Noraidah Sahari

Identifying User Requirements of Mobile Government Services in Malaysia Using Focus Group Methodch

Mobile government implementation in Malaysia is still in its very early stages – indeed a comprehensive m-Government has not been shaped yet. In this regard, we need to investigate the potential needs of users of m-Government services. In addition, there is a need to describe the factors that lead to the integration of the services provided with users’ everyday practices. In this research, we examined different groups of citizens with varying needs and practices in the available technologies. Focus groups method is used to collect data. Results show that although awareness of mobile government services is reasonably high, only a small number of Malaysians actually use mobile government services. However, citizens acknowledged that mobile government services can be useful, easy to use and convenient. Moreover, both the discussion groups and the questionnaire addressed the problems, limitations, and improvement needed in mGovernment services which include information content, information presentation, system structure, search alternatives, and navigation logic.

Mobile Government User Requirements Model

Independent studies have shown that mobile government (M-Government) can have an important influence on business and society in the future. Hence, network designers, service providers, government and application developers must carefully take the needs and considerations of various users into account to provide better services and attract them to M-Government Consequently, identifying the M-Government user requirements and their significance becomes an essential and crucial process for the standardization and improvement of associated systems. On this line, the objective of this paper is to propose a requirements model as a result of quantitative and qualitative methods, this model provide practitioners a more effective and efficient model for prioritizing M-Government user requirements.

A framework of knowledge sharing through ICT for teachers in Malaysia

It is widely recognized that the most critical part of knowledge management process is knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing is crucial to either profit or non-profit organizations. The first part of this paper introduces the concept and some definitions of knowledge sharing. Next, the paper describes the benefits of knowledge sharing to the education. Based on the preliminary study and observation,some issues on teachers and the Information Communication Technology (ICT) are highlighted. This paper seeks to review the existing models and theories that have been applied to identify the factors that affect the knowledge sharing process. Finally, by applying the combination of knowledge sharing and information system theories, this paper proposes a knowledge sharing framework for teachers in Malaysia.

Heuristic evaluation of distance learning management system interface

As more and more technology finds its way into distance learning programs, the more complicated system has become. In the early stage of the system development process, measuring the usability of Distance Learning Management System (DLMS) is very important to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness. This research aims to measures the usability of a DLMS prototype based on users requirements. To verify whether the DLMS prototype has met the requirements, verification method using heuristic evaluation (experts review) to evaluate the prototype interface is used. Heuristic evaluation is conducted by comparing it with the gathered requirements in order to ensure the DLMS prototype follows design principles and standard. This prototype is reviewed by six experts whom have good experience in different fields (LMS development, system quality, software engineering and distance learning) to show their contentment with the DLMS features and requirements. An expert review form is constructed based on the literature review which consist of four main dimensions which include; what the DLMS interface achieves, what the DLMS interface did not achieved, recommendation and severity rating. The evaluation concludes that obviously the DLMS is usable and fulfilled the requirements, some improvement to further enhance the features of the future DLMS is still needed. As compared to the existing LMS that are used in many institutions, DLMS provide academic staffs, students and technical staffs with usable and suitable tool to manage and deliver the distance learning instructions.

Exploring the affective, motivational and cognitive effects of pedagogical agent enthusiasm in a multimedia learning environment

