career and Technical Education
Authors: Hernández-Gantes Victor M.
Published: May 2011

Online education is becoming an important component ofcareer and technical education (CTE) in teacher preparationand at the graduate level. In the midst of such growth, andin response to questions about quality compared with traditional learning, there is a consensus that onlinecourses and programs should be designed based on the needs of adult learners. However, much of the literature inonline CTE lacks implicit connections to emerging notions ofadult development and learning. This article provides an overview of the status of online education in CTE at the postsecondary level, discusses related issues and current research focus, and highlights adult learning developmentsand the implications for curriculum design, instruction, anduse of technology. The article concludes with an outline of emerging trends bridging adult learning and onlineeducation relevant to career and technical education.
Comparing the Principles of Adult Learning with Traditional Pedagogical Teaching in Relation to the Use of Technology
Authors: Ahedo Manuel
Published: May 2011

The traditional principles of adult learning are being subject to critical reconsideration from new adult teaching approaches and a growing use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). ICTs in adult learning have an ambivalent effect. On the one hand, they offer potential improvement in online communicative activities and the transmission of codified or explicit knowledge. On the other hand, they can reduce socially and interactive-mediated tacit teaching and learning. Thus, the crucial criterion for effective and complementary use of ICTs in adult andragogy is whether they enable time and social space for the tacit dimension of teaching and learning. This article analyzes these issues by comparing how two young universities in Spain have dealt with these effects of ICTs in relation to the tacit dimension of learning and teaching.
Technological Trends in Adult Education
Authors: Hope John K.
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this article is to provide a critical review ofthe past two decades of technology use in adult education.The article begins with a brief summary of technologicaltrends, such as the introduction of the Internet and theWorld Wide Web, that have influenced adult education overthe past two decades. Political, economic, social, andpedagogical issues that have influenced the use of technology in adult education are also discussed andpossible solutions to these issues are outlined. The article concludes with an attempt to extrapolate futuretechnological trends that could influence the direction ofadult education in the decade to come.
Formative and Summative Evaluation in the Assessment of Adult Learning
Authors: Martin James B. , Collins Royce Ann
Published: May 2011

Assessment is an important, yet poorly understood, process in adult education. This chapter examines the differences between two important types of assessment/evaluation, formative and summative, and examines how these are incorporated into the literature of adult learning. Focusing on the literature of program planning in adult education, the authors identify a disagreement in the common definition of the terms and consider the impact this could have on educational planning for adult programs. Adapting a formative assessment model that focuses on short-, medium-, and long-cycle formative assessments, examples of all three types currently used in adult education classrooms are provided. The model is then telescoped out to the program level, where a long-cycle formative assessment is identified using a military graduate school as an example. The chapter concludes with a reiteration of the importance of formative assessment and a call to educators to more effectively incorporate it into adult learning.
Assessing Adult Learning in Online Courses
Authors: Farmer Lesley , Parker Judith
Published: May 2011

This chapter focuses on assessment and evaluation of adult learning, and provides examples of strategies and techniques in online environments. Adult education assessment practices using learning management systems are detailed. Emerging assessment practices tend to take advantage of technology’s interactive potential, which reinforces andragogical principles.
Security in Pervasive Computing
Authors: Prasad Sunita , Chouhan Rakesh
Published: May 2011

Pervasive computing has wide application in military, medical and smart home domain. In pervasive computing, a large number of smart objects interact with one another without the user intervention. Although the technology is promising but security needs to be addressed before the technology is widely deployed. Pervasive networks are formed spontaneously and the devices communicate via radio. Thus, mobile ad hoc networking is an essential technology for pervasive computing. An ad hoc network is a collection of wireless mobile nodes, which acts as a host as well as a router. The communication between the nodes is multihop without any centralized administration. AODV (Ad Hoc On demand Distance Vector) is a prominent on-demand reactive routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks. But in existing AODV, there is no security provision against well-known attack known as “Black hole attack”. Black hole nodes are those malicious nodes that agree to forward the packets to destination but do not forward the packets intentionally. Thischapter extends the watchdog mechanism for the AODV routing protocol to detect such misbehavior based on promiscuous listening. The proposed method first detects a black hole node and then gives a new route bypassing this node. The experimental results show that in a lightly loaded, hostile environment, the proposed scheme improves the throughput compared to an unprotected AODV protocol.
Neuro Linguistic Programming
Authors: Choubey Ankur , Singh Ramesh
Published: May 2011

