Showing papers in "Journal of Information Technology Education in 2009"

Computer Anxiety in E-Learning: The Effect of Computer Self-Efficacy.

Abstract: It has been reported that as many as fifty percent of adults, including first-year University students, have some sort of computer-related phobia This report demonstrates that the use of computers still has some unpleasant side effects despite the Internet boom in the past decade Past research shows that computer anxiety influences how users perceive ease of use of an information system However, few have investigated the role of computer self-efficacy in mediating computer anxieties on perceived ease of use Therefore, in this study we base our contribution on the variables of computer self-efficacy and computer anxieties These two variables are believed to impact an individual’s use of computers and performance for computer-based tasks Anxiety has been argued to impact computer-based learning by affecting levels of self-efficacy anchored in social learning and outcome expectation theories Self-efficacy is determined by levels of anxiety such that reduced anxiety and increased experience improves performance indirectly by increasing levels of self-efficacy In this study, we investigate the influence of computer anxiety on perceived ease of use and the mediating effect of computer self-efficacy on this relationship, within an e-learning context A survey methodology approach was used in this study using 18 items for 3 constructs (perceived ease of use, anxiety, and self-efficacy) Survey data from 645 university students were analyzed The psychometric properties of the items and constructs were validated followed by the assessment of mediation of computer self efficacy Results from the use of a learning management system indicate that computer self-efficacy plays a significant role in mediating the impact of anxiety on perceived ease of use This role is observed by computer selfefficacy (1) reducing the strength and significance of the impact of anxiety on perceived ease of use and (2) having a strong and significant relationship with computer anxiety The findings demonstrate the importance of self-efficacy as a mediator between computer anxiety and perceived ease of use of a learning management system (LMS) With the continuous development of richer and more integrated interfaces, anxieties about learning to use the new interface and executing tasks effectively becomes of primary importance Limitations and suggestions for future research are elaborated

A Comparison of Student Perceptions of Their Computer Skills to Their Actual Abilities.

Abstract: In this technology intensive society, most students are required to be proficient in computer skills to compete in today’s global job market. These computer skills usually consist of basic to advanced knowledge in word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet applications. In many U.S. states, students are required to demonstrate computer proficiency early in their educational experience by means of passing an assessment test. This research was conducted in North Carolina where all students must pass a computer/technology skills assessment test prior to completing twelfth grade. This study explored U.S. college students’ perceived mastery of their computer skills, evaluated their actual scores on a computer skills assessment, and compared the results to realign and enhance an introductory business computer applications course. T wo instruments were developed to accomplish the objectives for this research: a survey to capture students’ perceptions of their computer proficiency and a computer skills assessment to measure their actual performance. The assessment tool evaluated their knowledge of three computer application skills – word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet – with three levels of proficiency – basic, moderate, and advanced. The survey and assessment instruments were administered to over 200 business students in a medium sized, public university with a required introductory computer applications course. The findings of this study indicate some differences in the students’ perception of their word processing skills and actual performance, no difference in perception and performance for their presentation skills, and a significant difference in perception and performance for their spreadsheet skills. As a result of this research, the curriculum for the introductory course was redesigned to concentrate primarily on the substantial skill deficiency in spreadsheet skills while still allowing the students to demonstrate their level of proficiency in word processing and presentation skills through a mandatory online assessment test beginning in fall semester 2008. Any student who does not perform well on the word processing and presentation assessment will be required to obtain additional training to enhance these skills. These findings have important implications for two reasons: 1) schools with a similar profile can possibly replicate the realignment and enhancement of the business computer application course and 2) any school interested in comparing their students’ perception of their computer skill proficiency and actual performance on three different levels can apply a modified version of this study.

Assessing the Factors Deemed to Support Individual Student Intrinsic Motivation in Technology Supported Online and Face-to-Face Discussions

Abstract: Research has established that intrinsic motivation has a positive effect on learning and academic achievement. In order to investigate the phenomenon of intrinsic motivation in technologysupported learning environments, this paper investigates the factors deemed to support individual student intrinsic motivation in online discussions. A research model is presented based on research into motivation, and the specific areas of self-determination and curiosity provide a framework for the model. Mean scores for both online discussions and face-to-face discussions were compared using a twotailed t-test for the six constructs of perceived competence, perceived challenge, feedback, perceived choice, perceived interest, and perceived curiosity. Results from the study showed that online discussions provided significantly stronger mean ratings (t=3.2) for perceived choice than did face-to face-discussions, while online discussions gave somewhat significantly stronger mean scores for perceived competence (t=1.84) than similar face-to-face discussions. Feedback obtained identical mean scores for both online and face-to-face discussions, as did perceived interest, while the slightly higher differences in the online situation were not significant for perceived challenge (t=0.96) or perceived curiosity (t=1.19). Assessing the factors deemed to support individual student intrinsic motivation may assist in enhancing intrinsically motivated behavior in technology-supported learning environments. This would assist Web course designers and science educators to create online learning programs that best utilize students’ capacity for learning and academic performance. The Web, with no direct verbal face-to-face interaction, lends itself better to online discussion in a more structured manner

