Information Technology Disciplines Research Articles

The Difference Between Attitudinal Factors Influencing Success of Commerce and Computer Science Students at a South African University

Software is a vital resource for modern life. For software to be successful, programming skills are of the utmost importance. These skills are used both by programmers and also by systems analysts and designers during the phases of software development. Therefore, both technical and non-technical stakeholders within the software development process need to understand programming. Evidence from the researchers’ experience indicates that non-technical stakeholders perform poorly in programming courses. Given the lack of literature on the attitude factors influencing programming success by non-technical students, this study set out to determine the attitudinal factors influencing successful programming by non-technical (Commerce) and technical (Computer Science) students at a South African University. Using a descriptive survey design, a 50-question Likert scale survey was completed by 126 Commerce and Computer Science students in the Information Technology discipline. Both Commerce and Computer Science students demonstrated a positive attitude towards realising the usefulness of computer programming, however Computer Science students demonstrated a higher overall positive attitude. Furthermore, for Commerce students, performance was correlated with these factors: confidence in learning programming, usefulness of programming and effectance motivation in programming. Hence it is recommended that strategies be devised by lecturers and programming course designers to increase student confidence and effectance motivation in programming, which will result in better student performance. Introducing a problem-solving approach and pair-programming, developing targeted courses and an early use of visual programming environments have been suggested to improve the overall confidence of non-technical students.

Survey of the organizational structure and job positions in the health information technology discipline and providing a job position model for Iran.

Survey of the organizational structure and job positions in the health information technology discipline and providing a job position model for Iran.

RE-CONCEPTUALIZING INFORMATION CREDIBILITY IN THE AGE OF NETWORKING SOCIETY

The main objective of this paper is to re-conceptualize the concept of information credibility. This is due to the fact that the current society, which is best labelled as network society are becoming more complicated in relation to consuming information. The boundary of information producer and consumers are becoming thinner due to the advances in information technology. The existing body of knowledge about information credibility also warrant further investigation. Studies on information credibility are dispersed between the disciplines of communication, information technology and business studies. This has resulted in different conception of information credibility. Thus, this study was carried out using the Grounded Theory approach. There were four focus group discussions held to identify how the current society perceived information credibility. The choice of informants was based on the existing dialogue of digital natives and digital migrants. The finding shows that there is indeed new conception of information credibility. The concept of source and message are being strengthened, while two new concepts; viral and behaviour were added. The finding also reveals generational differences that warrant further investigation. The finding of this study is still open for further test due to the limitations of grounded theory approach.

Portuguese mathematics teachers who adopt digital technologies in their curriculum acts

O artigo tem como objetivo compreender os atos curriculares de dois professores de Matemática do Ensino Fundamental de escolas públicas do Distrito de Lisboa, em Portugal, no que se refere ao uso de tecnologias digitais baseadas em reformas recentes no país. O estudo de caso possui viés metodológico qualitativo e foram realizadas análises das falas desses professores, as quais evidenciaram a dinâmica das tecnologias digitais na abordagem da interdisciplinaridade, no âmbito da disciplina Tecnologia da Informação, por meio da Flexibilidade Curricular em matemática e não matemática. contextos matemáticos. Surgiu também a dissonância entre os atos curriculares dos professores, a Educação Matemática e as propostas curriculares em vigor no país, bem como a necessidade de ampliar estudos e pesquisas na área de Alfabetização Digital e Pensamento Computacional, para que possam ser promovidas práticas. que desenvolvem a autonomia e o processo criativo dos alunos.

