Nur Huda Jaafar

A framework for resolving task overload problems using intelligent software agents

In this paper, we model task delegation to resolve task overload problems using intelligent software agents in a normative environment. In such environment, where humans are responsible for various tasks, which are not transparent to others except to the management, task delegation is one of the possible solutions. In order to effectively delegate roles and tasks, the delegator must comply with certain norms and rules to avoid delays in completing the tasks. In this paper, we explore the complexity of decision making process in multi-level hierarchical organization and apply delegation rules to resolve issues relating to task overload problem. We then develop a framework using intelligent software agents to resolve the problem.

An integrated document management system for managing self programme accreditation using scrum approach

Handling documents using information technology have been applied in more than decades. It can save paper, speed up communications, save time and increase productivity of work. It is important because there is much valuable information in the form of documents such as books, letters, minutes of meeting, rules and regulations memo that support the programme accreditation process. However, the current practice is still using the traditional file system. This is very challenging for document search process, particularly during the audit process. The major purpose of this paper is to indicate that electronic document management technology can truly support in managing document evidences. This scenario leads towards the development of an integrated document management for academic quality assurance system (iDMQA). iDMQA is certainly useful in reducing the duplication of document evidences that occurs with the current system. Still, this system can be enhanced, especially in terms of tracking the history of document uploads.

Operational Rules for Implementing Sincere Software Agents in Corrective and Preventive Actions Environment

Organizational management that manifests favourable behavioural characters among organizational members brings many benefits to the organizations and their team members. Such successful management ideas, offer software agent technology researchers a model to adopt these behaviours in software agent-based systems. In this paper, we propose operational rules for implementing sincere and sacrifice characters of agents in agent-based systems for corrective and preventive actions in quality management environments. To ensure that a sacrifice agent still produces the best services for its own increasingly progressive task, our proposed agent-based system compares the urgency and importance of its current task and an incoming task. The rules for implementing sincere and sacrifice agent help us to formulate sincere behavior in the agent-based systems.

The influence of human blaming or bragging behaviour towards software agent sincerity implementation

Machine ethics have become an important field of research in software agent technology. Granting autonomy to agents and instilling strong moral values in the agents have become a priority for designing agents to ensure that they will ethically perform tasks. Sincerity is one ethical behaviour that has been proven in human organizations to motivate humans in ethically performing their jobs. However, the sincerity is ruined if they display blaming or bragging behavior while performing their jobs. This paper shows how human blaming and bragging behaviour can influence software agent sincerity implementation. We propose operational rules of software agent sincerity implementation that responds to human blaming or bragging behaviour.

Adapting the Extreme Programming Approach in Developing E-corrective and Preventive Actions: An Experience

Corrective and preventive actions (CPAs) are one of the fields in quality management that every organization needs to give full attention to in order to ensure the organization can provide high-quality services or products. The enforcement of CPA in an organization involves many stakeholders. Therefore, one systematic system that could be used to manage the CPA should be developed. An agile method is one of the methods in information system development that has the capability to speed up the completion of a project. This capability is the main reason why it can maintain the quality of output, and it has become one of the famous approaches in developing the information system. Because of this reason, we have used the Extreme Programming (XP) approach; one of the agile methods used to develop the CPA management system. The XP approach gives many benefits to us, especially with the involvement of clients throughout the development phase. Quick necessary actions can be taken after getting feedbacks from clients. In order to carry this out, good communication between clients and developers must exist. We combined the traditional communication method with communication technologies such as emails and chat rooms. This approach eventually provides many benefits to us in delivering the services successfully.

The rationality of sincere software agent in task completion

The ability of rational agents to work in a team is one of their special characteristics that can help achieve their shared goals. However, in certain conditions, conflict may occur in an agent society; especially if there are selfish agents. A selfish agent places the achievement of its own goal as the main priority in its actions. To strike a balance between the achievement of an agents own goal and its shared goal, strong moral values should be instilled in software agent environments. Sincerity is one strong human moral values that has been proven to bring many benefits to human society and reduce selfish attitude. By adapting human sincere behaviour, conflicts in software agent society could be mitigated. Sincerity behaviour can also influence a software agent to be more rational in its action and sensitive to its work environment. In our work, we study the situations in which software agents demonstrate sincere behavior in task performances. This paper proposes algorithms of sincere actions of rational agents when completing a given task.

Task Transfer in Software Agent Community with Sincerity Merit Point

The software agent technology is one of the human assistive technologies that enables team working. In the process of achieving the team goals, an agent may need help from its teammate to perform its remaining task’s activities in order to meet the task’s deadline. However, certain conditions are needed to be fulfilled for the task transfer even though these would be a burden to the teammate. This paper shows the use of a Workload Manager for handling signals to allow the agent getting help from its teammate. It is also used to identify the available teammate agents that can really help. In this paper also, we simulate the transfer of the remaining task’s activities from one agent to another and demonstrate the process of awarding merit points to the agent that sincerely helps its teammate.

Competition-Based Learning: Determining the Strongest Skill that Can Be Achieved Among Higher Education Learners

Learners these days are expected to possess a hybrid set of soft skills within themselves in order to face the demanding working environment. They should be exposed to a more stimulating learning environment in order to gain adequate level of soft skills. This is a preliminary study to find out the strongest soft skill that can be acquired, applied to programming course in a university level through competition-based learning. A programming competition that consists of diverse level of programming questions were given to the participants and they were asked to complete them within 3 h. The participants are allowed to form a group of not more than two learners. A questionnaire consists of 34 questions was disseminated at the end of the competition. The participants are required to indicate their level of agreement on the level of soft skills they already gained through out the competition. An overall reliability test is conducted in order to determine whether the questionnaire distributed is applicable to the competition-based learning environment. The analysis continues with factor analysis to uncover all possible soft skills that can be achieved through competitive learning. Finally, the reliability test is reconducted for each soft skill to conclude and confirm the strongest skill achievable through competition-based learning. This paper reveals that there are seven strongest skill can be accomplished by the learners. Problem solving attitude and creative thinking are identified as the two topmost skills attainable through competition-based learning and consequently, the authors propose that competition to be introduced as one of the learning method in higher education level.

The Flipped Classroom: The Use of Factor Analysis in Determining the Factors of Acceptance

A face-to-face learning style is still in the current practice of teaching and learning (T&L) where teachers will give lectures and notes in class. However, the students especially the non-computer science students face difficulties learning it on their own and need guidance from knowledgeable persons to understand the programming concept, syntax and development in-depth. Therefore, the flipped classroom approach is used to improve students’ learning style. This approach allows students to learn the subject by watching videos of the lessons frequently. Therefore, they can focus more on exercises in class. Besides, this scenario gives an opportunity for interaction and active learning to take place in the class. However, it is not easily implemented among non-computer science students. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that considered important in measuring students’ acceptance towards flipped classroom approach. A set of questionnaire consists of 33 questions was disseminated to 76 mathematical science students. This paper reveals that the non-computer science students accept flipped classroom approach as a medium to learn the programming subject in higher education level.