The power of computers is now beginning to be exploited in subjective areas of human study like those related to human psychology in order to make the interaction between humans and computers more natural. An effective interaction must involve automatic analysis of human behavior by the computer, and responding to it. Neuro-Linguistic Programming was developed, drawing its inspiration from the computer programs, so as to change the perception of the human brain to a more successful behavior. In addition to that, Neuro Linguistic Programming gave an algorithmic approach to ‘observe’ and analyze human behavior, both verbal and non-verbal, and serve to effectively perceive the human behavior and interaction. The interaction is a more deep rooted cognitive interaction. With the use of Neuro Linguistic Programming and the fundamentals of cybernetics, the humans and computer can be brought closer, with automatic transfer of valuable information between the two. This chapter describes the fundamentals of Neuro Linguistic Programming and aims at developing a hypothetical model on how Neuro Linguistic Programming can be used to better understand the interaction between the humans and the computers.
A Framework for Data Warehousing and Mining in Sensor Stream Application Domains
Authors: Jiang Nan
Published: May 2011

The recent advances in sensor technologies have made these small, tiny devices much cheaper and convenient to use in many different applications, for example, the weather and environmental monitoring applications, the hospital and factory operation sites, sensor devices on the traffic road and moving vehicles and so on. The data collected from sensors forms a sensor stream and is transferred to the server to perform data warehousing and mining tasks for the end user to perform data analysis. Several data preprocessing steps are necessary to enrich the data with domain information for the data warehousing and mining tasks in the sensor stream applications. This chapter presents a general framework for domain-driven mining of sensor stream applications. The proposed framework is able to enrich sensor streams with additional domain information that meets the application requirements. Experimental studies of the proposed framework are performed on real data for two applications: a traffic management and an environmental monitoring site.
Designing Privacy Aware Information Systems
Authors: Kalloniatis Christos , Kavakli Evangelia , Gritzalis Stefanos
Published: May 2011

A major challenge in the field of software engineering is to make users trust the software that they use in their everyday activities for professional or recreational reasons. Trusting software depends on various elements, one of which is the protection of user privacy. Protecting privacy is about complying with user’s desires when it comes to handling personal information. Users’ privacy can also be defined as the right to determine when, how and to what extend information about them is communicated to others. Current research stresses the need for addressing privacy issues during the system design rather than during the system implementation phase. The aim of this chapter is to elevate the modern practices for ensuring privacy during the software systems’ design phase. Through the presentation of the modern methods, the basic privacy requirements that should be considered during system analysis are introduced. Additionally, a number of well known methods that have been introduced in the research area of requirements engineering which aim on eliciting and analyzing privacy requirements during system design are introduced and analyzed. Finally, a comparative analysis between these methods is presented.
Tele-Immersive Collaborative Environment with Tiled Display Wall
Authors: Ebara Yasuo
Published: May 2011

In intellectual collaborative works with participants between remote sites via WAN, CSCW have been used as general communication tools. Especially, the sharing of various, high-quality digital contents such as various materials, computer graphics or visualization contents, and video streaming by between remote places is important to recognize or analyze to easily refer to these contents. However, the image magnification by general projector and large-sized display equipment is low-resolution, and sufficient quality of contents is not obtained. In this research, the author has constructed a tele-immersive collaborative environment with a tiled display wall. In this environment, the author has implemented an application to display high-resolution real video streaming on a tiled display wall in remote place. By using the application, the author displayed the clear video image of remote place over a wide range. Then, the author conducted experimental verification on the effect for eye-to-eye contact by changing the position of camera on frame of LCDs on tiled display wall, and has collected a lot of knowledge. Moreover, the author has tried realistic display processing of high-resolution astronomical observation image and movie data, and it has enabled observation of the entire image of observation data all over tiled display wall.
Knowledge Creation and Sharing in Japanese Organisations
Authors: Murata Kiyoshi
Published: May 2011

