Katia Passerini

A developmental model for distance learning using the Internet

This study investigated group interaction processes in network supported collaborative concept mapping and the in ̄uence these group interaction processes had upon group concept mapping performance. A total of 36 in-service teachers and pre-service student teachers engaged in this study. It was found that group concept mapping performance was signi®cantly correlated to the quantity of group interaction, particularly complex co-operation interaction. Suggestions for a further improvement in the system design to support collaborative concept mapping are also provided in this paper. # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.The Internet opens a new generation of distance education (fourth generation), introducing sophisticated delivery tools and creating a paradigm shift with profound implications on the design of distance education courses. In order to accommodate this medium, novel curriculum design and learning models may be appropriate. In this paper, there are several instructional design models presented and a hybrid model is developed. This model integrates both constructivist and objectivist approaches to instructional design. When creating or redesigning courses for Internet distribution, content and media developers, faculty and researchers benefit from the identification of a developmental model taking into account both learning and design principles. # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computer-supported team-based learning: The impact of motivation, enjoyment and team contributions on learning outcomes

The benefits of teamwork and collaboration have long been advocated by many educational theories, such as constructivist and social learning models. Among the various applications of collaborative learning, the iterative team-based learning (TBL) process proposed by Michaelsen, Fink, and Knight (2002) has been successfully used in the classroom without computer support. This paper describes the implementation and evaluation results of a classroom application of the TBL process, which was modified to include computer mediation. We call this process computer-supported team-based learning (CS-TBL). This work extends learning in small teams from the traditional classroom to the hybrid classroom where students meet both face-to-face and online by emphasizing the importance of online team interactions. The outcomes are assessed through an evaluation model that considers the impact of motivation, enjoyment and team contributions on learning outcomes. The study results indicate that motivation influences the relationship between team interactions and perceived learning. Enjoyment is affected by motivation and perceptions of team members contributions, with the implication that students who perceive that the team interactions are adding value to their education will better enjoy learning and will experience higher-level learning outcomes.

Increasing Participation in Distance Learning Courses

Web-based discussion forums are key tools in online education environments. Extant studies have shown that active participation helps drive the success of these forums. The integrated participation evaluation tool (iPET) is a Web-based application combining social network analysis and visualization to enable distance learning instructors and students to improve their participation in online discourse and so improve their overall learning experience. An analysis of the results obtained in a study using iPET in a distance learning context shows that iPET increases participation and motivation in distance learning courses without increasing facilitator workload

Technology Trends in Knowledge Management Tools

A large number of tools are available in the software industry to support different aspects of knowledge management (KM). Some comprehensive applications and vendors try to offer global solutions to KM needs; other tools are highly specialized. In this paper, state-of-theart KM tools grouped by specific classification areas and functionalities are described. Trends and integration efforts are detailed with a focus on identifying current and future software and market evolution. backGrounD anD DefInITIons: a focus on PeoPle anD conTeXT

Knowledge‐driven development indicators: still an eclectic panorama

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight that research on the measurement of key indicators that represent drivers of the knowledge economy still spans several different, although interrelated, directions. The results of this review call for further integration of metrics through cross‐disciplinary international, multinational and organizational partnerships that could reconcile and define de facto standards for the assessment of the drivers of knowledge‐based growth.Design/methodology/approach – General review, literature review. The paper reviews extant literature and practical experiences in knowledge‐based development assessments.Findings – The review finds that many institutions are still adopting a variety of approaches which are difficult to reconcile. Additional coordination efforts are required to overcome contextual and non‐replicable approaches and, thus, increase standardization of metrics.Research limitations/implications – While the paper discusses limitations of extant approaches...

Safeguarding patient privacy in electronic healthcare in the USA: the legal view.

The conflict between the sweeping power of technology to access and assemble personal information and the ongoing concern about our privacy and security is ever increasing. While we gradually need higher electronic access to medical information, issues relating to patient privacy and reducing vulnerability to security breaches surmount. In this paper, we take a legal perspective and examine the existing patchwork of laws and obligations governing health information in the USA. The study finds that as Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) increase in scope and dissemination, privacy protections gradually decrease due to the shortcomings in the legal system. The contributions of this paper are (1) an overview of the legal EMR issues in the USA, and (2) the identification of the unresolved legal issues and how these will escalate when health information is transmitted over wireless networks. More specifically, the paper discusses federal and state government regulations such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and judicial intervention. Based on the legal overview, the unresolved challenges are identified and suggestions for future research are included.

The Next Web Apps Architecture: Challenges for SaaS Vendors

Many vendors dream about making it big in the cloud, but licensing Web apps is a fiercely competitive market with rampant risks. Software as a service must overcome several challenges to prove itself as a successful business model.

Utilizing Web Tools for Computer-Mediated Communication to Enhance Team-Based Learning

Team-based learning is an active learning instructional strategy used in the traditional face-to-face classroom. Web-based computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools complement the face-to-face classroom and enable active learning between face-to-face class times. This arti-cle presents the results from pilot assessments of computer-supported team-based learning. The authors utilized pedagogical approaches grounded in collaborative learning techniques, such as team-based learning, and extended these techniques to a Web-based environment through the use of computer-mediated communications tools (discussion Web-boards). This approach was examined through field studies in the course of two semesters at a US public technological university. The findings indicate that the perceptions of team learning experience such as per-ceived motivation, enjoyment, and learning in such a Web-based CMC environment are higher than in traditional face-to-face courses. In addition, our results show that perceived team mem-bers’ contributions impact individual learning experiences. Overall, Web-based CMC tools are found to effectively facilitate team interactions and achieve higher-level learning.

Integration of instructional approaches through media combination in an undergraduate information systems course

Reviews instructional approaches based on the use of different media to provide examples of strategies and evaluation tools for media integration. Uses an introductory information systems undergraduate course taught at the George Washington University as an example.

Uncovering knowledge‐based time management practices

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to investigate individual perceptions of time and time management strategies that professionals utilize to achieve their productivity in the execution of their daily tasks, projects and routines. Projects have specific time durations from the beginning to the end, which often need to be broken down into smaller temporal elements (e.g. milestones), and require learning and knowledge capture throughout different project phases. It aims to observe how knowledge management processes tie to personal time management, and how this observation could contribute to project management practices in organizations. The understanding of individual time management strategies, especially when they are connected to the capture, storage, transfer and application of knowledge, can create operational efficiencies in projects.Design/methodology/approach – Two sets of in‐depth semi‐structured interviews and field observations were designed and conducted with 20 busy professionals at an ...