Improving IS Student Enrollments: Understanding the Effects of IT Sophistication in Introductory IS Courses

Abstract: The Information Systems (IS) discipline is facing a sharp downturn in student enrollments. De-spite the steady decline in students pursuing the IS major, the demand for information technology (IT) professionals continues to increase. These trends indicate that there might be a shortage of qualified IT employees in the near future. In order to overcome this dilemma, academicians have recently begun to look for mechanisms targeted at improving IS enrollments. This study investi-gates how such a mechanism – IT sophistication – influences students’ aspirations to pursue an IS degree. More specifically, the study suggests that IT sophistication, self-efficacy, outcome expec-tations, and interests are expected to independently and cumulatively affect students’ choice of IS as their major. The data utilized to investigate this issue was collected from students enrolled in introductory IS courses at two large public universities. A total of 151 usable responses were ob-tained. The results indicate that the degree to which students perceive the IT to be sophisticated affects their aspiration to major in IS. Specifically, utilizing state-of-the art technologies that re-flect current industry practices not only enhances students’ confidence in their ability to success-fully perform as an IS major, but also elevates students’ expectations that valued rewards will be received by majoring in IS. In turn, strong self-efficacy and outcome expectations foster student interest in the IS discipline. Moreover, it was found that IT sophistication does not directly affect student interest. Rather, the effects of IT sophistication on interests are channeled indirectly through self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Similarly, our results did not provide support for the direct effects of self-efficacy and outcome expectations on choice goals. In contrast, choice goals develop through strong interests, and finally, interest serves as the primary mechanism through which goals to choose the IS major emerge. Our findings suggest that deploying sophisticated IT in introductory IS classes can be used as a powerful lever to attract additional students the IS discipline. We encourage those who teach in-troductory IS courses to focus on state-of-the-art technologies that reflect cur-rent industry practices. Utilizing these technologies also has the potential to increase student success in the class-room, provide a richer and more engag-ing learning environment for students, and help students become more attrac-tive to recruiters. Despite the knowledge gained herein, the study has certain limitations. The

Contextualized IT Education in Tanzania: Beyond Standard IT Curricula

Abstract: Introduction Tanzania's first computer was imported and installed in 1965, and roughly ten years after there were seven computers in the country (Mgaya, 1994). However, computing projects during those years invariably failed. Klodwig Mgaya, who is one of the pioneers of computing in Tanzania, argued that there were several reasons for those failures (Mgaya, 1994). Firstly, the computing installations were not run by Tanzanian staff but by foreign experts, and, as the experts left the country, the installations started to fail. Secondly, uncoordinated planning and lack of contextual understanding led to collapses of major governmental projects. Thirdly, despite whatever computing competence there might have been, in 1974 the government imposed a ban on importing computers, which effectively halted any further attempts to develop computing in Tanzania. The Ministry of Education in Tanzania holds a centralized control of all matters of education, which makes the educational system unnecessarily rigid (Mgaya, 1994). Although computing education was started already in 1965, and although M.Sc. courses in computing were started in the University of Dar es Salaam in 1974, by the year 1984 only 12 Tanzanians had received a M.Sc. degree in computing from Tanzanian institutions. Mgaya (1994) attributed several reasons to the failure of IT (Information Technology) education in Tanzania. Firstly, in the early years of development of Tanzania's electronic computing, the misguided policies, banning of computer imports, and unwillingness to invest in computing training led to major failures of implementation, which, for its part, caused pessimism towards computing among general public. Secondly, even today there are few computing professionals and even fewer computing instructors. Third, books and journals are costly for Tanzanian educational institutions. Fourth, hardware is much more expensive in Tanzania than, for example, in the U.S.--both in absolute and in relative terms. The Tanzanian National ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Policy from 2003 explicitly notes the shortage of qualified IT professionals in the country (Ministry of Communications and Transport, 2003, 2.2.3). So, a number of imported, theoretically oriented computing curricula have failed to meet expectations. That same problem seems endemic to the country's educational system: several universities offer theoretical education in fields such as agriculture and civil engineering, yet no locally organized major improvements of agriculture have been made since the 1960s, and most civil engineering project tenders are won by Asian or European companies. To avoid similar failures in the future, in addition to theoretical knowledge, Tanzanian higher education should focus on developing students' practical skills. Students should not only know what to do but also how to do it. IT graduates should have the ability to use, manage, evaluate, and understand modern IT tools (e.g., ITEA, 2007, p. 9). In Tanzania, ICT infrastructure is not well developed. There is no Internet backbone but a number of unconnected systems owned by various companies. The power-distribution network is sparse and unreliable, and in many places the power network and transformers work at the limits of their capacity. Landline communications network is very sparse, and also the mobile phone network is far from being extensive. Building contractors and electricians are ignorant of infrastructure requirements of modern computing and communications equipment. And unlike in industrialized countries, one cannot rely on an extensive network of experts who can be called to take care of problems in technical, specialized fields. Because there are few experts, Tanzanian IT graduates must have a broad education. They must be able to solve basic problems on-site: problems regarding, for instance, electricity, building design, electrical interference, taxes and duties, and procurement. …

Assessment Strategies for Pair Programming.