The Japanese contribution to knowledge management results from the work of Ikujiro Nonaka and his colleagues, who developed an Organisational Knowledge Creation Theory. In fact, throughout the literature the importance of these scholars in knowledge management is evidently recognisable. However, it is important to understand this theoretical contribution in the context of the socio-cultural background that pervades it. For that reason, this chapter explores the relationship between the Japanese school of knowledge management and the socio-cultural systems of Japan. Furthermore, the chapter also demonstrates that this relationship disrupts organisation’s ba (a field of knowledge creation and sharing), and as a consequence some social dilemmas arise, most importantly a degradation of trust.
Utilization of Resources
Authors: Filipe José António Candeias Bonito , Ferreira Manuel Alberto Martins , Coelho Manuel Francisco Pacheco
Published: May 2011

Anti-Commons Theory is an interesting theme that is being developed in the area of property rights since the 80’s. It intends to explain why an “anti-commons” emerges and why resources may be prone to under-use. In an anti-commons situation there are too many exclusion rights that lead to the under-use of resources. In Portugal, too many people (and institutions) have been involved in the approval processes of aquaculture projects. They may be involved in reaching a decision about the approval of a project which gives rise to the under-utilization of the resources that promoters aimed to exploit. Actually, it takes so long to approve a project that the time required for its implementation may be excessively delayed. This kind of problem results typically from bureaucratic environment. An ethical problem rises with this phenomenon. Projects may not go forward and all the amounts spent in the project will be lost. Besides, a viable project simply can be gone, with all the inherent losses of value.
Constructing Disciplinary Inquiry Communities Using Web 2.0 Technologies
Authors: Wood Jamie , Ryan Martin J.
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the utility of Web 2.0 technologies for supporting independent inquiry-based learning, with a particular focus upon the use of blogs and social bookmarking tools. It begins by outlining the key issues confronting practitioners wishing to engage with such technologies before moving on to describe the approaches that were adopted in a range of first-year History seminar classes in two research-led universities in the UK. The chapter closes with an evaluation of the positive impact of the use of Web 2.0 on student learning and any drawbacks that were encountered. Web 2.0 is judged to have had a positive impact upon student engagement with course materials, encouraging student to conduct independent research outside of class and generating significant interactions between students and their peers as well as with tutors. Future avenues for research include investigations into how the use of such technologies can be scaled up for larger student groups and what impact summative assessment might have upon student engagement.
Applying E-learning Technologies to Library Information Literacy Instruction
Authors: Ward Jamie
Published: May 2011

Academic libraries have adopted and adapted the e-learning technologies for delivery of their Information Literacy programmes. This chapter describes some of the ways in which academic librarians have been very inventive in using emerging technologies to enhance their instructional content. By using a case study of DkIT the chapter details how information literacy and the e-learning technologies emerged together. E-learning platforms like the virtual learning environments (VLE) are the natural place for libraries to use as portals for their IL instruction. This chapter argues that using the VLE (with the inherent instructional interaction made possible by this technology), and adopting some amalgam of the newer teaching styles like problem-based learning and blended learning techniques completes the IL circle for librarians. Librarians now have the tools at their disposal to finally fulfil the promises we undertook when we embarked on our information literacy programmes.
E-Mentors
Authors: Macfarlan Barbara , Everett Richard
Published: May 2011

The eMentors scheme encapsulates the concept that the person in the home most likely to be able to programme the audio-visual equipment is the teenager. The scheme harnesses the digital generation’s propensity for technology by using the students to teach their teachers how to make appropriate use of electronic resources in the classroom. We present a case study that focuses on both staff and student experiences of the eMentoring system at a further education college in Hertfordshire, UK and outlines the strategy for ongoing staff development and support. The scheme has given lecturers the confidence to develop new technology-enhanced pedagogical practices and has given students the opportunity to play an active part in the development of their own learning environments and to influence policy on the use of technology. We believe that this model has been an effective element in a concerted approach to changing the prevailing attitudes to designing pedagogy for 21st century learners.
Towards Culturally-Aware Virtual Agent Systems
Authors: Endrass Birgit , André Elisabeth , Rehm Matthias
Published: May 2011

