Information Technology Programs Research Articles

Design of Augmented Reality Spot in Aceh Polytechnic Information Technology Program Based on Android

The Information Technology Study Program laboratory, located on the Aceh Polytechnic campus, is a place of practice for Information Technology Study Program students. This laboratory is often also used by guests for training or testing. Therefore, to make it easier for guests to see the details of the room, an Augmented Reality application for the Android-based Information Technology study program was built as a promotional tool and learning media. This application makes it easy for guests to find out the shape of the room, find out the contents of the room and explain videos about the Information Technology study program using a smartphone. Making this application using Blender software is used to create a three-dimensional model of the room, while Unity software is used to create applications.

Integrating Open Challenges in the Curriculum: Lessons Learned from an Experience with NASA

Preparing students for the workforce is a balancing act that involves theory, practice, and assessment. As students navigate an educational experience that is, however, often distant from real-world needs, it is imperative that academia finds a novel way to bridge the gap. As many organizations utilize open challenges to attract ideas and talent, academia can easily create such bridge, leading to greater engagement, greater student preparation, and a potential employment pipeline. This paper describes the experience of our students and faculty advisors who participated to the NASA SUITS (Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students) Design Challenge. In particular, we review the pedagogical value of the solution that they created and the changes that were implemented in the curriculum of an undergraduate degree program in Information Technology. This open-source, multi-year project is also a flexible platform that can be utilized for engagement in K-12 education as well as graduate research projects.

Training of IT-Specialists in Russian Universities: Statistical Analysis

The article presents the results of a statistical analysis of trends in the change in the number of students studying in IT specialties in Russian higher educational institutions, and also, based on the econometric methods of data analysis, characterizes universities with a high number and a significant proportion of students studying in information technology programs. The novelty of this study, according to the author, lies in the fact that the calculations are made on the basis of a large sample taking into account changes in its dynamic characteristics (information on the activities of 611 universities and 467 university branches for 2015/2016, 2017/2018 and 2019/2020 academic years was studied).Statistical analysis showed that in Russia only a few universities specialize in training students for IT field. So, in the 2019/2020 academic year, more than 60% of students studied in IT specialties in nine higher educational institutions alone. At the same time, IT-specialists are trained in half of the universities and in a third of the country's university branches. Over the period from 2015/2016 to 2019/2020 academic year, the number of students enrolled in IT specialties has increased in Russia by 31%.The regression analysis of the data revealed a positive relationship between the indicators of the number of students in IT specialties in universities (total number, absolute increase in the number and their share in total student body) and the following indicators: share of young professionals in the total number of faculty members; number of partner enterprises; number of technology parks and small businesses in the university; income from research and development and number of publications in Scopus. A negative relationship is observed between the number of students in IT specialties and the share of persons with academic degrees in the total number of faculty members, as well as between the share of students in IT specialties in the total number of students and the indicators of internationalization of the composition of students and teaching staff.The proposed approach made it possible, on the basis of a representative sample of Russian higher education institutions, to assess the relationship between the indicators of the number of IT students at the university and the results of its activities in the areas considered, as well as to determine the characteristics of higher education institutions that made a significant contribution to the training of IT specialists.The results of the study presented in the article may be of interest to the universities that plan to significantly increase the number of students in the coming years and improve the quality of admission of applicants for training in IT specialties.

PENERAPAN TEKNOLOGI CLOUD COMPUTING DALAM MEMBANGUN REPOSITORY LIBRARY DI UNIVERSITAS NURDIN HAMZAH

Nurdin Hamzah University is a private university located in Jambi City, Jambi, Indonesia. Has 2 and 5 study programs, 2 Computer Architecture with information systems, informatics, information technology and social science study programs with communication and government study programs. Nurdin Hamzah University still does not have a repository as a storage medium. The data storage system at Nurdin Hamzah University is carried out by storing data in various storage media and Nurdin Hamzah University does not yet have storage and publication media, so that each work unit still stores its own data in various storage areas. The data storage method applied as above is still not optimal and still has several shortcomings. By analyzing these problems, the author tries to design a storage system according to current technological developments, namely a cloud computing-based storage system using qualitative research methodologies and case study approaches. The purpose of this research is to develop the application of cloud computing technology in building a library repository at Nurdin Hamzah University. The incoming repository is Nurdin Hamzah University data. This repository was created to only carry out the process for storing administrative data for each work unit and written work within the Nurdin Hamzah University. The output of the system is in the form of data stored in the repository of Nurdin Hamzah University. By using cloud computing, you can optimize storing data in the Nurdin Hamzah University repository so that the process of storing data in the repository can run effectively and efficiently.