Abstract: Assessing only the outcomes of a pair programming assignment and awarding each member of the pair the same score may not be a reliable reflection of individual programming abilities; it may result in a discrepancy between students’ individual and pair programming marks. The aim of our study was to answer the following question: Do combined self, peer, and facilitator assessment strategies for pair programming contribute towards a more reliable assessment of individual programming abilities? In our study, all three types of assessments were conducted after the completion of every pair programming assignment. In each case, we used rubrics containing specific assessment criteria. These rubrics were provided to students at the beginning of every pair programming assignment. The facilitator gave formative feedback to students after completion of a pair programming assignment and thereafter when an individual test was written.

E-Portfolio Assessment System for an Outcome-Based Information Technology Curriculum

Abstract: Introduction A major shift in the past decade has changed the focus in education from a teacher-centered instructional environment to a student-centered one (Brooks, 1997). As grades became insufficient to prove learning took place, universities in the USA and worldwide took a critical look at their educational systems. In 2002 a US national panel called for a dramatic reorganization of undergraduate education to ensure that all college students receive not only access to college but also to an education of lasting value (http://www.aacu.org). One recommendation was that colleges and universities help students become "intentional" life-long learners and create new assessment techniques that allow students to apply their learning to real world problems. In an effort to shift the focus from the traditional lecture style to a student-centered learning style, a number of academic institutions in the US have adopted an outcome-based education framework. Outcome-based education is a method of education that focuses on what students can actually do after they are taught a particular subject. All curriculum and teaching decisions are made based on how to best facilitate the achievement of a desired outcome. This exercise leads to a planning process that is quite different from the traditional educational planning method. The desired outcome is first identified, and then the curriculum is created to support the intended outcomes (Furman, 1994). E-portfolios have been used to document student work to demonstrate learning (American Association for Higher Education. 2008, Smith & Winking-Diaz, 2004). Unlike paper-based portfolios, e-portfolios allow information to be stored, accessed, updated, and presented in various electronic formats to record students achievements. E-portfolios are being adopted at a growing number of colleges and universities in the USA and abroad (Lorenzo & Ittelson, 2005. Several US universities have adopted the e-portfolio assessment concept, including California Lutheran University (http://ww2.clunet.edu/soe/webfolio/index.php), Portland State University (http://www.pdx.edu/unst/frinq.htm), John Hopkins University(2008) (http://cte.jhu.edu/dp/support), the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (http://www.eportfolio.org), and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (http://www.opd.iupui.edu/coil/eport.htm). For faculty, the e-portfolio can be an effective tool to better manage, review, reflect, and comment on students' work. For students, the e-portfolio enriches their resume, both before and after graduation. In the gulf region the adoption of outcome-based educational models and e-portfolios has been slow. Zayed University (ZU), a fairly recent university located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has adopted an outcome-based Academic Program Model (APM) and the use of e-portfolios to document student learning (Zayed University, 2008a). The ZU e-portfolio assessment system (EAS) was created to allow faculty to assess specific components of student academic work that includes various learning outcomes. Moreover, faculty members use data from the EAS to evaluate how courses are meeting college and university goals. The achievement of learning outcomes and the compilation of e-portfolios has become an important component of the grade point average (GPA) assessment system. E-portfolios enable students to improve and focus their learning and provide them with a tool to showcase their skills. The EAS can be used to measure whether the curriculum meets institution and college/major learning outcomes: Zayed University Learning Outcomes (ZULOs), and Major's Learning Outcomes (MALOs). Currently, ZU has approximately 4000 students and has two campuses, one in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai, UAE. ZU follows a US based academic model and is perhaps the first university in the Gulf to adopt the e-portfolio to help students achieve learning. During the last six years, the implementation of the APM model was used to facilitate the inclusion of learning outcomes into various courses across ZU curricula. …

Virtual Computing Laboratories: A Case Study with Comparisons to Physical Computing Laboratories.

Abstract: Current technology enables schools to provide remote or virtual computing labs. Virtual computing labs can be implemented in multiple ways ranging from remote access to banks of dedicated workstations to sophisticated access to large-scale servers hosting virtualized workstations. This paper reports on the implementation of a specific lab using remote access to dedicated workstations and supporting students enrolled in degree programs in management. Such a lab can be implemented at relatively low cost by reallocating resources dedicated to existing physical labs.