An entrepreneurial intention model focussing on higher education

PurposeStart-up intention among university students is related to the image of entrepreneurship as a career alternative. University is critical in developing the levels of motivation and capabilities of graduates to effectively engage in entrepreneurial activity. The purpose of this paper is to propose an entrepreneurial intention model focussing on higher education and the implementation of the model as a practical digital application which can be used in universities to improve the entrepreneurial intention of students enrolled in different courses.Design/methodology/approachThis paper first discusses the importance of entrepreneurial intention in graduate entrepreneurship. Then, it proposes an entrepreneurial intention model based on the four propositions identified from the literature. Finally, the model is implemented as a practical digital application focussing on self-skill awareness, entrepreneurial resources and entrepreneurial support network. A survey is conducted with students to evaluate the model and the application.FindingsEntrepreneurial awareness found to have a positive effect of entrepreneurial intention. Besides the conceptual model, this study has developed a digital application to enhance entrepreneurial intention of students focussing on information technology discipline. The application is evaluated through an online survey and the results show that the application can significantly improve entrepreneurial intention.Originality/valueThe proposed entrepreneurial intention model and the digital application offer guidance to universities as to how online systems can be used to create an environment that fosters individual intentions to select entrepreneurship as a career option, even for students doing non-entrepreneurial courses.

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ЦИФРОВЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ В ОБУЧЕНИИ ИНОСТРАННОМУ ЯЗЫКУ

The article deals with the application of new technologies in teaching foreign languages. Substantiates the importance of the development of other forms and methods of teaching English to students of information technology disciplines. As well as drawing attention to the use of new information and communication technologies of the Internet. The article includes examples of the use of podcasts in the development of listening skills. The article is written for foreign language teachers, all interested in the methodology of teaching foreign languages, based on new technologies.

Data analytics dilemma at Alpen Hotel

Data analytics is currently the buzzword for the hospitality industry to stay ahead of their competitors. Service providers use data analytics to ensure their brand remains relevant for customers. Using data analytics in customer relationship management is a relatively novel initiative for the hospitality industry to enhance the efforts of customer relationship management. Obtaining customers’ data (i.e. customers’ hotel stay and preferences) provides both opportunity and challenges for the hospitality industry. Data analytics helps the hospitality industry to quickly, effectively, and efficiently pursue data-driven decision-making. At the same time, acquiring relevant customers’ data is a challenge, for example, data privacy and confidentiality. This case study is based on Alpen Hotel (pseudonym), a luxury hotel in Singapore with a good standing in the hospitality industry. This case is focused on the issues they experienced in implementing data analytics as part of the hotel’s customer relationship management efforts. This case study aims to highlight data analytics dilemma at the hotel and may create an opportunity for hospitality educators to work interdisciplinary with faculties from an information systems or technology discipline. Finally, the case study may enhance knowledge and minimise the practice gap between industry and academia.

Some Considerations to Improve the General Feature Model and General Portrayal Model in Gittok

Abstract. The general feature model (GFM) and the general portrayal model (GPM) are defined in the geospatial information technology learning assistance tool called gittok. This paper introduces five proposals to integrate different types of features and associations in the GFM and GPM: 1) the extensional-schematization procedure enables to formulate application schemata by specifying its extension, that is, every object that falls under the screening guideline; 2) nongeographic feature type may be included in the application schema; 3) feature association type can be geographic or nongeographic in a similar way as feature type; 4) nongeographic features and/or associations can be represented as a one-dimensional map or list; 5) representation by the copy of the portrayal declaration associating with a super feature type to avoid duplication should be possible. These proposals will expand the discipline of geospatial information technology (GIT).

Avaliação da aplicação da metodologia aprendizagem baseada em problemas na disciplina de tecnologia da informação e comunicação no ensino de química

This work evaluate the application of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) methodology in the discipline of Information and Communication Technology in the Chemistry Teaching (TICEQ) of a brazilian public university, in order to analyze if it provides students with a more critical training process regarding the discussions on the integration of ICT in teaching Chemistry. The research participants were 16 undergraduate students in chemistry, duly enrolled in the discipline. The methodology used was qualitative, using two instruments: observation, using the video recording technique, and the collection of documents. The results indicate that the implementation of the PBL favored a better reflection on the insertion of ICT in the teaching of Chemistry, as well as encouraging students to reflect on their future teaching practice

