EDRA Archives donated by Davis and Szigeti

https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/edra-archives/1008/thumbnail.jp

Collaborative Worlds and Avatar-Based Communication: A Comparison of Virtual Worlds with Traditional Computer-Mediated Communications Media

Interest in virtual worlds from both academic and practitioner perspectives continues to grow. As a relatively new area of research, exploratory efforts to capitalize on and understand this new computer-mediated communications medium have been varied and multi-disciplinary, but also dangerously fragmented. Avatar-based communication distinguishes virtual worlds from traditional communications media and conceptually enables a potentially richer communications medium. Utilizing an integrative theoretical approach drawing from theories of social presence, media richness, media synchronicity, social influence, technology acceptance, and channel expansion, we seek to understand how virtual worlds compare with other communications media. Preliminary results from two phases of a Delphi study with expert participants present interesting findings. While not surprising that face-to-face communications are preferred in a wide variety of situations, what is surprising is that virtual worlds do not appear to be favorably ranked as compared to other leaner traditional communications media. Other results, implications and directions for future research are discussed

Isolation and Emotions in the Workplace: The Influence of Perceived Media Richness and Virtuality

Remote work and intensive use of Information Technologies (IT) are increasingly common in organizations. At the same time, professional stress seems to develop. However, IS research has paid little attention to the relationships between these two phenomena. The purpose of this research in progress is to present a framework that introduces the influence of (1) new spatial and temporal constraints and of (2) intensive use of IT on employee emotions at work. Specifically, this paper relies on virtuality (e.g. Chudoba et al. 2005) and media richness (Daft and Lengel 1984) theories to determine the emotional consequences of geographically distributed work

Special Libraries, December 1977

Volume 68, Issue 12https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1977/1008/thumbnail.jp

An Ethnorelative Framework for Information Systems Design

IT artifacts are connected to our lives in significant and complex ways. The consideration of culture in designing information systems for a global context will become increasingly important. This paper develops the concept of cultural values in relation to information, technology, and people (ITP). In an effort to facilitate a more robust analysis of culture with respect to information systems design, I develop an ethnorelative framework in which designers can begin to assess the “cultural geography” of the target audience in relation to their own. This framework has implications for the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), but it is not focused on the evaluation of user behaviors in terms of perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use, per se. Its goal is to provide a heuristic for designers to understand their own cultural values relative to users of other national cultures

They Call for Help, But Don\u27t Always Listen: The Development of the User-Help Desk Knowledge Application Model

The IS help desk function plays a central role in boundary spanning knowledge exchanges within organizations. Help desk employees provide technical support to users in an effort to transfer knowledge and enable users to autonomously apply this knowledge in the future. However, despite their importance, little is known about the factors that affect knowledge application within this context. Adopting interpersonal influence theory, this paper develops a model that examines how dimensions of source credibility - expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness impact users’ knowledge application in a help desk environment. The model is tested using a sample of working adults at a large Midwestern hospital who had significant experience requesting help from an IS help desk. Results indicate that all three dimensions of source credibility predict users’ ability to apply the knowledge transferred from a help desk employee. The implications of these results are discussed

Analysis of adaptive algorithms for an integrated communication network

Techniques were examined that trade communication bandwidth for decreased transmission delays. When the network is lightly used, these schemes attempt to use additional network resources to decrease communication delays. As the network utilization rises, the schemes degrade gracefully, still providing service but with minimal use of the network. Because the schemes use a combination of circuit and packet switching, they should respond to variations in the types and amounts of network traffic. Also, a combination of circuit and packet switching to support the widely varying traffic demands imposed on an integrated network was investigated. The packet switched component is best suited to bursty traffic where some delays in delivery are acceptable. The circuit switched component is reserved for traffic that must meet real time constraints. Selected packet routing algorithms that might be used in an integrated network were simulated. An integrated traffic places widely varying workload demands on a network. Adaptive algorithms were identified, ones that respond to both the transient and evolutionary changes that arise in integrated networks. A new algorithm was developed, hybrid weighted routing, that adapts to workload changes

International Data Exchange and the Application of Informatics Technology - Critical Research Needs

The method used in conducting this study involved an expert panel convened for a one-day workshop in Toronto in August, 1977 to generate a preliminary list of research issues. Following the workshop a mailed questionnaire to the participants provided quantitative evaluation of the issues with respect to overall urgency and specific apropriateness for further IIASA research. The complete list of research issues evaluated and particularly the urgent issues not rated highly appropriate for IIASA (including issues with a major focus on developing-country needs and issues dealing with development of services to meet specific user needs) should provide researchers and policy makers with guidelines for research within their own institutions

Innovation in Mobile Learning: A European Perspective

In the evolving landscape of mobile learning, European researchers have conducted significant mobile learning projects, representing a distinct perspective on mobile learning research and development. Our paper aims to explore how these projects have arisen, showing the driving forces of European innovation in mobile learning. We propose context as a central construct in mobile learning and examine theories of learning for the mobile world, based on physical, technological, conceptual, social and temporal mobility. We also examine the impacts of mobile learning research on educational practices and the implications for policy. Throughout, we identify lessons learnt from European experiences to date