Realizing Learning in the Workplace in an Undergraduate IT Program

Abstract: Higher education programs need to prepare their graduates for the practical challenges they can expect to face upon entering the workforce Students can be better prepared if their academic learning is reinforced through authentic workplace experience, where the link between theory and professional practice can be realized Increasingly, such learning in the workplace is being seen as an integral part of the university curricula as evidenced through the implementation of the Learning the Workplace & Community (LiWC) Policy at Victoria University, Australia This policy mandates a minimum of 25% content and assessment of all academic programs be related to work-integrated learning Recognizing the need for authentic workplace experience in the IT undergraduate program, a review found that the existing work-related learning component accounted for only half the required 25% LiWC commitment Currently, the LiWC component is an industry-based capstone project that spans two semesters in the final year of study These projects allow students to work on real-life software development tasks where they experience the practical challenges of building software systems whilst appreciating the needs of a business client In a search of the literature, campus-located industry projects were identified as one of the two most common workrelated learning experiences in IT programs, the other being internships sited in the workplace By retaining the current project-based component, it was decided to add an internship to the program to further bolster the student learning experience and graduate outcomes This paper details the existing program structure and explores two possible implementations for the achievement of the LiWC policy The first approach necessitates the addition of one academic year of cooperative education internship to be placed strategically between the current second and third years Alternatively, the second proposal sacrifices several elective units to accommodate a final semester internship experience The paper discusses both alternatives against various issues under consideration: staffing and administration, assessment, industry partnerships, professional accreditation and its impact upon differing cohorts of students

Comparing Knowledge and Usage of ICT among Male and Female Distance Learners of an Endowed and Deprived Area in a Developing Country in Africa

Abstract: Introduction The use of information and communication technology (ICT) for distance learning provides tremendous potential for meeting the goal of Education for All (EFA), which broadly seeks to meet the learning needs of children, youth, and adults by 2015. In 2000 the world re- affirmed its 1990's declaration of 'Education for All' to make a collective commitment to expand educational opportunities to groups in society, including girls and women. Participants at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, "endorsed a comprehensive vision of education, anchored in human rights, affirming the importance of learning at all ages and emphasizing the need for special measures to reach the poorest, most vulnerable and most disadvantaged groups in society" (UNESCO, 2007, p. i). Among the six EFA goals is the goal to achieve gender equality by 2015. Like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the achievement of all the six EFA goals depends to a large extent on the total empowerment of women whose role facilitates the capacity building of members of the family and the entire society. Meanwhile, the majority of women are in a marginalized position. A good number of them are located in some of the remotest parts of the world and largely affected by socio-cultural factors which deprive them of full access to higher education. This has made it necessary to explore alternative ways of meeting the gender equality goal in education. One of such avenues is the use of ICTs for distance or technology-mediated learning. Robinson (2008) has noted that the use of distance education and ICT has the potential to distribute opportunities for learning more widely and equitably. ICT is thus a powerful tool for providing educational services for both males and females and, most importantly, meeting the gender equality goal. Studies have shown that ICTs offer possibilities to women especially to engage in not only distance learning programs but e-commerce, e-governance, and all other aspects of developmental activities (Bisnath, 2004; Daly, 2003; Huyer & Sikoska, 2003; Kwapong, 2007c). There is a wide gender gap in education at the tertiary level in Ghana, a developing country in Sub-Saharan Africa. The male-female ratio has hovered around 70-30 (NCTE, 2006). Several measures, such as establishment of more public and private tertiary institutions, expansion of facilities, and increment in enrolment quota for females, have been adopted. Though these efforts have helped to increase enrolment, the required result of 50-50 male-female ratio in higher education has not been achieved yet. To widen access to education and overcome the mismatch between the existing facilities and qualified applicants the Government has sought to promote distance learning among all professionals across gender and geographical locations for the past decade. The use of ICTs for distance learning makes the delivery more widely and evenly distributed than just reliance on printed materials. Meanwhile, probably as a result of limited technological infrastructural development, print has been the pre-dominant mode of delivery in the distance learning programs. This study looks at the extent to which students privately utilize the few ICT facilities that are available in their localities that could form a basis for making a case for utilization of ICT applications in the distance learning programs. Profile of Study Areas The study covers four out of the ten regions of Ghana. These include the three regions in the northern part of the country, known as Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions (the deprived regions) and the Greater Accra Region (the endowed region). The three regions of the north are relatively deprived compared to Greater Accra Region, the national capital of the country. In the discussion of the results the three northern regions have been described as deprived and the Greater Accra Region has been described as endowed. …

Advanced IT Education for the Vision Impaired via e-Learning

Abstract: Lack of accessibility in the design of e-learning courses continues to hinder students with vision impairment. E-learning materials are predominantly vision-centric, incorporating images, animation, and interactive media, and as a result students with acute vision impairment do not have equal opportunity to gain tertiary qualifications or skills relevant to the marketplace and their disability. Due to its logical, rather than physical, nature IT help desk and network administration roles are ideal for people who are blind. This paper describes the development of a fully accessible e-learning environment to deliver advanced IT network curriculum to adults with acute vision disabilities. The components include a virtual classroom, accessible learning materials, a remote computer laboratory, and delivery of the learning materials by vision impaired instructors. Industry standard courses in advanced IT were redeveloped, and the accessible on-line learning environment was developed to deliver the courses. Vision impaired students who excelled in the pilot project were trained as instructors, gaining industry-standard instructor certifications. These instructors were used to assist with the design of accessible methods and delivered the materials to the vision impaired students.