Building Capacity for Cyberbiosecurity Training

Cyberbiosecurity lies at the intersection of cybersecurity and biosecurity and addresses the protection of valuable biological material and associated information. As an emerging concept, cyberbiosecurity requires the integration of training strategies targeted to both current and future professionals; as well as an increased awareness in the wider stakeholder community. As the discrete discipline of cyberbiosecurity continues to develop, initial training efforts are likely to include workshops and specialized training that bridge the disciplines of information technology (IT) and life sciences. Potential threats, risks, and vulnerabilities will be defined, cooperative relationships formed, and collaborative solutions developed. As the scope of the training framework for assessing potential threats is adapted to various audiences, in-service trainings will ensure awareness and understanding of threats relevant to specific industries. This framework may also be incorporated into existing curricula across IT and science fields. The scope of potential threats is vast, and eventual specialization will likely fall within the realm of IT professionals, who carry the capability for action. In this paper, we identify stakeholders in the development of cyberbiosecurity training; discuss current training methods, educational requirements, and credentialing for professionals in cybersecurity, biosecurity, and life sciences; suggest mechanisms for integration of cyberbiosecurity training into existing training approaches; and discuss potential for future development of specialized professionals.

Cyberbiosecurity: A Call for Cooperation in a New Threat Landscape.

The life sciences now interface broadly with information technology (IT) and cybersecurity. This convergence is a key driver in the explosion of biotechnology research and its industrial applications in health care, agriculture, manufacturing, automation, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology. As the information and handling mechanisms for biological materials have become increasingly digitized, many market sectors are now vulnerable to threats at the digital interface. This growing landscape will be addressed by cyberbiosecurity, the emerging field at the convergence of both the life sciences and IT disciplines. This manuscript summarizes the current cyberbiosecurity landscape, identifies existing vulnerabilities, and calls for formalized collaboration across a swath of disciplines to develop frameworks for early response systems to anticipate, identify, and mitigate threats in this emerging domain.

Комп’ютерно-орієнтовані системи у STEAM-освіті

Освіта – фундамент для успішного розвитку країни. Після настання цифрової революції, коли більшість професій неможливі без використання комп’ютерів, інформаційних технологій, мережі Інтернет. У процес навчання потрібно гармонійно вбудовувати вивчення сучасних технологій без втрати фундаментальних принципів інших дисциплін. Таке поєднання можливе з інтеграцією у дисципліни природничого циклу елементів програмування та інформаційних технологій. В статті розглянуто деякі теоретичні відомості для тих, хто починає вивчати схемотехніку. А також продемонстровано приклади використання веб сервісу Tinkercad для створення проектів на базі плати Arduino без наявності самої плати.

МОДЕЛЬ РЕАЛИЗАЦИИ ПОДГОТОВКИ УЧИТЕЛЕЙ-НАСТАВНИКОВ И СТУДЕНТОВ-ИНТЕРНОВ В СФЕРЕ ЦИФРОВЫХ ПЕДАГОГИЧЕСКИХ КОМПЕТЕНЦИЙ

Problem and purpose. The article reveals the essence of the problem of training in the field of digital pedagogical competences in accordance with the topical directions of development of the education system in Russia. The purpose of the study is to develop a set of organizational and pedagogical conditions aimed at integrated training of working pedagogues, teachers and students of pedagogical universities for the implementation of labor functions in accordance with the social order, designated by state policy, for the effective use of digital means of educational purposes, associated with modern pedagogical technologies and online education opportunities. The methodology. Scientific and pedagogical bases for research served as a set of initial theoretical justifications: 1) the provisions of the competence approach to describe the nature and structure of competencies as an educational result; 2) the key provisions of the system – and personality-activity approaches to describe the nature and types of educational and cognitive activity; 3) the idea of personality-oriented education and technologization of the educational process for modeling individual educational trajectories of subject clusters participants; 4) technologies of context training, the theory of step-by-step formation of new knowledge and actions, activity models of training for modeling the structure and content of training; 5) the identified patterns of formation and development of professional ICT competence of teachers, ideas about cluster-distributed models of pedagogical process implementation. Results. The paper substantiates the content and implementation model of integrated training in the field of digital pedagogical competencies of secondary school working teachers, teachers of information technology and methodological disciplines and students of pedagogical university, sent throughout the final year to schools for practical development of ways of labor functions implementation (pedagogical internship). The conclusion. The results obtained at the moment allow us to conclude that a possible solution to the problems of training of future and working teachers in the field of digital pedagogical competencies is an integrated model that exists in a cluster-distributed form within the pedagogical internship. This model implies a number of organizational and pedagogical conditions associated with both the content and the nature of the organization of interaction of all the participants with the help of a separate structure – the Center of digital pedagogical competencies.

