Editorial: Announcing the Department of History of IS in the Communications of the Association for Information Systems

This article introduces the new Department of History for the journal Communications of the Association for Information Systems

Reflections and Experiences In a Fundamental Digital Literacy Course: A Study During the Covid-19 Pandemic

When Covid-19 forced universities in 2020 to close the doors from face-to-face education and welcome an online hybrid approach, academics had to adjust all educational practices to ensure quality and proper education continued successfully. An introductory Academic Information Management course that deals mainly with computer literacy and has a cohort of over 9000 students had to find ways to help bridge the digital gap using online digital technology. The issues with internet connectivity, load shedding, and students not having compatible devices were just the start of the problems. Many students could cheat the online systems because assessments were not set for online learning; facilitators were not adequately prepared for this new shift to online education, and many felt stressed and overwhelmed. This study discusses the strategies implemented and the lessons learned after universities\u27 shutdown in 2020 and the new approach in 2021. Digital technology plays a critical role in online education, and the assumption that students are ready to use any technological system for online learning is considered. Learner-centred teaching and learner engagement is one of the goals the module aims to satisfy. Online collaborative learning theories that deal with constructivism, behaviourism, and cognitivism were explored and implemented to improve teaching and learning. The reflections of this study can help academics in a similar environment adjust to online education and adopt the learning strategies that have proved to be successful. Further investigation is needed to explore approaches to engage and innovate large cohorts of students

The Success of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): An Investigation on Course Relevance

MOOCs have provided online learners easy access to education for professional development, helping them acquire new skills to advance their careers during the pandemic. However, the importance of linking MOOCs with job market demands has not been explored in the existing literature. This study investigates the role of course relevance in MOOC success by examining the effect of the alignment between courses and job market demands on learner satisfaction. By adopting the DeLone & McLean information system success model as a framework, we propose that course relevance positively influences learner satisfaction. This relationship is moderated by course level and accessibility. We tested our model using information about 1,987 MOOCs and 485 job postings. The results show that learners will be more satisfied with courses if instructors enhance course relevance on trending topics. The effect of relevance is greater for advanced courses and magnified by lifetime accessibility. This paper contributes to MOOC research from three perspectives: 1) it examines the role of course relevance in MOOC success; 2) it points out the importance of considering learners’ characteristics in evaluating MOOC success; 3) it provides valuable guidance on course design, which helps course providers maintain the prosperity of MOOCs in the post-pandemic

A Perspective on the History of the MIS Academy

One observer’s perspective on over fifty years in the information systems academy, with a focus on service

AIS4C: AIS Candid Conversation on Community Conduct: Panel Report from ICIS 2020

This report reflects the discussion that took place at a virtual panel at the ICIS 2020 conference. It focuses on a candid conversation on the code of conduct (AIS4C) among AIS community members. As our AIS community has evolved, we have grown in size, diversity, and in the scope of member needs; it is important for all stakeholders to understand what is expected as members of this academic community. The panel included those currently serving in AIS committees related to member and research conduct. The objective of the panel was to start a dialogue about what we – as members of the AIS – each hope to gain from our academic interactions, and how AIS can help members achieve these goals and help each other achieve desired outcomes. Maintaining good standing in the AIS community protects individuals’ professional reputations and the reputation of the IS discipline as a whole. Understanding what AIS offers its members to accomplish these objectives, allows individuals to fully leverage AIS member services to become more successful researchers and teachers. By situating the panel within the current COVID-disrupted world, the descriptions of desirable behavior among members and the outlining of member services, this panel report is intended to benefit current and future members of AIS

Cluster Analysis in Online Learning Communities: A Text Mining Approach

This paper presents a theory-informed blueprint for mining unstructured text data using mixed- and multi-methods to improve understanding of collaboration in asynchronous online discussions (AOD). Grounded in a community of inquiry theoretical framework to systematically combine established research techniques, we investigated how AOD topics and individual reflections on those topics affect formation of clusters or groups in a community. The data for the investigation came from 54 participants and 470 messages. Data analysis combined the analytical efficiency and scalability of topic modeling, social network analysis, and cluster analysis with qualitative content analysis. The cluster analysis found three clusters and that members of the intermediate cluster (i.e., middle of three clusters) played a pivotal role in this community by expressing uncertainty statements, which facilitated a collective sense-making process to resolve misunderstandings. Furthermore, we found that participants’ selected discussion topics and how they discussed those topics influenced cluster formations. Theoretical, practical, and methodological implications are discussed in depth

Becoming a Most Digitalized Country: A History of Digital Organizational Resilience in Denmark

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how digital organizational resilience was a key to digital transformation success in the public sector of Denmark. Using a historical research method, we analyze the information systems (IS) history from 1998 to 2019 at all three levels of the public sector in Denmark. This study discovers the historical events regarding the barriers and hindrances to digital transformation in Denmark and shows how resilience enabled continuity in the transformation. Using significant events in the history of Denmark becoming a digitalized nation, we find a pattern of what constitutes digital organizational resilience in e-government: first, there are new ways to strategize digitalization, second, there is a collaborative strategy in execution across the public sector that envelopes the ability to learn from overcoming barriers and hindrances, and third, there is an organizational resilience path that iterates action, collaboration, and learning. Digital resilience has previously been studied in the context of individual learning and cyber security. The pattern found in the historical account is a promising basis for understanding and achieving resilience in a transformative digitalization strategy in the public sector

Mixed-Methods in Information Systems Research: Status Quo, Core Concepts, and Future Research Implications

Mixed-methods studies are increasing in information systems research, as they deliver robust and insightful inferences combining qualitative and quantitative research. However, there is considerable divergence in conducting such studies and reporting their findings. Therefore, we aim (1) to evaluate how mixed-methods studies have developed in information systems research under the existence of heavily used guidelines and (2) to reflect on those observations in terms of potential for future research. During our review, we identified 52 mixed-methods papers and quantitatively elaborated on the adherence to the three core concepts of mixed-methods in terms of purpose, meta-inferences, and validation. Findings discover that only eight adhere to all three of them. We discuss the significance of our results for current and upcoming mixed-methods research and derive specific suggestions for authors. With our study, we contribute to mixed-methods research by showing how to leverage the insights from existing guidelines to strengthen future research and by contributing to the discussion of the legislation associated with research guidelines, in general, presenting the status quo in current literature

On the Evolution to PAPA

A narrative account of the origins and evolution of PAPA

Psychological Contract Violations on Information Disclosure: A Study of Institutional Arrangements in Social Media Platforms

Previous research investigating information disclosure with online merchants has extended social contract theory using psychological contracts to explain the nature of the relationship between the consumer and merchant. This research extends the role of psychological contracts to social media platforms (SMP) by investigating how institutional psychological contract violations (PCV) influence trust in the SMP through institutional arrangements. Using a sample from MTurk, we presented two hypothetical scenarios manipulating the degree of PCV. Our findings suggest institutional PCVs act differently on institutional arrangements. Institutional PCVs impact attitudes toward institutional arrangements and trust in the SMP