The Search for the Adaptable ICT Student

Abstract: The ‘new’ ICT professional should be an articulate problem-solver who understands business and technology, in particular how technology can solve business problems. Furthermore, the ideal ICT student should be adaptable. The adaptable student embraces change, learns quickly, understands the job market, thrives on variety, is autonomous, predicts change, and acts as a change agent in the organization. This study examines the adaptability of a sample of second-year Australian ICT students. The evidence suggests that these students are less adaptable than might be expected of people who have chosen to study a subject characterized by change. One reason for this might be the fact that these students have limited knowledge about the realities of work in ICT beyond negative perceptions about stress and long hours. A small number of more mature students with some work experience appear to be more adaptable. An interesting paradox emerges. Younger students in particular appear to be highly adaptable in their personal lives and seek careers that maximize personal choice. On the other hand, they still prefer a degree of stability, a relatively defined career path, job security, and a career that is relatively stable.

IT Professionals’ Competences: High School Students’ Views

Abstract: During last few years, the competential paradigm has become a standard for modern Human Re-sources Management. The importance and the impact of this concept have led higher education institutions to adopt this concept in the definition of educational resources. In this scenario, know-ing which competencies and characteristics define professionals in any position is fundamental, not only for organizations and academic institutions, but also for the professionals of the future. In today’s environment, with its shortages of professionals in the IT sector, attracting students in order to shape tomorrow’s labor force has become a major issue of concern in educational institu-tions. Within the set of elements employed by such institutions to attract future students, one sig-nificant issue is how to convey the professional reality that is faced by prospective students. IT professionals are often subject to negative social stigmas. And this negative view creates negative stereotypes, which are on one hand, generally adopted, and on the other, they don’t accurately portray the employees’ the working life. This research presents a study that investigates the perception of the characteristics of IT profes-sionals from the perspective of future professionals: students in their final year of high school. The results indicate that the students generally hold a stereotyped vision regarding the character-istics that are typical of professionals in industry. With the objective of improving the specific knowledge of the professional reality of IT workers, the current paper proposes a number of measures in order to attract students to the profession and inform them of the true professional characteristics of IT professionals. One suggestion is to encourage collaboration between organi-zations and academic institutions in attracting new people to IT roles and for professional associa-tions to assume a much more active role in communicating IT working styles appropriately.

Identifying Student Potential for ICT Entrepreneurship Using Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicators

Abstract: Introduction Research shows that the success of an entrepreneurial individual has often been correlated with his/her personality type (Markman & Baron, 2003). Due to the rapid development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) entrepreneurs, research dealing with specifics, such as the significance of personality types and the potential ICT entrepreneur, has largely been ignored. There is a need to identify potential ICT entrepreneurs, as entrepreneurship can allow limited resources to be utilised effectively, increasing job creation within an economy. Entrepreneurship plays an important role in creating competitive advantage for organisations and thus facilitating their survival and growth (Chen, Zhu, & Anquan, 2005; Echols & Neck, 1998). This is true for all areas of the world including Africa. Fick (2002, p3) states that, "While there are often huge differences in their climate, culture, and traditions and in their political and economic systems, countries in Africa are often confronted by similar problems and challenges." In an investigation into problems facing small-to-medium sized enterprises in achieving growth in a province of South Africa, Sha (2006) highlights weaknesses in innovation and entrepreneuship among others. The objectives of this research are: * To find a means of identifying potential entrepreneurs. * To determine whether there is a significant correlation between a specific personality type/temperament and the aptitude of individuals to being ICT entrepreneurs. * To identify the most prominent traits and temperaments of potential ICT entrepreneurs. * To determine if there is a significant correlation between potential ICT entrepreneurs and gender. The report attempts to identify potential entrepreneurs through their personality type/temperament. Participants were 3rd and 4th year Information System students at the University of Cape Town and young entrepreneurs in the ICT industry. The paper reviews literature that covers: entrepreneurs, information and communication technology (ICT), personality testing, personality types, and gender issues relating to entrepreneurship. This is followed by an overview of the objectives of this research and the methodologies used to accomplish these objectives. Analysis of the data follows, and the derived findings are reported. Finally, the report discusses the conclusions identified in the findings, and makes recommendations for further research. Background Typically, an entrepreneur will discover an opportunity, marshal resources, and organise these into a venture that offers some innovation into the market. Entrepreneurs essentially act as agents for change and wealth creation (Rwigema & Venter, 2004). Entrepreneurs face many significant challenges, not the least of which is generating or recognising ideas that have the potential to be developed into appealing goods and services. Successful ideas are often a balance between novelty and familiarity (Ward, 2004). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) entrepreneurs are a new variation of the traditional entrepreneur. Deo (2005) defines an entrepreneur from two different viewpoints: that of an economist and a psychologist: 1. "To an economist, an entrepreneur is one who brings resources, labour, materials and other assets into combinations that makes their value greater than before, and also one who introduces changes, innovations, and a new order." 2. "To a psychologist, such a person is typically driven by certain forces-the need to obtain or attain something, to experiment, to accomplish, or perhaps to escape the authority of others." This paper focus on the psychological viewpoint. While entrepreneurs have much in common, they also differ widely. There is no single set of attitudes and behaviours that every entrepreneur must have. …

Ground Rules in Team Projects: Findings from a Prototype System to Support Students

