Lesley A. Gardner

A web-based learning and assessment system to support flexible education

At a time where increased costs and resource constraints are experienced by many tertiary institutions globally, the pressure to find alternative methods to deliver teaching and assessment increases. Whilst the individual learning experience is paramount, the need to manage the numbers, resources and assessment provide an administrative overhead and headache to all teaching staff. With this predicament in mind a computer-supported learning system (CECIL) was developed. It is a web-based teaching and learning resource and administration system. This paper describes the CECIL structure and discusses the potential benefits that a university-wide resource management system may have in terms of the educational flexibility and resource sharing.

Consumers’ adoption of information services

This paper reports on a design science research study that seeks to investigate how information service components affect consumers’ potential adoption of such services. More specifically, the paper develops a conceptual model that uses the theory of organizational information services (TOIS) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) as a basis. The results indicate that individual constructs can be linked to service components. In turn, this result can potentially be instrumental in progress toward a deeper understanding of consumers’ adoption of information services and how this affects the development of such services and systems that support them.

Computer supported learning. A large-scale, web-based learning and assessment system to support flexible education

With the increase in cost and resources constraints experienced by many tertiary institutions globally, the pressure to find alternative methods to deliver teaching and assessment increases. Whilst mindful of the learning experience of the individual, the need to manage the numbers, resources and assessment provide an administrative overhead and headache to every professor who has ever taught. With this predicament in mind the computer supported learning system (CSL) is a web-based teaching and learning resource and administration system, developed by the Business Education On-Line Unit of the Auckland Business School, at the University of Auckland (New Zealand). We call it Cecil. The paper describes the Cecil structure and discusses the potential benefits that a university wide resource management system may have in terms of the educational flexibility and resource sharing.

Major Issues in the Successful Implementation of Information Systems in Developing Countries

Information systems projects in developing countries continue to fail. Our research aims to understand some of the major issues that negatively impact the success of public sector information systems projects in developing countries. For this, we conducted a qualitative study of a state agricultural marketing board in India. The board initiated an information systems project in 2003. The objective of the project was to connect the various agricultural markets spread across the state by deploying hi-tech information and communication technologies. Unfortunately, the project was abandoned because of the growing conflicts between the government and private vendors implementing the project. The major stakeholders in the project included the government, private vendors, farmers and traders. The data for this critical case study were collected over a period of eight months from 2009 to 2012 using semi structured interviews, field visits and observations. The findings suggest that the lack of trust and resignation (to certain unfair practices being virtually impossible to change) arethe core issues that impede success of information systems implementation in developing countries.

Exploration of Location-Based Services Adoption

As mobile technologies become more ubiquitous in the general population, it is reasonable to assume that individuals will consume services and software to enhance their aspirations and entertainment desires. This paper discusses a controlled experiment to explore aspects of user perceptions of their use of location-based services. This study examines a location-based service prototype experiment and analysis based on the UTAUT model. The results show significant indicators that suggest behavior patterns of early adopters of location-based services are being observed. We discuss these influences and attempt to explain their significance. Moreover, more curiously we discuss why some of our model was unsupported and postulate why.

The Design – Reality Gap: The Impact of Stakeholder Strategies on IS Implementation in Developing Countries

A deep understanding of stakeholder strategies can be a powerful tool in helping IS researchers understand the realities of IS design and implementation in developing countries. We discuss the strategies used by stakeholders during the implementation of the first state government owned agricultural marketing information system project in India. Our main findings are that, while some stakeholder strategies were consistent with the implementation of the new system, most stakeholder strategies were not. Our findings may have important implications for the design and implementation of information systems in other developing countries.

Teaching Cartographic Design Using Hypercard

AbstractThis paper describes the design of a specification for a Geographical Information Systems Tutor and the development of a prototype module of this system using the ideas of hypertext to create the information structure. The design and implementation of the system was based on the development environment HyperCard (Apple Computers Inc). The aim of the design and implementation of such a system is to investigate the possibility of providing a new enhanced interactive medium for teaching purposes. The system is intended to provide some additional teaching materials for relevant undergraduate courses taught at the L.S.E., although it is also envisaged that this teaching tool will also be useful in secondary schools. The hypertext form of information communication provides a teaching aid which is ideal for use at levels where individuals are able to work by themselves, therefore removing some of the pressure and limitation of knowledge transfer from teacher to pupil during class time. Also, it provides ...

Evolution of a knowledge focused computer supported learning system by ensuring extensibility through generalization and replication

If sufficient attention is not paid to the information models on which learning platforms are based the ability to deliver rich functionality is hindered. This paper describes the issues and records the experiences of the Cecil development in confronting this and the benefits that have been gained. This system, which has been evolving for 7 years, has been reengineered to create the foundations for a knowledge engine, which embodies at its core the way we group and classify our knowledge of the world through generalisation and specialisation. These characteristics provide the foundation to deliver a wide variety of solutions in many domains apart from the initial design target of teaching and learning. By implementing a singular and global identity of all knowledge elements and other information entities to allow logical extensibility the framework for physical extensibility, replication and peer-to-peer interaction, has been established.

Characterizing Students Based on Their Participation in the Class.

With the increasing number of students in class, it is very important to give insights to the lecturer about how students are learning. In this study, clustering has been applied to the students’ class participation data to group them based on similar performance and scores. Participants were 102 second-year undergraduate students at a New Zealand university. The data include students’ responses to the regular quizzes and at the end of online modules questions, internal test, and tournament questions. Applying K-Means, four different groups of students have been identified. The results revealed that students who were more active and participated more in activities achieved better scores on their final exam.

Analysing the Relationships Between Digital Literacy and Self-Regulated Learning of Undergraduates—A Preliminary Investigation

Advances in technology access allow undergraduates to personalize their learning to their individual interests via the creation and use of informal personal learning environments (PLEs). A comprehensive understanding of how every day digital technologies are adapted and used to create such PLEs and their impact on acquisition and development of students’ digital literacy (DL) and self-regulated learning (SRL) skills, is still lacking. This paper presents the initial exploratory quantitative phase, of a longitudinal mixed methods study planned to identify and describe the relationship between DL and SRL skills of students, when using PLEs. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze data collected from 202 participants in online surveys. The results confirm that DL components effect some SRL sub-processes and some evidence was obtained for reciprocal relationships. Implications for Information Systems theory and practice are discussed together with future research opportunities.