André P. Calitz

The effect of integrating an Iconic programming notation into CS1

Increasing pressure from national government to improve throughput at South African tertiary education institutions presents challenges to educators of CS1 courses. In response, educators must adopt effective methods and strategies that encourage students to be successful in such courses. An approach that seeks to increase and maintain satisfactory throughput is the modification of the teaching model in these courses by adjusting presentation techniques. This paper reports on a study into the effect of integrating an experimental iconic programming notation and associated development environment with existing conventional textual technological support in the teaching model of a CS1 course. The paper reports on the comparison of the performance achievement of students using only conventional textual technological support with that of students using the integrated iconic and conventional textual technological support. The findings suggest strong evidence that the performance achievement of students in a CS1 course improves significantly with the inclusion of iconic technological support in the teaching model. Considerably more students using the integrated form of technological support are in fact successful in the CS1 course when compared with their counterparts who use conventional textual technological support only.

Qualitative techniques for evaluating enterprise resource planning (ERP) user interfaces

Studies have recommended usability criteria for evaluating Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. However these criteria do not provide sufficient qualitative information regarding the behaviour of users when interacting with the user interface of these systems. A triangulation technique, including the use of time diaries, can be used in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) research for providing additional qualitative data that cannot be accurately collected by experimental or even observation means alone. Limited studies have been performed on the use of time diaries in a triangulation approach as an HCI research method for the evaluation of the usability of ERP systems. This paper reports on a case study where electronic time diaries were used in conjunction with other HCI research methods, namely, surveys and usability questionnaires, in order to evaluate the usability of an ERP system. The results of the study show that a triangulation technique including the use of time diaries is a rich and useful method that allows more flexibility for respondents and can be used to help understand user behaviour when interacting with ERP systems. A thematic analysis of the qualitative data collected from the time diaries validated the quantitative data and highlighted common problem areas encountered during typical tasks performed with the ERP system. An improved understanding of user behaviour enabled the redesign of the tasks performed during the ERP learning process and could provide guidance to ERP designers for improving the usability and ease of learning of ERP systems.

B#: The Development and Assessment of an Iconic Programming Tool for Novice Programmers

The higher incidence of under-prepared students in the South African education institutions has a particular significance for introductory programming courses which rely heavily on the use of technological tools as components of the teaching model. Difficulties experienced by novice programmers in introductory programming courses include deficiencies in problem-solving strategies, misconceptions relating to programming language constructs and the use of traditional programming environments. An introductory programming course should offer students problem solving analysis and design experience as well as exposure to the basic ideas of algorithmic thinking. Generally, introductory programming courses tend to concentrate on the syntax of a programming language at the expense of developing problem solving skills. Coupled to this are the ever-increasing complexity of modern programming languages and the user interfaces of their IDEs. A strategy that addresses the difficulties experienced by novice programmers in introductory programming courses is one that modifies the teaching model, specifically within the context of technological support. One way of implementing this strategy is with the use of visual programming languages, of which the iconic flowchart approach is one. Further, iconic programming environments traditionally attempt to simplify the programming task by reducing the level of precision and manual typing usually required in the conventional textual programming languages. These environments also attempt to increase the speed at which problem-solving and implementation efforts occur. Consequently, B# was developed in order to provide an environment in which programs can be developed using iconic flowcharts. Basic programming concepts such as assignments, conditions, loops, inputs and outputs are supported. Automatic code generation, debugging and program execution is also supported by the system. This paper reports on the development of B#, focusing on insights that were obtained concerning iconic programming tools. The use of B# by novice programmers in an introductory programming course is discussed and assessed. Recommendations are made as to how an iconic programming environment like B# could contribute to the successful completion of an introductory programming course

Intrinsic Relations between Data Science, Big Data, Business Analytics and Datafication

Data recording and storage have evolved over the past decades from manual gathering of data by using simple writing materials to the automation of data collection. Data storage has evolved significantly in the past decades and today databases no longer suffice as the only medium for the storage and management of data. This is due to the emergence of the Big Data and Data Science concepts. Previous studies have indicated that the multiplication of processing power of computers and the availability of larger data storage at reduced cost are part of the catalysts for the volume and rate at which data is now made available and captured. In this paper, the concepts of Big Data, Data Science and Business Analytics are reviewed. This paper discusses datafication of different aspects of life as the fundamental concept behind the growth of Big Data and Data Science. A review of the characteristics and value of Big Data and Data Science suggests that these emerging concepts will bring a paradigm change to a number of areas. Big Data was described as the basis for Data Science and Business Analytics which are tools employed in Data Science. Because these fields are still developing, there are diverse opinions, especially on the definition of Data Science. This paper provides a revised definition of Data Science, based on the review of available literature and proposes a schematic representation of the concepts.

The usability of collaborative tools: application to business process modelling

Modelling the business processes of an organisation offers benefits such as improved communication, increased understanding of processes, support for change management and gaining of competitive advantage over other organisations. However, Business Process Modelling (BPM) in large projects often needs to be carried out collaboratively in a team environment. The benefits of collaborative modelling are a reduced workload for modellers and improved quality, readability and accuracy of models. The result is also increased understanding of the processes amongst team members. Traditional technologies and BPM tools have several usability problems and often do not allow for effective collaboration and integration of business process models. Touchscreens are becoming the standardised modality of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet PCs. This paper investigates the use of collaborative business process modelling (CBPM) software and hardware for improving the usability of CBPM projects. A field study comprised of two assignments was carried out to evaluate the difficulties of CBPM with traditional BPM tools running on desktop PCs. A BPM software prototype was then designed which allows the drawing of business process (BP) models using touch and also enables the synchronous display of the process model on multiple tablet PCs.