Globalization leads to an increase in intercultural encounters with a risk of misunderstandings due to different patterns of behavior and understanding. Learning applications have been proposed that employ virtual agents as their primary tool. Through their embodiment, learning can be done in a game-like environment in a more interesting way than for example learning with a textbook. The authors support the idea that virtual agents are a great opportunity for teaching cultural awareness. Realizing this, the concept of culture needs to be translated into computational models and the advantages of different systems using virtual agents need to be considered. Therefore, the authors reflect in this chapter on how virtual agents can help to learn about culture, scan definitions of culture from the social sciences, give an overview on how multiagent systems developed over time and classify the state of the art that integrates culture in multiagent systems. In addition, an approach of simulating culture-specific behavior using such a multiagent system is introduced and future trends in enculturating virtual agent systems are outlined.
Soft Computing Techniques for Human-Computer Interaction
Authors: Déniz Oscar , Bueno Gloria , Castrillón Modesto , Lorenzo Javier , Antón L. , Hernández M.
Published: May 2011

Soft computing aims at using tricks or shortcuts that do not provide optimal solutions but useful approximations that can be computed at a reasonable cost. Such approximations often come in the form of heuristics and “rules of thumb.” Computer vision relies heavily on heuristics, being a simple example the detection of faces by detecting skin color. Another approach that may also be considered as heuristics is the use of inductive learning, where the idea is to emulate humans in the sense that achieving certain skills require gradual learning. Thus, we would not make an effort to articulate solutions as equations, rules or algorithms. The solution would instead be sought automatically by feeding the system with training examples that would allow it to classify new samples. This chapter describes two successful applications of such soft computing approaches in the field of human-computer interaction, showing how the clever use of heuristics and domain restrictions can help to find solutions for the most difficult problems in this field.
Connectionist Systems and Signal Processing Techniques Applied to the Parameterization of Stellar Spectra
Authors: Ordóñez Diego , Dafonte Carlos , Arcay Bernardino , Manteiga Minia
Published: May 2011

A stellar spectrum is the finger-print identification of a particular star, the result of the radiation transport through its atmosphere. The physical conditions in the stellar atmosphere, its effective temperature, surface gravity, and the presence and abundance of chemical elements explain the observed features in the stellar spectra, such as the shape of the overall continuum and the presence and strength of particular lines and bands. The derivation of the atmospheric stellar parameters from a representative sample of stellar spectra collected by ground-based and spatial telescopes is essential when a realistic view of the Galaxy and its components is to be obtained. In the last decade, extensive astronomical surveys recording information of large portions of the sky have become a reality since the development of robotic or semi-automated telescopes. The Gaia satellite is one of the key missions of the European Space Agency (ESA) and its launch is planned for 2011. Gaia will carry out the so-called Galaxy Census by extracting precise information on the nature of its main constituents, including the spectra of objects (Wilkinson, 2005). Traditional methods for the extraction of the fundamental atmospheric stellar parameters (effective temperature (Teff), gravity (log G), metallicity ([Fe/H]), and abundance of alpha elements [a/Fe], elements integer multiples of the mass of the helium nucleus) are time-consuming and unapproachable for a massive survey involving 1 billion objects (about 1% of the Galaxy constituents) such as Gaia. This work presents the results of the authors’ study and shows the feasibility of an automated extraction of the previously mentioned stellar atmospheric parameters from near infrared spectra in the wavelength region of the Gaia Radial Velocity Spectrograph (RVS). The authors’ approach is based on a technique that has already been applied to problems of the non-linear parameterization of signals: artificial neural networks. It breaks ground in the consideration of transformed domains (Fourier and Wavelet Transforms) during the preprocessing stage of the spectral signals in order to select the frequency resolution that is best suited for each atmospheric parameter. The authors have also progressed in estimating the noise (SNR) that blurs the signal on the basis of its power spectrum and the application of noise-dependant algorithms of parameterization. This study has provided additional information that allows them to progress in the development of hybrid systems devoted to the automated classification of stellar spectra.
Neural Models for Rainfall Forecasting
Authors: Moreno A. , Soria E. , García J. , Martín J. D. , Magdalena R.
Published: May 2011