Use of Information Technology in Academic Library Practice

At the organizational level, libraries focus on the development of physical collections of books and other materials, on the development of library materials by persons who are profiled in the selection, enrichment, organization, classification, cataloging and circulation of these materials, for stakeholders, who are primarily university students. The information technology programs used by libraries go beyond the physical collection of books, documents, and scientific journals, so we have a transformation of the library into the virtual world of the Internet. The advancement of libraries in the technological aspect has influenced us to have a change in the communication process between the library and the student. So, the purpose of this paper is to present the changes that have been made to the library in its structure, the programs they offer, the impact they have on the communication process between stakeholders, with a specific focus on changes that have been implemented at the AAB College Library in Prishtina, Kosovo.

A neuro-fuzzy model for predicting and analyzing student graduation performance in computing programs

Predicting student’s successful completion of academic programs and the features that influence their performance can have a significant effect on improving students’ completion, and graduation rates and reduce attrition rates. Therefore, identifying students are at risk, and the courses where improvements in content, delivery mode, pedagogy, and assessment activities can improve students’ learning experience and completion rates. In this work, we have developed a prediction and explanatory model using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) methodology to predict the grade point average (GPA), at graduation time, of students enrolled in the information technology program at Ajman University. The approach adopted uses students’ grades in introductory and fundamental IT courses and high school grade point average (HSGPA) as predictors. Sensitivity analysis was performed on the model to quantify the relative significance of each predictor in explaining variations in graduation GPA. Our findings indicate HSGPA is the most influential factor in predicting graduation GPA, with data structures, operating systems, and software engineering coming closely in second place. On the explanatory side, we have found that discrete mathematics was the most influential course causing variations in graduation GPA, followed by software engineering, information security, and HSGPA. When we ran the model on the testing data, 77% of the predicted values fell within one root mean square error (0.29) of the actual GPA, which has a maximum of four. We have also shown that the ANFIS approach has better predictive accuracy than commonly used techniques such as multilinear regression. We recommend that IT programs at other institutions conduct comparable studies and shed some light on our findings.

Towards unified management of software capstone projects in Saudi universities: a survey-based study

PurposeSaudi universities have incorporated capstone projects in the final year of an undergraduate study. Although universities are following recommendations of the National Commission for National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), no detailed guidelines for management and assessment of capstone projects are provided by these accreditation bodies. Variation in the management and assessment practices of capstone project courses and analysis of the students' capabilities to align with industry demands, to realize Vision 2030, is challenging. This study investigates the current practices for structure definition, management and assessment criteria used for capstone project courses at undergraduate level for information technology (IT) programs at Saudi universities.Design/methodology/approachA web-based questionnaire is administered using a web service commonly used for questionnaires and polls to investigate the structure, management and assessment of capstone projects at the undergraduate level offering software engineering, computer science and information technology (SECSIT) programs. In total, 42 faculty members (with range of experience of managing/advising capstone projects from 1 to more than 10 years) from 22 Saudi universities (out of more than 30 universities offering SECSIT undergraduate programs) participated in the study.FindingsThe authors have identified that Saudi universities are facing challenges in the utilized process model, the distribution of work and marks, the knowledge sharing approach and the assessment scheme. To cope with these challenges, the authors recommend the use of an incremental development process, the utilization of a project-driven approach, the development of a national level digital archive and the implementation of homogeneous assessment scheme.Social implicationsTo contribute to the national growth and to fulfill the market demand, universities are recommended to align the capstone project courses with latest technology trends. Universities must collaborate with the industry and update the structure and requirements of capstone project courses accordingly. This will further facilitate to bridge the gap between industry and academia and will develop a win–win scenario for all the stakeholders.Originality/valueAlthough universities are committed to increase innovative capacities of their students for enabling them to contribute to economic and social growth, it is still hard to know the knowledge creation and sharing at national level. Variations in the management and assessment practices for capstone projects further intensify this challenge. Hence, there is a need of smart assessment and management of software capstone projects being developed in Saudi universities. Incorporating latest technologies, such unified management can facilitate discovering the trends and patterns related to the domain and complexity.

MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRONIC KNOWLEDGE OF PERSONNEL USING COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Abstract. The article substantiates socio-economic approaches and the relevance of implementing a knowledge management system at the enterprise. The knowledge of HR managers can be divided into: fundamental, ensuring specialization and success; technological and informational regarding the introduction of innovations. E-knowledge management is an interrelated part of Personnel Management in an enterprise, which shows the ability to produce added value from intangible assets. The main resource areas of the e-knowledge management program are people, processes, technology, structure, and value orientations. Knowledge management is a subsystem for implementing electronic knowledge management, searching for it, maintaining it, reproducing it, applying automation and storing information about knowledge. Undoubtedly, this is what strengthens the leadership position in the real market segment. The use of e-knowledge management software improves: new employee adaptation, information segmentation by projects, setting benchmarks, enabling dynamic search, developing a content creation platform, improving customer service, and consolidating knowledge over time. The components of the process of creating, identifying, and using electronic knowledge to maintain and achieve a positive result are presented. The main obstacles are the low professionalism of employees and their skills in applying information technology programs to introduce innovations in the field of knowledge management. Calculating the cost of purchasing and implementing “PCRecruiter” software shows the high cost and long-term payback of this project for a medium-sized enterprise with 200 employees. In times of crisis and war, the use of "PCRecruiter" is possible for large enterprises with a high level of income. It is advisable to choose cheaper software packages Galaxy ERP, SAPR/3, OracleAplications.

Development of Lecture Attendance System Using QR Code in Information and Computer Engineering Education Study Program of Universitas Negeri Makassar

This research is a software development research that aims to develop a lecture attendance system because from the past until now the computer engineering and informatics education study program did not have an attendance database, therefore the attendance data collection itself was done manually which could trigger human error and attendance fraud which is often done by students. Therefore it is necessary to develop a student attendance information system using a QR Code. The application quality based on ISO 9126 quality standards. In this study, system data analysis and collection, prototyping, prototyping, system coding, system testing, system evaluation, and system use. Data was collected using interviews, observation, and survey techniques. The system was validated by two system experts and evaluated by 40 students from the In-formation Technology and Computer Engineering study program at UNM. Data analysis used descriptive statistical analysis techniques. Based on these findings, we created an application that can manage wedding guest data. Based on the test results, you will get the following results: (a) Very good functionality in this category; (b) The maintainability aspect has met the maintainability standard; (c) The portability aspect is rated 1 or very good category; (d) Aspect of reliability with a percentage value of 99.9 so that it meets the reliability standards set in the Telcordia standard; (e) The efficiency aspect of this application is Grade B with a performance percentage of 83; and (f) The system user rating (usability aspect) has a score of 88.05 or very good in the category.

Investing in disaster relief and recovery: A reactive approach of disaster management in Pakistan

Each year, Pakistan faces several disasters, which stresses the already fragile economy. To tackle these disasters, Pakistan is struggling to shift the paradigm from response-based reactive to a mitigation-and-preparedness-based proactive approach. This study aims at examining disaster management financing in pre and post-disaster phases from 2013 to 2019 as protection of lives and property of citizens were in the manifesto of the government which ruled the province during this tenure. To achieve objectives, both quantitative (secondary) and qualitative (primary) data were used. The quantitative data (projects and budgets) were analyzed for categorizing projects and budgets in the pre and post-disaster phases. An extensive desk review under thematic coding was carried out for category identification, setting exclusion criteria and relationship mapping and conceptualization of themes, and linking the relationships that exist among the themes. Key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with the provincial government and donors for an in-depth understanding of the development budget, current projects, fund-overview, and ideas about future funding in disaster management. Results indicated that government and donor agencies have relatively increased their investments in pre-disaster interventions, such as institutional strengthening, policy programs, livelihood, and agriculture development, information technology, and infrastructure development programs. The funding in the pre-disaster phase by the government has been increased by Pakistani rupees (PKR) 12,131 million (24.9%) in 2018–19 from PKR 7689 million (15.8%) in 2013–14 and the donor agencies increase is PKR 9485 million (42.1%) in 2018–19 from PKR 1478 million (6.6%) in 2013–14. A paradigm shift from reactive towards proactive approach is observed in the province.

Industry Connect Initiative Experience Report: Undergraduate Computer Science Courses

Southeastern Louisiana University is a medium sized university located in Hammond, Louisiana with approximately 14,000 students and ranks 59th best affordable Information Technology Program in the United States. Over the course of many years, what is now known as the "Industry Connect Initiative" (ICI) has been developed. The ICI is a four-pronged approach to connect students to real-world-ready skills and relevant topics. The four prongs of the ICI are the industry advisory board (IAB), internship program, distinguished lecturer series (DLS), and real-world curriculum opportunities (a.k.a. "Project classes"). In addition to the ICI, support from the university's Career Services Department and Workforce Talent Initiative completes the suite of resources resulting in graduates being highly sought after for employment. While numerous implementations of real-world ready courses and project courses are widely available, the focus is only on the "capstone" or "major project". Even if the capstone course is multi-semester, this approach is limited as the real-world application occurs only at the end of the degree program. This paper details the ICI curriculum opportunity, a unique approach that incorporates these real-world experiences throughout a student's educational experience at a variety of difficulty levels, beginning in the third semester and culminating in the final semester in the Capstone course.