In a traditional classroom environment, instructor enthusiasm has been shown to enhance student’s emotion, affective perceptions, intrinsic motivation, and cognitive outcome. Additionally, emotional response theory argues that enthusiastic verbal and nonverbal cues of an instructor will induce positive emotional states in learners, which in turn, enact learners’ approach behaviours in the learning process. Therefore, should a pedagogical agent convey enthusiastic behaviours in a multimedia learning environment? Literature and theoretical reviews offer two competing views. The first view, based on emotional response theory, predicts that enthusiastic verbal and nonverbal cues of a pedagogical agent can induce higher positive emotions in learners, which in turn, enhance affective perceptions, intrinsic motivation, and cognitive outcome. However, the second view, based on cognitive load theory, suggests that pedagogical agent enthusiasm may increase extraneous cognitive load (additional processing in the mind), which negatively impact emotion, affective perceptions, intrinsic motivation, and cognitive outcome. To investigate the effects of agent enthusiasm, seventy-two university freshmen interacted with either an enthusiastic agent or a neutral agent (operationalized through vocal tones, facial expression, gestures, and remarks) that simulates the instructional role of a virtual tutor that delivers narrative demonstrations on how to predict the outputs of C-Programming algorithms. The results of our study showed that pedagogical agent enthusiasm significantly enhanced emotion, intrinsic motivation, affective perceptions, and cognitive outcome. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that the facilitating effects of agent enthusiasm on intrinsic motivation, affective perceptions of the learning environment, and affective perceptions of the pedagogical agent were fully mediated by a learner’s positive emotion, thus demonstrating that the framework of emotional response theory can be applied to learner-agent interaction in a multimedia learning environment. Implications and suggestions for future research related to pedagogical agent enthusiasm are discussed in this paper.

Framework of visual interface for children's digital library

This paper discuss the visual interface framework which represents conceptual design of childrens interface digital library. This framework would eventually be used as a guideline in developing digital library for children. In pursuance of this aim, the objectives of this paper are to discuss various techniques that have potential to overcome issues dealing with design interface and the final presentation of information design, and to make recommendation of framework of user interface design of the childrens digital library.

Logistic E-marketplace for agro-based industries in Malaysia

Among the supply chain priorities that have paramount importance in agro based supply chains is the development and maintenance of relationships between the agro-based entrepreneur and third party logistics providers. This state of events came into being because of the nature of agro products that could require rapid transportation and special storage facilities. This paper presents results of a preliminary study that looked into the possibility of bringing logistic management to a new dimension in Malaysia, that is, via the web platform of fourth-party logistics (4PL). The proposed 4PL will be in the form of a Logistics E-marketplace. Data from a pilot study of agro-based industries and 3PL providers is used to examine the current state of distribution and logistics management activities and to gauge their acceptance of the proposed 4PL. Results from the study are also used to develop a set of requirements that will be used to develop the functions or services that will be offered by the Logistics E-marketplace. In this Logistic E-Marketplace, users can place carrier orders, use matching facilities to meet their distribution requirements and advertise shipment consolidation.

Heuristic evaluation of postgraduate management information system interface

The student information system (SIS) in any academic institution is an essential medium in performing academic activities. To this end, many academic institutions have developed reliable systems that can be operated in their institutions. Student information systems deal with all kinds of student details and academic related reports. There are distinct requirements between graduate and postgraduate students. The postgraduate information system should be developed specifically for postgraduate students since they require specific functions tailored to their needs. This study aims to discover factors impact on problems of interface usability found in an existing postgraduate information system. Heuristic evaluation is performed in order to investigate whether or not the student information system follows the design principles and standards found in literature. The evaluation is based on specific tasks and a selected heuristic checklist and involves five postgraduate students as evaluators. The results show that user control and freedom and also reliability is the systems main problem.

Instructor's success measures of Learning Management System

Distance learning has been used widely as a helpful solution by many institutions to offer learning on demand opportunities to working adults. Educational technology evaluation model (ETM) have been tested in large sample size among students, and little research has been conducted to measure the success of distance learning technologies such as Learning Management System (LMS) from the point of view of instructors. Based on previous literature of critical success factors (CSF), this study validated a multidimensional model for assessing distance learning management systems success from the perspective of the instructors. To conceptualizing the ETM, measuring factors, collecting data procedure, reliability and validity testing are described. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), which is a statistical technique, is used to estimate a series of interrelated dependence relationships of ETM factors simultaneously. This technique is applied to help in generating a model of relationships among variables. This paper presents results of the instrument reliability and constructs validity by analyzing data from a sample of 110 participants. Managerial and theoretical implications of the results are discussed. This empirical validation of the ETM will be useful to researchers in developing and measuring distance learning technologies, as well as to organizations in implementing successful distance learning technologies.