ICT career track awareness amongst ICT graduates

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry is constantly evolving and new technologies are continuously being introduced. The new technologies create new ICT positions, such as Social Networking Manager, IT Architect, Knowledge Manager and Web Specialist. Existing job descriptions such as Systems Analyst, Project Manager and Programmer still exist. ICT graduates today can pursue a large range of ICT careers. The IS2010 ACM curriculum guidelines provide a range of Information Systems career tracks that students could pursue on completion of a specific degree program. ICT students graduating from tertiary institutions are generally not aware of the possible ICT career opportunities and career tracks available and are uninformed about the job descriptions of a computing professional. The research study conducted among Computer Science and Information Systems under-graduates and post-graduates indicated that the students were generally ignorant of possible ICT career tracks and opportunities available in industry. The study showed that there is a significant statistical difference between career knowledge students indicated they perceived they possessed and their actual career knowledge. Academics and students need to acquire a thorough knowledge of ICT career paths and career tracks. The paper suggests methods to educate and provide the relevant information on ICT career opportunities to new ICT graduates and educators.

Comparison of the effects of professional and pedagogical program development environments on novice programmers

The program development environment a novice programmer uses has been identified as having a significant impact on the outcome of the process of learning to program. Professional program development environments are developed specifically for professional programmers and are often utilised by educational institutions to teach novice programmers. Pedagogical program development environments have been created to assist novice programmers in the process of learning to program. An empirical experiment was conducted to compare a representative professional program development environment with a representative pedagogical program development environment to determine how novice programmers are affected by the program development environment utilised. It was found that low risk novice programmers benefited significantly in terms of academic performance, while high risk novice programmers benefited significantly in terms of programming behaviour by using a pedagogical program development environment. The results indicate that a significant improvement in programming behaviour does not imply a significant increase in academic performance as well.

The use of focus groups to improve an e-Government website

The growth in Africas Internet and broadband sector has significantly increased in recent years, specifically in the e-Government sector. The Internet has become an essential tool to disseminate information to citizens; however, poorly designed websites cause frustration. This paper focuses on the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC) e-Government website which had noticeable usability problems. Focus groups were conducted to obtain information requirements and the typical tasks performed by users. This information was utilised for the creation of a new e-Government website. The focus groups were also utilised to identify usability problems on the current website. This paper illustrates how the focus groups were conducted and explains the results which had an impact on the current and new website design. An improved checklist for conducting focus groups is provided. This is the first usability method used to improve the PGWC website since 2004 and the first time focus groups have been used within this environment.

Design Guidelines for Business Intelligence Tools for Novice Users

The use of interactive dashboards has become a popular technique to aid users in Business Intelligence (BI) analysis and data discovery. The increase in the number of BI platforms on the market is driven by the expanding end-user population. A wider range of novice users, such as business users with minimal Information Technology (IT) or data science skills, are demanding BI tools that support rapid and easy dashboard development. Dashboard development is often a tedious process, involving a number of developers and software tools. Self-service BI tools are becoming prominent environments in which novice users can fulfil their BI requirements without the intervention of IT experts. However, the usability of BI tools has not fully matured to a level where novice users can utilise its features efficiently and effectively without the assistance from IT experts. Limited research has been conducted regarding usability criteria specific to BI tools that support novice users. The purpose of this paper is to expand on existing BI usability criteria for supporting novice users with their data analysis activities. Furthermore, the study proposes a set of design guidelines that can be used as a reference for designing, evaluating and selecting BI tools that aid novice users. Evaluations were carried out on current BI tools to investigate its usability and the extent to which these tools follow the proposed guidelines. Additionally, a field study was conducted with novice users to evaluate the difficulties of current BI tools. This study is concerned with the design of front-end features and usability of BI tools and not on the design of dashboards itself. The results indicated that the proposed design guidelines can be effectively used to select a BI tool for novices.

Using Business Intelligence to Support Strategic Sustainability Information Management

The concept of sustainability has become an important phenomenon globally with many organisations being affected by the heightened awareness in sustainability. Organisations are more aware of the importance of promoting sustainability in all areas of operations. This is no different in the higher education sector, with a number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) playing a leading role in promoting sustainable initiatives. Effectively managing these initiatives however can be a complex task and requires data and information from multiple aspects of operations. In an HEI, operating sustainably means ensuring financial sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability and educational sustainability. In order to manage sustainability effectively, HEIs require an integrated tool that can provide information on all areas of sustainability. This paper highlights the importance of effectively managing sustainability information and the challenges HEIs face in sustainability reporting. Business Intelligence (BI) is a solution to overcome the challenges and effectively managing sustainability information. However, HEIs need to overcome a number of challenges associated with BI to ensure a BI solution is correctly implemented and is effective in solving the problem of effective sustainability information management. This study focusses on the management of sustainability information in South African HEIs. The results indicate that there are many challenges to managing sustainability information in South African HEIs, including siloed data and information as well as poor sharing and communication of information. These two challenges can be overcome by a correctly implemented BI solution.