Usage pattern of e-resources among management students in Nagpur, Maharashtra (India)

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the usage pattern of electronic resources (e-resources) among management graduates. The respondents were asked about the types of e-resources they used, who their influencers were, their preferred place for surfing, the frequency of use, purpose for which they used e-resources, its benefits and the problems they faced while using e-resources. The findings of the study will help in enhancing the usage of e-resources among students who opt for management courses. Design/methodology/approach This descriptive research was conducted in Nagpur, Maharashtra (India). Data collected from 150 management students through purposive sampling were analyzed through descriptive statistics, and the responses were presented in tabular form. Findings The investigation reveals that students are well aware of e-resources and consider them to be very useful for their academic performance. Interestingly, students are found to be using non-paid resources more than paid ones because of a lack of search skills. Discipline-wise investigation reveals that students from the disciplines of information technology, economics and finance use e-resources more frequently than those studying subjects like marketing, operations and human resource management. Faculty and training have emerged as strong influencers that have persuaded students to use e-resources. Research limitations/implications The present study is limited to students studying management courses in Nagpur, Maharashtra (India). Originality/value This research will help institutions, librarians and publishers in gaining insight on the utilization patterns of e-resources. The uniqueness of this study lies in the fact that it has analyzed and presented the responses of management students belonging to different disciplines in management studies such as, marketing, finance, human resource management operations, economics and information technology regarding their usage patterns of e-resources.

Design and Development of High School Artificial Intelligence Textbook Based on Computational Thinking

Big data and deep learning technology have once again set off a boom in artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence has been a major development strategy in many countries. The Chinese government has also written this into the “13th Five-Year Plan”, and the Ministry of Education has also launched with the reform measures for artificial intelligence education, the deep integration of “artificial intelligence education” has been opened. In this context, China’s artificial intelligence disciplines and professional construction have set off a major reform storm from colleges to basic education. The revision of this high school artificial intelligence textbook was carried out in this context. The biggest feature of this high school artificial intelligence textbook revision is the integration of computational thinking into the core literacy design. Computational thinking is an indispensable ability of learners in the 21st century. As a typical “digital aboriginal”, high school students must have computational thinking in order to cope with the challenges brought about by the rapid changes in social technology in the future. At present, all developed countries have incorporated computational thinking into national curriculum standards. China has also written computational thinking into national curriculum standards and listed it as one of the core literacies of information technology disciplines.

Big data analytics: does organizational factor matters impact technology acceptance?

Ever since the emergence of big data concept, researchers have started applying the concept to various fields and tried to assess the level of acceptance of it with renown models like technology acceptance model (TAM) and it variations. In this regard, this paper tries to look at the factors that associated with the usage of big data analytics, by synchronizing TAM with organizational learning capabilities (OLC) framework. These models are applied on the construct, intended usage of big data and also the mediation effect of the OLC constructs is assessed. The data for the study is collected from the students pertaining to information technology disciplines at University of Liverpool, online programme. Though, invitation to participate e-mails are sent to 1035 students, only 359 members responded back with filled questionnaires. This study uses structural equation modelling and multivariate regression using ordinary least squares estimation to test the proposed hypotheses using the latest statistical software R. It is proved from the analysis that compared to other models, model 4 (which is constructed by using the constructs of OLC and TAM frameworks) is able to explain 44% variation in the usage pattern of big data. In addition to this, the mediation test performed revealed that the interaction between OLC dimensions and TAM dimensions on intended usage of big data has no mediation effect. Thus, this work provided inputs to the research community to look into the relation between the constructs of OLC framework and the selection of big data technology.