This chapter is focused on obtaining an optimal forecast of one month lagged rainfall in Spain. It is assessed by analyzing 22 years of both satellite observations of vegetation activity (e.g. NDVI) and climatic data (precipitation, temperature). The specific influence of non-spatial climatic indices such as NAO and SOI is also addressed. The approaches considered for rainfall forecasting include classical Auto-Regressive Moving-Average with Exogenous Inputs (ARMAX) models and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), the so-called Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), in particular. The use of neural models is proven to be an adequate mathematical prediction tool in this problem due the non-linearity of the problem. These models enable us to predict, with one month foresight, the general rainfall dynamics, with average errors of 44 mm (RMSE) in a test series of 4 years with a rainfall standard deviation equal to 73 mm. Also, the sensitivity analysis in the neural network models reveals that observations in the status of the vegetation cover in previous months have a predictive power greater than other considered variables. Linear models yield average results of 55 mm (RMSE) although they need a large number of error terms (12) to obtain acceptable models. Nevertheless, they provide means for assessing the seasonal influence of the precipitation regime with the aid of linear dummy regression parameters, thereby offering an immediate interpretation (e.g. coherent maps) of the causality between vegetation cover and rainfall.
Instructional Interactivity in a Web-Based Learning Community
Authors: Bodomo Adams B.
Published: May 2011

It is demonstrated in this chapter that enhancedinteractivity is the single most important reason why teachers should practise web-based teaching and why students should be encouraged to construct web-basedlearning communities. The notion of conversational learningcommunity (CLC) as a kind of constructivist learningenvironment is introduced. It is shown that instructionalinteractivity, defined as active communication in a conversational learning community between instructor(s), learners, course materials, and links to remote experts and resources, is a central aspect of the learning situation. A practical implementation of the CLC model is presented through describing the interactive features of a web-basedcourse using WebCT. It is concluded that web-basedlearning and teaching actually enhances interactivity both within and beyond the classroom setting.
Collaborative Learning
Authors: Cooper Lesley , Burford Sally
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines the concept of collaborative learning and its theoretical and practical foundations. Collaborativelearning takes place in a structured social situation where agroup of students work as a team to assist each other with learning tasks. The instructional strategies encourage student to student interactions. Drawing on group workskills, collaborative learning has been demonstrated to be effective in a variety of learning situations. Development of a variety of Internet technologies such as communication tools, emails, discussion forums, video and audio tools together with webcasting allow collaborative teachingstrategies to be used creatively in online learning. The authors have trialed the use of various technologies in the human services and several case examples of onlinecollaborative learning are provided. These case studies cover activities such as supervision and controversial issues in social work ethics. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the future directions and the challenges this poses for traditional classroom teaching.
Classroom-in-a-Box
Authors: Crawford Caroline M. , Dickenson Virginia , Smith Marion S.
Published: May 2011

This discussion focuses upon a theoretical understanding of the instructional architecture that supports learningcommunities within three-dimensional virtual worldenvironments; specifically, within the Second Life worldenvironment. This theoretical understanding provides the essential link between instructional imperatives, performance improvement and a community of learningwithin an instructional technology framework. Motivated by the shift from the Information Age known for the availability of information towards the Cognitive Age which emphasizes the ability to access, evaluate, organize, comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize and innovatively represent information into an enhanced understanding and novel use, this discussion offers the opportunity to directly address the learner’s needs within the threedimensionalvirtual learning environment, such as Second Life, through the design of a virtual learning environment classroom-in-a-box.
Profiling Group Activity of Online Academic Workspaces
Authors: Karaiskakis D. , Kalles D. , Hadzilacos Th.
Published: May 2011