Abstract: Student team project work in higher education is one of the best ways to develop team working skills at the same time as learning about the subject matter. As today’s students require the freedom to learn at times and places that better match their lifestyles, there is a need for any support for team project work to be also available online. Team working requires that the task roles as well as the maintenance roles are taken into consideration, in that social interactions are just as important as carrying out the tasks of the project. The literature indicates that groupware, whilst effective in supporting the task roles, provides limited support for the maintenance roles of team working in the work place. As groupware was not specifically designed for student team working, it provides limited support for maintenance roles in student team projects. Virtual learning environments similarly provide support for completing the task roles. Many researchers have found that students experience difficulties with their team project work that reduce the perceived benefits of working in a team. It is proposed that helping students to agree on ground rules at the start of a project will improve team cohesion. This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a prototype system to help students to agree on ground rules as they start their team projects. The system was tested with teams of students carrying out information systems team projects, using an interpretive case study research approach. In this case the teams had the additional problem of being composed of students from across three years of their undergraduate degree programmes, so they did not always have prior knowledge of each other’s preferences. We were trying to establish how useful this software tool would be to these student teams, in starting their project work. The findings showed that some of the student teams did find the ground rules function useful, but the team leaders were the ones who most appreciated its potential. The students may use the outputs in very different ways, but even just looking at the ground rules appeared to get team members thinking about their expectations for team working. Student teams do not often start by thinking about norms, but this study shows a positive benefit of encouraging teams to agree on ground rules at the start of their projects.

Teaching High School Students Applied Logical Reasoning

Abstract: Introduction "For we let our young men and women go out unarmed in a day when armor was never so necessary. By teaching them all to read, we have left them at the mercy of the printed word. By the invention of the film and the radio, we have made certain that no aversion to reading shall secure them from the incessant battery of words, words, words. They do not know what the words mean; they do not know how to ward them off or blunt their edge or fling them back; they are a prey to words in their emotions instead of being the masters of them in their intellects..." Dorothy Sayers, "The Lost Tools of Learning", speech at Oxford, 1947. Dorothy Sayers' lamentation is as relevant as ever. As we go deeper and deeper into the "Information Revolution" our students face an ever increasing variety of channels of information. Due to their unrestricted nature, however, these sources of information are more often than not conflicting, partial, biased, and distorting (Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, 2004). Thus, instead of utilizing this abundant information to produce better informed students, we often find that students are unable to distinguish true from false, separate fact from fiction, identify the underlying motives, and reach sound and reasoned opinions (Lighthall & Haycock, 1997; Rothenberg, 1997). In order to cope with today's multiplicity of information sources and promote development of learned and informed students, instruction in critical reading and logical reasoning is of paramount importance (Fitzgerald, 2005). In the present work we describe a high school course designed to provide students with applied logical tools. Currently, high school students are not typically offered instruction in logical reasoning, and must instead wait to gain these tools in college. (In this paper we use the term 'college' as it is used in the USA, namely, to describe tertiary education). In our opinion, high school constitutes an appropriate age-range and educational context in which to teach logical skills; delaying such instruction until college simply prolongs - if not perpetuates - the aforementioned problems. The content of the course in question takes into account student age and, accordingly, should place strong emphasis on practice and application alongside theory. In addition, we take into account two primary academic orientations, differentiating between social sciences and exact sciences. In light of this distinction, the course was designed to include several chapters whose contents depend on academic orientation. More broadly, this course was part of a two-year program of a comprehensive study and understanding of logical and concept based systems. The logic program covered different topics in modern logic and its application. These topics were divided into the following modules: logical reasoning and deductions, Boolean algebra and digital systems, inductions, paradoxes, and computation. The course that we describe in this paper was the first year course of the program. It fully covered the first module (logical reasoning and deductions) and most of the second module (Boolean algebra). In addition, it served as an introduction to the other modules of the program. Throughout the course we focused on motivating the students to understand the importance of acquiring applied logical skills. Literature Review This paper is directly related to two fields of research: education of applied logic and information technology. Modern logic has emerged in the twentieth century (see Gabbay & Woods, 2004, for a historical review). It was the theoretical force that drove Turing's (1936) seminal work that laid the foundation for computing science. Our course includes theoretical computing issues such as the Theorem of Incompleteness, The Halting Problem, and NP Problems (Boolos & Jeffrey, 1974; Lewis & Papadimitriou, 1981). Modern logic is also applied in the field of critical thinking, and its importance is manifested in the existence of numerous critical reading textbooks and other printed sources (e. …

Perceptions of ICT Careers in German Schools: An Exploratory Study

Abstract: This paper reports on an exploratory investigation of the perceptions of information and communication technology (ICT) as a field of study and work in German secondary schools. A total of 160 students from five secondary schools in Lower Saxony participated in the study in February 2007, and four teachers of the students were interviewed. The investigation is part of the research carried out by the authors within the Griffith University Women in Information Technology (WinIT) project, which has been studying the problem of low female participation since 1995. In this paper we discuss German school students' (male and female) and their teachers' views of ICT, its use at school and home, their influences in using technology, and their ideas about working with technology in the future. We drew on the challenges faced and opportunities available to teachers in the study to put this in context. We found that many senior secondary students have not decided what they want to do when they finish school, suggesting that the environment is ripe for them to receive relevant and useful information that may help them to choose to study tertiary ICT courses. By dispelling negative ICT perceptions and allowing students to make an informed choice as to whether to take up a career in ICT, we can hopefully encourage more students into this ever-growing and exciting industry.