Application of Database Approaches to the Study of Earth’s Aeolian Environments: Community Needs and Goals

Abstract Aeolian science is faced with significant challenges that impact its ability to benefit from recent advances in information technology. The discipline deals with high-end systems in the form of ground and satellite based sensors, computer modeling and simulation, and wind tunnel experiments. Aeolian scientists also collect field data manually with observational methods that may differ significantly between studies with little agreement on even basic morphometric parameters and terminology. Data produced from these studies, while forming the core of research papers and reports, is rarely available to the community at large. Recent advances are also superimposed on an underlying semantic structure that dates to the 1800’s or earlier that is confusing, with ambiguously defined, and at times even contradictory, meanings. The aeolian “world-view” does not always fit within neat increments nor is defined by crisp objects. Instead change is continuous and features are fuzzy. Development of an ontological framework to guide spatiotemporal research is the fundamental starting point for organizing data in aeolian science. This requires a “rethinking” of how we define, collect, process, store and share data along with the development of a community-wide collaborative approach designed to bring the discipline into a data rich future. There is also a pressing need to develop efficient methods to integrate, analyze and manage spatial and temporal data and to promote data produced by aeolian scientists so it is available for preparing diagnostic studies, as input into a range of environmental models, and for advising national and international bodies that drive research agendas. This requires the establishment of working groups within the discipline to deal with content, format, processing pipelines, knowledge discovery tools and database access issues unique to aeolian science. Achieving this goal requires the development of comprehensive and highly-organized databases, tools that allow aeolian scientists as well as those in related disciplines to access and analyze the wealth of data available, and a supporting infrastructure and community-wide effort that allows aeolian scientists to communicate their results in replicable ways to scientists and decision and policy makers. Fortunately, much of the groundwork required to move aeolian science into a data rich future has been developed in other data rich physical science fields, and within the computer science and information technology disciplines.

Smart infrastructure: an emerging frontier for multidisciplinary research

The irreversible marriage between digital technology and physical urban infrastructure has given rise to the concept of smart infrastructure. The potential benefits of smart infrastructure are significant; however, their realisation will depend on society’s ability to address pressing issues, such as the need to develop a common language to describe terms and processes. This paper aims to lay out the foundations of such a common language. First, the authors review academic literature in order to outline key characteristics of so-called smart infrastructure systems. Importantly, the authors define and differentiate between smart and intelligent infrastructure systems. Then, the authors use an LVP framework to describe the levels (L), values (V) and principles (P) of inherently smart infrastructure systems. Finally, the authors argue that the study of smart infrastructure is a multidisciplinary field of research that reaches beyond traditional engineering and information technology disciplines. The authors expect that eliminating ambiguity and fragmentation in the definition of smart infrastructure systems will enhance research on and practice of these systems.

TECHNOLOGY OF THE DIDACTIC ENGINEERING OF THE IT-DISCIPLINES IN THE HIGH SCHOOL

Didactic engineering of information technology disciplines is the technological activity of the teacher on the design, development and implementation of the learning process effective result-centre didactic system of teaching information technology. The process of didactic engineering consists of three stages: the stage of determining the learning goals and designing the content of the discipline; stage of development of didactic system discipline; stage of didactic analysis and correction of the contents of discipline. The aim of the article is to describe didactic design technologies as practical advice for teachers of high school to develop training and work programs of certain information technology disciplines.

Big Data Analytics: A Field of Opportunities for Information Systems and Technology Researchers

ABSTRACTIn recent years, the information systems research community has been experiencing an exciting time discovering and coming to grips with many unexplored or untapped opportunities for research that lie at the intersection of the disciplines of information systems and technology, big data, analytics, and data science. In this article, some of the critical aspects of the big data problem are discussed, and their importance as well as relevance to information systems research is shown. Also proposed are a number of research problems in this area that interested information systems scholars can address to delve more deeply into the field as well as to generate further active interest of the subject within the information systems community.