Jason H. Sharp

Exploring Educational and Cultural Adaptation through Social Networking Sites.

Social networking sites have seen tremendous growth and are widely used around the world. Nevertheless, the use of social networking sites in educational contexts is an under explored area. This paper uses a qualitative methodology, autoethnography, to investigate how social networking sites, specifically Facebook, can help first semester doctoral students adapt to a Ph.D. program and a new national culture. Each week during the semester, a Ph.D. Student Tip and a Cultural Tip was posted. Students would then post related discussions, observations, and/or questions. At the conclusion of the semester the doctoral students shared their thoughts about participating in the FacebookTM group through autobiographical narratives. A technique called open coding was used to analyze the narratives. Our findings suggest three emergent themes. Social networking sites can aid adaptation through: 1) facilitating knowledge exchange, 2) alleviating apprehension, and 3) enabling socialization and building community. The data showed that the FacebookTM discussions aided in various types of knowledge exchange, providing a conceptual map that facilitated greater adaptation. Next, the interactions appeared to help minimize trepidation related to embarking on a new program of study and adjusting to a new national culture. Third, the FacebookTM group was useful fostering socialization and community among the students. We make the following recommendations for professors when implementing SNS (Social Network Site) groups: 1) establish a FacebookTM group with a course-related identity, 2) be sensitive to security and privacy issues, 3) provide tips to “seed” various types of knowledge exchange, 4) encourage participation, and 5) assess and adjust. While our research is exploratory in nature, we believe it provides a foundation for future research in this important and rapidly expanding area of SNS usage.

A theoretical framework of component-based software development phases

Component-Based Software Development (CBSD) is considered by many as the next revolution in systems development. Its focus is on the integration of pre-fabricated software components to build systems that increase portability and flexibility. CBSD purports to address the problem of systems which are delivered behind schedule, over-budget, and inadequately meeting user requirements. A major contribution of this work is providing a solid theoretical foundation using Simons (1977) problem solving model and the tenets of design science to the emerging CBSD paradigm which has lacked a theoretical-base. In doing so, we construct a theoretical framework of the CBSD development phases by synthesizing the current CBSD related literature and developing propositions for guiding future research. This framework clearly differentiates between component and systems development in the CBSD approach. Implications for both research and practice are also discussed.

What's all the FOSS?: How Freedom and Openness Are Changing the Face of Our Educational Landscape

Philosophical, financial, practical, and pedagogical considerations have prompted educators to take a serious look at Free and Open Source Software FOSS as an alternative to proprietary software. To better understand the overall concept of FOSS, this article provides a brief history of FOSS as well as a summary of its definition, philosophy, and major areas of research, including strengths and limitations, diffusion in education and educational uses as well as a look at the opportunities, issues, and challenges associated with FOSS. In conclusion, the authors speculate how FOSS, along with advances in E-Learning and other emerging technologies, will positively shape our educational future.

A Preliminary Conceptual Model for Exploring Global Agile Teams

The combination of agile methods and global software development via virtual teams represents an emerging approach to addressing the challenges typically associated with software development projects. The prevailing viewpoint has been that agile methods are not applicable in global settings. However, some current research is challenging this assertion. Therefore, we pose the following research question: How can agile teams be successfully configured in globally distributed environments? Drawing upon configurational theory, work group design research, virtualness concepts, and the software agility literature, the purpose of this paper is to construct a preliminary conceptual model for exploring three proposed dimensions necessary for successful configuration of global agile teams: structure, agility, and virtualness. This paper contributes to the information systems field by providing a starting point towards theory building in the area of globally distributed agile teams and by suggesting three dimensions for measuring and characterizing global agile team configuration.