All undergraduate and postgraduate students of theHellenic Open University (HOU) attend courses at a distance. The lack of a live academic community is reported by many as a drawback in their studies. Systematic exploitation of new communication and collaboration technologies is desirable in HOU but cannot be imposed universally as the average student’s IT competence level is relatively low. In this work, we present a key aspect of thedevelopment of an integrated communication environment in which collaboration spaces serving as open communities play a key role in user engagement in the whole communication environment. To track and evaluate user participation, we propose to use indices drawn from inexpensively collected usage data. Such indices, when combined with our detailed knowledge of the internal workings of user groups, provide concrete evaluation of thecommunity online activity.
eLearning in the Cloud
Authors: Sclater Niall
Published: May 2011

Elearning has grown rapidly in importance for institutions and has been largely facilitated through the “walled garden” of the virtual learning environment. Meanwhile many students are creating their own personal learning environments by combining the various Web 2.0 servicesthey find most useful. Cloud computing offers new opportunities for institutions to provide dynamic and up-to-date Internet-based, e-learning applications while ensuring high levels of service, and compliance with institutional policies and legislation. The cloud is rapidly evolving in its architecture, the services offered and the logistics of deployment. It brings with it risks but also possibilities for learners and for educational institutions to reduce costs and enhance services. It is likely to severely disrupt thebusiness model developed by existing vendors of VLEs who provide an integrated suite of e-learning tools, installed and maintained by the institution’s IT services department.
Quasi-Facial Communication for Online Learning Using 3D Modeling Techniques
Authors: Wang Yushun , Zhuang Yueting
Published: May 2011

Online interaction with 3D facial animation is an alternative way of face-to-face communication for distance education. 3D facial modeling is essential for virtual educational environments establishment. This article presents a novel 3D facial modeling solution that facilitates quasi-facialcommunication for online learning. Our algorithm builds 3D facial models from a single image, with support of a 3D face database. First from the image, we extract a set of feature points, which are then used to automatically estimate the head pose parameters using the 3D mean face in our database as a reference model. After the pose recovery, a similarity measurement function is proposed to locate the neighborhood for the given image in the 3D face database. The scope of neighborhood can be determined adaptivelyusing our cross-validation algorithm. Furthermore, the individual 3D shape is synthesized by neighborhood interpolation. Texture mapping is achieved based on feature points. The experimental results show that our algorithm can robustly produce 3D facial models from images captured in various scenarios to enhance the lifelikeness in distant learning.
Stories of Engagement with E-Learning
Authors: Lautenbach Geoffrey
Published: May 2011

I argue that although university lecturers delve into the“shallow waters” of e-learning, they do not do so in sufficient depth and resign themselves to the perpetuation of cognitivist, behaviorist, and objectivist forms of knowledge without discovering more about the medium that could possibly liberate their restricted epistemologies. In this article, I explore possible reasons for varyingengagement with e-learning, assuming that these reasons are located within the dimensions of the unit of analysis ofthe study; namely, lecturers’ changing theories of knowledge and teaching in first encounters with e-learning. Using Lee Shulman’s table of learning (Shulman, 2002) as a heuristic, I use excerpts from personal narratives to highlight the epistemological and pedagogical transformation of nine lecturers as they engage witheducational technologies in their work.
Blending Classroom Activities with Multi-User Virtual Environment for At-Risk Primary School Students in an After-School Program
Authors: Tay Lee Yong , Lim Cher Ping
Published: May 2011

This chapter documents how a group of 14 academically at-risk Primary 5 students have been engaged in academic related tasks in an after-school program mediated by a game-like 3D multi-user virtual environment (MUVE), Quest Atlantis (QA). The case study explores the possibilities and potentials of using the game-like 3D MUVE for the re-engagement of this group of academically at-risk students. From the observation notes, interviews with the studentsand students’ activities in the MUVE, the two main elements in the MUVE that have been found to engage thestudents are: ‘play and fun’ and ‘recognition and affirmation of performance.’ However, these engaging elements alone could not purposefully engage thesestudents. Non-ICT activities such as orientation tasks, support by teachers, and the careful selection of authentic assignments are necessary to further enhance their engagement with their learning.
Autism and Family Interventions Through Technology
Authors: Ferdig Richard E. , Amberg Hilary G. , Elder Jennifer H. , Donaldson Susan A. , Valcante Gregory , Bendixen Roxanna
Published: May 2011