A Quantitative Study of a Software Tool that Supports a Part-Complete Solution Method on Learning Outcomes

Abstract: This paper reports on the findings from a quantitative research study into the use of a software tool that was built to support a part-complete solution method (PCSM) for the learning of computer programming. The use of part-complete solutions to programming problems is one of the methods that can be used to reduce the cognitive load that students experience during their learning. The tool that was built is a code restructuring tool known as CORT. It permits the display of a part-complete solution to a programming task together with a set of possible lines of code that can be used to "fill-in" the solution. Students can then easily manipulate the programming lines within CORT and then test their solutions within a traditional development environment such as Microsoft's Visual Studio. An inquiry into CORT's effect on student learning outcomes took place over a period of 14 weeks at an Australian university. Two student groups participated in an introductory programming unit, one of which utilized the CORT system whilst the other acted as a control group. Data were collected on student background, time taken to complete programming tasks, the amount of help that students required, and student learning outcomes. The data were analysed using a statistical package, and it was found that there was no significant difference in the relative levels of achievement between students in the two groups. However the results did indicate that students in the CORT group spent significantly less time and required significantly less help than the students in the control group. This suggests that if the CORT students had spent extra time on further programming tasks such that their overall time had been equal to that of the non-CORT students, then they may have achieved higher learning outcomes. Also the fact that the CORT students required less help than the control group suggests that the use of CORT might be beneficial to students studying programming in external mode where access to tutor help is more problematic.

Culturally-Based Adaptive Learning and Concept Analytics to Guide Educational Website Content Integration.

Abstract: Introduction Many lecturers assume a homogenous group of participating students since, in general, everyone receives the same learning material. This tendency seems to be independent of whether the education is classroom or virtual learning environment based. Unfortunately, this homogeneity is rarely given in our flat world (Friedman, 2006) as students from all over the entire globe can enroll in the same class or study program, resulting in a potpourri of expectations and demands for the learning experience based on the students' perception of their surrounding and background (Bhattacharya & Jorgensen, 2004). The term culture refers to the "set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group" (UNESCO, 2002) and defines "codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behaviour such as law and morality" (Jary & Jary, 1991, p. 101; see also Geertz, 1973; Groeschel & Doherty, 2000). This definition shows a clear barrier in designing learning material. In view of the codes, we have to state that regarding language it is not acceptable to either encode the learning material in all languages or to force a student to learn another language, i.e. in a virtual e-Learning environment where the students are enrolled from various countries. In addition, certain learning material might not be suitable with respect to the cultural background of the learner. Note that barriers could be compared to the movie rating system, where the society of viewers is divided in groups according to age and suitable content. A discussion on further barriers and constraints such as retrieval, format, or quality is given in Reiners, Reiss, and Sassen (2005) and Schuppel (1997). There is considerable research in the field of cross cultural education (Collis & Remmers, 1997; Hampden-Turner & Trompenaars, 2000; Parhizgar, 1998), multicultural learning material and technological solutions (Fluck, 2008; Wang, 2007), and discussion of the role of educators with respect to adapting teaching in multicultural contexts (Bhatti, Tubaisahat, & El-Qawasmeh, 2005; Larreamendy-Joerns & Leinhardt, 2006). "Multiculturalism is an issue that is central to educators" (Slay, 2002) and needs to be considered with the "core of school curricula" (Stanley & Brickhouse, 1994). Nevertheless, we see the focus of this paper not in the argumentation about cultural issues--even though this is of great interest to us and the motivation for our concept--but rather in demonstrating the architecture to achieve a better integration of the individual learner in a learning scenario, that is, the learning material selection and delivery. Furthermore, we consider our concept only as one component in an overall learning environment, which requires further pedagogical and technical parts, such as communication, content design, or teaching methodologies (see, for example, Collis, 1999; McLoughlin, 2001; Rogers, Graham, & Mayes, 2007; Sims & Stork, 2007; Young, 2008). In a classroom setting, individualization is generally very limited as students participate at the same time in the same classroom and, therefore, receive the same presentation with the same slides and the same audio. Most universities require that students know the language for the classes in advance as it is not yet possible to integrate live translations. A further difficulty can result from the content chosen for the lecture as certain subjects might not be compliant with the cultural background of the students. On the other hand, the e-Learning scenario allows individualization of the learning material by adaptation to a given configuration and dynamic information gathered during the learning process by traversing learning objects with given subjects and concepts. We believe that culture is highly related to language and, therefore, needs to be modeled as part of the e-Learning system. …

A Realistic Data Warehouse Project: An Integration of Microsoft Access[R] and Microsoft Excel[R] Advanced Features and Skills.