Design Parameters of Cross-Cultural Training (CCT) Programs in Information Technology (IT) Organizations

Objective: To identify key dimensions that are to be considered while designing Cross Cultural Training (CCT). Methods : The data is collected from 421 expatriate employees in the selected IT organizations (Engineers /Managers/ Team Leaders) using an instrument consisting 45 items of nine drivers. The current study adopted Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), followed by 2nd order CFA to reveal various input components of training programme that leads to the success of the expatriate training programme. Findings: The factors influencing expatriate training were identified as: Adjustment (AD) factor, Culture factor (CU) and Method (ME) factors which are predominately to be considered for the design of CCT. Novelty: The factors to be considered while designing the CCT has been identified a prior rather finding the effect of such factors during post training evaluation. The results are more authenticated and help IHRM professionals to design CCT which lead to success of expat’s overseas assignment. Keywords: IHRM, Cross Cultural Training (CCT), Adjustment (AD) factor, Culture factor (CU), Method (ME) factors 1

Predicting Student Performance to Improve Academic Advising Using the Random Forest Algorithm

The Covid-19 pandemic constrained higher education institutions to switch to online teaching, which led to major changes in students’ learning behavior, affecting their overall performance. Thus, students’ academic performance needs to be meticulously monitored to help institutions identify students at risk of academic failure, preventing them from dropping out of the program or graduating late. This paper proposes a CGPA Predicting Model (CPM) that detects poor academic performance by predicting their graduation cumulative grade point average (CGPA). The proposed model uses a two-layer process that provides students with an estimated final CGPA, given their progress in second- and third-year courses. This work allows academic advisors to make suitable remedial arrangements to improve students’ academic performance. Through extensive simulations on a data set related to students registered in undergraduate information technology program gathered over the years, we demonstrate that the CPM attains accurate performance predictions compared to benchmark methods.

Analysis and Research on Improving Teachers’ Teaching Ability by Information Technology and Distance Education Training Program

Analysis and Research on Improving Teachers’ Teaching Ability by Information Technology and Distance Education Training Program

Analysis of student satisfaction with the quality of education services

The purpose of this research was to determine students’ satisfaction with the quality of education services in universities in West Kalimantan. The method used in this study is the quantitative research method. The results known after conducting this study is, first, the students’ satisfaction to the quality of service of information technology and computer education study programme is considered satisfactory with a score of 77.09%. Then, the second satisfaction of the students to the services of the ICT study programme is seen from the tangible aspect of satisfaction, with a satisfaction score of 77.09%. Students’ satisfaction with the ICT study programme services seen from the aspect of trust (reliability) was satisfactory, with a satisfaction score of 76.84%. Students’ satisfaction with the ICT study programme services seen from the responsive aspect (responsive) was satisfactory, with a satisfaction score of 77.24%. Students’ satisfaction with the ICT study programme services was seen from the aspect of satisfactory assurance, with a satisfaction score of 76.54%. Finally, students’ satisfaction with the ICT study programme services seen from the aspect of empathy was satisfactory, with a satisfaction score of 77.81%.
 Keywords: student satisfaction, education services, Information Communication,Technology

MATCHING ICT SKILLS COMPETENCY AND INDUSTRY NEED: BASIS FOR CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENT

The main objective of the study was to determine the matching ICT skills competency and Industry need as a Basis for Curriculum enhancement in the BS Information Technology Program. The study also evaluates the level of competency or proficiency of the BSIT Graduates as required for an entry-level position in the IT Department as rated by the Academic and the Industry Sector. The study employed a descriptive-quantitative method. The results identified that both sectors described that Technical Support Specialist, System Administrator, Web and Applications Developer, Network Engineer and Computer Programmer are extremely required jobs in a company. They also agreed that their professional and common course in terms of competency or proficiency in Database Management System, Networking I and Networking II, System Analysis and Design, System Administration & Maintenance, Computer Programming & Web Programming and Development are described as experts as these competencies are very much required and in-demand jobs for today’s industry. This means that State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the different industry sectors in the Zamboanga Peninsula have the same requirements in hiring BSIT graduates for an entry-level position that have acquired ICT skills experts in their professional and common courses.