Most research on family interventions of children withautism has focused on the role of the mother, and little is known about the effects of training fathers. Through a series of National Institutes of Health–funded studies we have demonstrated treatment success by focusing onfathers who are trained at home. Although our research has been successful, this work introduces questions related to how best to train fathers when on-site, in-home training is not a viable option due to geographical distance or a variety of other logistical constraints. This article describes the development and initial use of an Internet-based tool to offer this training more broadly. We briefly describe past research as well as the need for the implementation of an Internet-based tool. We then describe the system, document early indicators of success,and discuss metrics we are using with our fathers. The article concludes with a discussion of future goals andresearch needs.
Bothering with Technology
Authors: Doherty John J.
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the role that technology can play in a first-year Honors seminar. For the purposes of the chapter, blended learning is defined as re-tasking face-to-face time or out of class time to build community and meet course objectives more effectively. The challenge in anHonors seminar, however, is to apply this when technology is not considered a viable solution to potential course challenges. The chapter presents four strategies to buildcommunity through interaction and engagement: (1) icebreakers can be moved online to build more student interaction; (2) online journals can facilitate better engagement with the course and the texts; (3) documents can be delivered online to model good practice and promote sustainability; and (4) quizzes can be used to develop metacognitive skills outside of class. Technology, it is concluded, allows instructors to explore effective and engaging mediated instruction in multiple formats.
Framing Pedagogy, Diminishing Technology
Authors: Thornton Julia
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores frames and sensemaking as a means of understanding the experiences of teachers in higher education who are slow adopters of technology in settings where technology is also inflexible. Literature on teachingonline emphasises the differences between online and face-to-face teaching over the similarities between them, and conceptualises this as a discrepancy in expectation between face-toface and online teaching that requiresteachers to remodel their approach to overcome it. Problems of low uptake of courseware systems by teachersare commonly identified as either problems of teachers’ insufficient technical knowledge, or as problems of the nature of technology, however it is more useful to understand them as sensemaking problems whereteachers deal with new technology using old frameworks. Two cases are explored in depth showing that some frames require less effort to produce good teaching. The paper suggests that teachers with inflexible frames must break them to adapt to online environments. However, a pre-existing pedagogically oriented frame already primed to seek out new settings for learning forms a minimally sufficient frame for sensemaking within an online setting even in the absence of strong technological skills.
Classroom Preferences
Authors: Changchit Chuleeporn , Klaus Tim
Published: May 2011

Advances in technology have enabled instructors to design online courses that better meet the needs of students. Online courses generally are adaptations of traditional courses; some courses are more suitable for such online instruction. As the trend of online course offerings continues, universities must understand factors that lead to students’ preferences since online courses can be costly to develop and implement and inappropriate online coursescan lead to lower student retention rates. This study focuses on students’ perceptions of online courses. The results identify issues that affect students’ perceptions and this study concludes by suggesting ways for universities to design online programs that better suit the desires of students.
Fulfilling the Promise
Authors: Repman Judi , Zinskie Cordelia , Downs Elizabeth
Published: May 2011

As online learning continues to expand and evolve, new challenges emerge regarding the implementation of Web2.0 tools and technologies in online pedagogy. Thebusiness model approach to online learning being embraced by many institutions may actually work against faculty who want to utilize Web 2.0 technologies to createe-learning 2.0 experiences for their students. Faculty and administrators need to recognize that differences in perspectives may significantly impact future directions of online courses and programs.
An Evaluation of Blending Technology with Pedagogy for Teacher Education and its Implication for their Classroom Teaching
Authors: Lam Paul , Csete Josephine , McNaught Carmel
Published: May 2011

Although research has been conducted on the benefits anddrawbacks of online courses, more is specifically needed inteacher-education to increase understanding of the transfer process from technology integration learning to the classroom. This study was designed to evaluate a model for blending technology with traditional classroommethods in preparing teachers to do the same. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used to examine the collaborative and scaffolding approaches to the teacher learners construction of meaning in the online discourse. Data has been collected from blended graduate level courses taught in the area ofeducational technology for in-service and pre-serviceteachers from 2001 through 2006. These findings will be used to help identify best-practices for technologyintegration with teacher-education through informed applied research, and to create a new model for more comprehensive future blended course design.
Culture and Language Learning in Computer-Enhanced or Assisted Language Learning
Authors: Olaniran Bolanle A.
Published: May 2011