Abstract: Business intelligence derived from data warehousing and data mining has become one of the most strategic management tools today, providing organizations with long-term competitive advantages. Business school curriculums and popular database textbooks cover data warehousing, but the examples and problem sets typically are small and unrealistic. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how to construct a realistic data warehouse using numerous advanced features available in Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel.

Concurrent Software Engineering Project

Abstract: Introduction Most engineering problems are not tame but wicked (Rittel & Webber, 1973) or unbounded, meaning that there is no right or wrong solution such that quality becomes hard to assess before implementation The design processes becomes complex due to new technologies, task interdependencies, and communication and coordination needs between people; so projects have to repeatedly search for satisfying solutions and deal with uncertainty These present technical and nontechnical challenges that, in turn, require educated and experienced professionals who can produce quality products on schedule (Nikkei Business Publications, 2003) A crucial factor in successful projects was ongoing client participation and commitment (Terry & Standing, 2004), as was mutual respect and synergy between team members The impact of interpersonal conflict was negative, regardless of how it was managed or resolved (Barki & Hartwick, 2001) Of course, good domain knowledge and technical skills are important, too Unfortunately, the type of training being provided to software engineering managers at the university level results in students knowing how to use the tools, but not necessarily knowing why they are important, or what their role is within the effort (Peters, 2003) Process and project management and organizations are knowledge areas in the software engineering curriculum (eg, The Joint Task Force, 2004), so similar problems and outcome can be expected there, as well as in other knowledge areas For example, learning to program is essential for every engineer but generally considered hard, so programming courses often suffer high dropout rates It might take up to ten years for a novice to become an expert programmer (Soloway & Spohrer, 1989) Even on a much smaller time scale of days and weeks, acquisition of knowledge is not linear It is an opportunity driven process different for each person and affected by social complexity (Figure 1) (Conklin, 2006) Successful designers iterate frequently through various design stages rather than using a linear (ie, waterfall) process in which a downstream activity follows the immediate predecessor only when it has become completed (Guindon, 1990) The frequency of the iterations depends on the person's familiarity with the problem and solution domain (Cross, 2004) The process of engineering design is not a totally formal affair, and drawings and specifications come into existence as a result of a social process (Ferguson, 1992) However, managers and engineers are trained to plan for one activity or task at a time instead of a set of concurrent activities, so they assume linear progress (Figure 1), and apply feed-forward project planning methods, such as PERT or Critical Path [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Linearization is also found in education where we simply proceed from one topic to another as appropriate That is not negative by itself because some courses may not require much creative thinking or reflection, but it creates an expectation that all coursework is a simple transaction between the instructor and the student In a transactional system, most students act in response to the extrinsic motivation by simply working on their assignments as they come and performing the best they can at that moment Courses that deal with complex problems and processes benefit from rework because this directly links together the phases and work products that have been worked on Those courses should be accompanied by a transformational approach to coursework, and students should be encouraged to revisit and improve their past coursework and resubmit it By looking back, students form a deeper understanding and learn that rework and constant improvements are important in real world projects Active learning, or learning by doing, has been used in academia and training for a long time Learning becomes active when students employ their creative skills during the learning process …

A Constructivist Approach to Teaching Web Development in Post-Secondary Vocational Settings

Abstract: Vocational education by its nature has a need for delivery methods that place a strong focus on the relationship between school and work and seeks to deliver instruction in a manner that bridges the two as seamlessly as possible. This paper presents a curriculum and constructivist-based instructional delivery approach, designed to emphasize a strong school-work relationship, for a four-year degree in Web Development developed for a vocational training institution. The instructional outcomes for such a program are distinctly different from traditional software engineering and other computer -specific programs and require a different approach to curriculum development and instructional delivery, which focuses on the unique needs of vocational students. At the same time, such programs should strive to emulate the best practices, educational values, and, to the extent possible, the curriculum of traditional programs. The educational program presented here employs a spiral sequencing of course material, presented using the constructivist approach of goal-based scenarios, in order to emphasize the applied, skill-building nature of vocational instruction. Many authors have discussed the benefits of a constructivist approach to vocational education (i.e. Brown, 1998), while others have called for its increased use in computer science related education (i.e. Connolly & Begg, 2006).

Information Systems’ Diverse Origins Coming Together

Abstract: The diversity of IS programs and research has been of interest to various professions. It has been argued that IS has developed to the extent where it does not have to rely on other reference disciplines, but should rather serve as a reference discipline for other disciplines. While IS may have developed its own discipline, its location in different academic units may influence the venue of faculty publications. The understanding of the relationships between venue of publication and location of IS programs will influence curriculum development especially at the doctoral level and inform faculty placement decisions. In this paper, we examine IS research that falls into the professional categories of business, engineering, education, and library science for faculty from information systems programs. We examined the research publications of the faculty from the twenty-four IS programs accredited by ABET Inc. The data shows that irrespective of the location of the IS program, over 50% of the faculty publications are in the Engineering venue. Further, the results indicate that the location of the IS program influences the publication venue. We also suggest that the tenure and promotion requirements also influence the venue of the publications of IS faculty. Our research contributes to both professional practice and scholarly research. In academia, we suggest that the interest of the faculty may influence their employment locations and research venues.