Introduction to Database Systems: Porting the Campus-Based Course to an Online Asynchronous Format

More and more courses are being ported to an asynchronous online format. Courses in which learning outcomes include mastery of a technology component, such as a database system, introduce additional challenges. This paper investigates student perceptions of the value of various types of instructional materials and methods for facilitating faculty contact utilized in an online introductory database course. The findings suggest that detailed online lecture notes have the most value with high ratings also given to narrated lecture notes and online interactive tutorials. Learning activities and assignments were also deemed to be extremely important with over eighty-nine percent of the students indicating preference for weekly assignments. The most common method used for faculty contact was email and students consistently cited that quick response turnaround and instructive feedback enhanced learning. In an online course, student learning can be enhanced by incorporating a variety of instructional materials and requiring students to frequently engage in structured learning activities

Investigating Basic Quality of Service Design Possibilities for Regis University Academic Research Network Edge Routers

The Regis University Academic Research Network (ARNe) had network resources, such as VoIP, that required preservation their ability to receive near real-time forwarding treatment across the network. Quality of Service (QoS) design ideas were examined from four actual implementations described in research cases. Additionally, research involving surveys from Cisco certified professionals was examined, and Cisco technical literature was examined. Case study methodology, involving the study of multiple cases, was the primary tactic utilized in this research. Examination and triangulation of data from the research indicated that ARNe would benefit from moving forward with a basic QoS design and implementation, integrating concepts identified in the data. Additionally, data supported that a basic QoS design and implementation on ARNe would provide Computer Science and Information Science students an opportunity to more fully appreciate QoS through further research and hands-on experience

Building Cloud-Based Information Systems Lab Architecture: Deriving Design Principles that Facilitate the Effective Construction and Evaluation of a Cloud-Based Lab Environment

The problem explored in this dissertation report was that at the time of this study, there were no design principles or methodologies based on design science research (DSR) available to use for artifact construction, implementation, and effective evaluation of cloud-based networking lab environments that can be used to foster hands-on technology skills in students. Primarily based on Hevner’s 7 guidelines of DSR, Peffer’s design science research methodology (DSRM), and Gregor’s IS design theory, this study forms the groundwork for the development of procedures and specifications derived from DSR literature to facilitate the construction, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive cloud-based computer and information systems (CIS) laboratory artifact that is globally accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Secondarily, this study guided the construction and implementation of a prototype cloud-based lab environment using the procedures and specifications derived from DSR. The cloud-based lab environment was then evaluated based on the skill level attained by students enrolled in courses that leveraged the proposed system. Results of this study showed that the overwhelming majority of the students who participated in the experiment using the cloud-based lab environment showed statistically significant gains in pretest and posttest scores compared to the students who participated in the experiment using the classroom-based physical equipment. These results fully supported the first hypothesis for this study, that participation in the cloud-based lab environment would promote positive student outcomes. The second hypothesis also was supported. The majority of the experimental group students completed most of the labs and significantly spent more time on the system compared to the control group students using the traditional classroom-based physical lab equipment, which indicated the specifications derived from DSR positively influenced the use of the cloud-based system. An argument was made that the proposed study advances IS and education research through artifact construction and evaluation by correlating Hevner’s 7 steps of effective DSR theory, Peffer’s DSRM, and Gregor’s IS design theory to the problem statement, research questions, and hypothesis in order to develop guiding principles and specifications for building and assessing a cloud-based lab environment

Cloud computing adoption by SMEs in Australia.

This study aims to examine the important factors that influence SMEs’ adoption of cloud computing technology. The results showing that SMEs were influenced by factors related to advantaging their organizational capability rather than risk-related factors. The findings are useful to SMEs owners, Cloud service providers and government in establishing Cloud computing adoption strategies for SMEs