This article explores computer-mediated communication (CMC) and information communication technology (ICT) use in language learning. More specifically, the article addresses the impact or implications of CMC tools for computer enhanced language learning. The article attempts to present a review of key literature in adaptation of communication technologies to teaching or learninglanguage in general and specifically second languageacquisition. The article stresses the need to understandculture and contextual appropriateness of language, thus, it argues for communication technology to be used as a secondary resource rather than a primary tool for languagelearners. The discussion addresses the dimensions of cultural variability with respect to language learning. At the same time, features of synchronous and asynchronous CMC were analyzed in the context of language learning. Finally, the article addresses implications for languagelearning in computer mediated communication or computerassisted environments.
Mobile e-Learning for Next Generation Communication Environment
Authors: Wu Tin-Yu , Chao Han-Chieh
Published: May 2011

This article develops an environment for mobile e-learningthat includes an interactive course, virtual online labs, an interactive online test, and lab-exercise training platform on the fourth generation mobile communication system. TheNext Generation Learning Environment (NeGL) promotes the term “knowledge economy.” Inter-networking has become one of the most popular technologies in mobile e-learning for the next generation communicationenvironment. This system uses a variety of computer embedded devices to ubiquitously access multimedia information, such as smart phones and PDAs. The most important feature is greater available bandwidth. The learning mode in the future will be an international, immediate, virtual, and interactive classroom that enables learners to learn and interact.
E-Services
Authors: Scupola Ada , Henten Anders , Westh Nicolajsen Hanne
Published: May 2011

The concept of e-services has gained increasing use lately. There is, however, no general agreement as to the precise meaning and scope of the term. The research purpose of the present article is, therefore, to discuss the e-service concept, its strengths and scope, and thereby contribute to the general understanding and definition of the term. Furthermore, the article aims at examining one of the primary conditions for the development of e-services, namely the codification of knowledge in connection with knowledge intensive services.
Engineering of Experience Based Trust for E-Commerce
Authors: Sun Zhaohao , Han Jun , Dong Dong , Zhao Shuliang
Published: May 2011

Trust is significant for sustainable development of e-commerce and has received increasing attention in e-commerce, multiagent systems (MAS), and artificial intelligence (AI). However, little attention has been given to the theoretical foundation and intelligent techniques for trust in e-commerce from a viewpoint of intelligent systems and engineering. This chapter will fill this gap by examining engineering of experience-based trust in e-commerce from the viewpoint of intelligent systems. It looks at knowledgebased trust, inference-based trust and their interrelationships with experience-based trust. It also examines scalable trust in e-commerce. It proposes a knowledge based model of trust in e-commerce and a system architecture for METSE: a multiagent system for experience-based trust in e-commerce. The proposed approach in this chapter will facilitate research and development of trust, multiagent systems, e-commerce and e-services.
Development and Testing of an E-Commerce Web Site Evaluation Model
Authors: Joia Luiz Antonio , Barbosa de Oliveira Luiz Cláudio
Published: May 2011

The scope of this research is to develop and test a model for evaluating B2C e-commerce Web sites. Consequently, this study seeks to investigate the relationship between the Web site interface of B2C e-commerce and virtual customer behavior, concentrating on purchasing attitude and intention. The objective of this article is, therefore, to research which features of a virtual store effectively influence the user purchasing process via the Internet. In order to achieve this aim, the technology acceptance model was adapted for pertinent theoretical references about consumer behavior on the Web. The model developed was then tested and validated through a structural equation modeling approach. An empirical analysis of the CD e-retailing industry in Brazil was then conducted. The study concludes that, for the electronic commerce of CDs, ease of use, trust, pleasure, and attractiveness as perceived by visitors to CD e-retailing Web sites are key issues for understanding customer attitude and purchasing intention.