IT program management challenges: insights from programs that ran into difficulties

The use of Information Technology (IT) to drive organizational change has gained momentum in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, and currently culminates in a vivid discussion on what many call “Digital Transformation”. It is not surprising then that practitioners seek guidance on how to manage such transformation. Professional bodies have addressed this need by issuing best practice standards for Program Management (PgM), but we know little about their value in managing programs in general and IT programs in particular. Academic research on IT PgM is still in its very infancy. Taking this as motivation, we have investigated the challenges that managers faced in five IT programs that encountered problems. Our analysis reveals a set of management issues and shortcomings including, among others, a lack of architectural overview, difficulties in dealing with scope changes, stakeholder interest, diverse business groups and cultures, as well as a lack of internal PgM competences and unclear management responsibilities. In this paper, based on our findings, we present a first checklist for managing IT programs across their life cycle. Though still tentative and not necessarily comprehensive, we were able to confirm that our checklist provides relevant guidance for managing IT programs in practice.

Plan Calcul: France's National Information Technology Ambition and Instrument of National Independence

The history of Plan Calcul―France's first information technology program, launched by de Gaulle's government in 1966―has been well described in the literature; however, few studies investigate the arsenal system of the program in depth. Drawing from Plan Calcul's archives, this article is the first to demonstrate that, in the context of de Gaulle's Cold War foreign policy, the French government, initially aiming to avoid an arsenal system, still became the program's funding supplier, entrepreneur, and client. Plan Calcul aimed to establish an industrial-type operation but was ultimately reduced to a state information technology arsenal program.

FORMATION OF VALUES OF DIGITAL EDUCATION AND DIGITAL PERSONS IN DIGITALIZED SOCIETY

The urgency of the formation and development of education in a digital society is determined by information and computer technology, software and computer programs that are beginning to penetrate into education – in school classrooms, universities, educational process aimed at forming digital competencies in the digital society. The aim of the article is to conceptualize the future development of education in the digital society. Objectives of the study: 1) to analyze the model of digital education, which changes the rules of the game in the educational process; 2) to find out the process of formation of a digital person who becomes open, mobile, meaningful, adapted; 3) to explore the role of values - big data (BIG DATA) in the reformatting of digital education and the digital person; 4) to reveal the digitalization of education as a powerful trend in the formation and development of a digital society. The object of research is the formation and development of education in a digital society. The subject of education is the influence of digitalized society on the formation and development of education. Research methodology – general philosophical methods – analysis and synthesis, generalization, systemic and structural-functional analysis, anthropological, axiological, phenomenological, to show the formation and development of education in a digitalized society. It is concluded that digital (convergent) technologies offer completely different ways to solve problems of quality and quantity. Digital technologies need to do more for modern education, its transformation and modernization. Modern intelligence will help high school to create a unique educational digital space. The impact of digitalization on education is and will be even stronger in the future, driven by algorithms, artificial intelligence, digital technologies that change this world. Education changes the physical and mental landscape of the individual and the ways he works in digital society. The values of digital education and the digital person in a digital society are linked to the formation of a digital culture determined by big data, which gives educational transformations such an acceleration that change the fundamentals of business, trade, public services, affecting every aspect of our lives.

Combining Learning and Engagement Strategies in a Software Testing Learning Environment

There continues to be an increase in enrollments in various computing programs at academic institutions due to many job opportunities available in the information, communication, and technology sectors. This enrollment surge has presented several challenges in many Computer Science (CS), Information Technology (IT), and Software Engineering (SE) programs at universities and colleges. One such challenge is that many instructors in CS/IT/SE programs continue to use learning approaches that are not learner centered and therefore are not adequately preparing students to be proficient in the ever-changing computing industry. To mitigate this challenge, instructors need to use evidence-based pedagogical approaches, e.g., active learning, to improve student learning and engagement in the classroom and equip students with the skills necessary to be lifelong learners. This article presents an approach that combines learning and engagement strategies (LESs) in learning environments using different teaching modalities to improve student learning and engagement. We describe how LESs are integrated into face-to-face (F2F) and online class activities. The LESs currently used are collaborative learning , gamification , problem-based learning , and social interaction . We describe an approach used to quantify each LES used during class activities based on a set of characteristics for LESs and the traditional lecture-style pedagogical approaches. To demonstrate the impact of using LESs in F2F class activities, we report on a study conducted over seven semesters in a software testing class at a large urban minority serving institution. The study uses a posttest-only study design, the scores of two midterm exams, and approximate class times dedicated to each LES and traditional lecture style to quantify their usage in a face-to-face software testing class. The study results showed that increasing the time dedicated to collaborative learning, gamification, and social interaction and decreasing the traditional lecture-style approach resulted in a statistically significant improvement in student learning, as reflected in the exam scores.