Strategic management and development of UK university library websites

This research assessed website management and development practices across the United Kingdom university library sector. As a starting point, the design and features of this group of websites was recorded against criteria drawn from the extant literature. This activity established core content and features of UK library websites as: a search box or link for searching the library catalogue, electronic resources or website; a navigation column on the left and breadcrumb trail to aid information location and website orientation; homepage design was repeated on library website sub-pages; university brand elements appeared in the banner; and a contact us link was provided for communication with library personnel. Library websites conformed to 14 of the 20 homepage usability guidelines examined indicating that web managers were taking steps to ensure that users were well served by their websites. Areas for improvement included better navigation support (sitemap/index), greater adoption of new technologies and more interactive features. Website management and development practices were established through national survey and in-depth case studies. These illustrated the adoption of a team approach to website management and development; formal website policy and strategy were not routinely created; library web personnel and their ability to build effective links with colleagues at the institution made a valuable contribution to the success of a library website; corporate services and institutional practices played an important part in library website development; library staff were actively engaged in consultations with their website audience; and a user focused approach to website development prevailed. User studies and metric data were considered in the website evaluation and development process. However, there were some issues with both data streams and interpreting metric data to inform website development. Evaluation and development activities were not always possible due to staff/time shortages, technical constraints, corporate website templates, and, to a lesser extent, lack of finance

Social software for music

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Informática e Computação. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200

Big data for monitoring educational systems

This report considers “how advances in big data are likely to transform the context and methodology of monitoring educational systems within a long-term perspective (10-30 years) and impact the evidence based policy development in the sector”, big data are “large amounts of different types of data produced with high velocity from a high number of various types of sources.” Five independent experts were commissioned by Ecorys, responding to themes of: students' privacy, educational equity and efficiency, student tracking, assessment and skills. The experts were asked to consider the “macro perspective on governance on educational systems at all levels from primary, secondary education and tertiary – the latter covering all aspects of tertiary from further, to higher, and to VET”, prioritising primary and secondary levels of education

ICT Infrastructure, Applications, Society and Education

Proceedings of the Annual Strathmore University ICT Conference 2006Proceedings of the Annual Strathmore University ICT Conference 200

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Matriz para mapeamento do potencial educativo de programas audiovisuais na aprendizagem do inglês

This thesis describes the process of developing and testing a prototype of a mobile application aimed at English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, as well as English for Specific Purposes / Business English learners. It is a prototype of an online collaborative platform that allows the sharing and mapping of audiovisual content. This mapping also allows for the search of content on the same platform, to use in-class or in informal contexts. In this work the following steps are depicted: i. the identification of the variables included in the Matrix, which supports mapping and searching tasks, ii. how this Matrix was incorporated into a Google Form, to be tested by an expert panel, iii. the selection of the tools used to build the high-fidelity prototype, and iv. how this prototype was tested and evaluated by a sample of target users. In terms of methodology, this project is a development-research work, in which four different phases were outlined: i. the construction of the Matrix – through an exploratory study of the literature, as well as language learning platforms and software; ii. the validation of the Matrix by an experts’ panel; iii. the incorporation of the Matrix into a prototype – using prototyping freeware online tools; iv. the experimental use of the prototype by target users. With the data gathered in the latter, the potential of implementing such a platform was evaluated. The results of the prototype trial show that, on a behavioral level, this type of platform has the potential to change the habits of searching for audiovisual content by both user groups; regarding the tasks, they are intuitive and simple to perform; on a conceptual level, the platform was validated as tool to support the teaching and learning process; the functions of social interaction tools were also validated. However, the planned gamification functions still need some review. A platform of this nature can be a useful instrument to other TESOL branches (such as General English). It can generate the development of mechanisms of artificial intelligence for automatic mapping of audiovisual content and the underlying rationale can be transferred to other foreign languages.A presente tese descreve o processo de desenvolvimento e teste de um protótipo de uma aplicação móvel direcionada a professores de Inglês Língua Estrangeira e aprendentes de English for Specific Purposes / Business English. Trata-se de um protótipo de uma plataforma colaborativa online que permite a partilha e mapeamento de conteúdo audiovisual. Este mapeamento também permite a pesquisa de conteúdo na mesma plataforma, para utilização em sala de aula ou para consumo em contextos informais. Neste trabalho, descreve-se: i. como foram isoladas as vareáveis para construir a matriz que sustenta as tarefas de mapeamento e pesquisa, ii. como essa Matriz foi incorporada num Google Form para ser testada por um painel de peritos, iii. como foi construído o protótipo de alta-fidelidade, e iv. como esse protótipo foi testado e avaliado por uma amostra de utilizadores-alvo. A metodologia aplicada neste projeto foi Development-Research e foram delineadas quatro fases distintas: 1. Construção da Matriz – através de um estudo exploratório da literatura e de plataformas e software de aprendizagem de línguas; 2. Validação da matriz por parte de um painel de peritos; 3. Incorporação da matriz num protótipo – utilizando ferramentas de prototipagem disponíveis gratuitamente online; 4. Uso experimental do protótipo por utilizadores-alvo. Com os dados recolhidos na fase 4 foi possível avaliar o potencial de implementação desta plataforma. Os resultados do teste do protótipo mostram que, ao nível comportamental, este tipo de plataforma tem potencial para mudar os hábitos de pesquisa de conteúdo audiovisual por parte de ambos os grupos de utilizadores; ao nível das tarefas, estas são intuitivas e de simples execução; ao nível conceptual, a plataforma foi validada enquanto instrumento de auxílio ao processo de ensino e de aprendizagem e as funções de interação social foram igualmente validadas. Ainda assim, concluiu-se que as funções de gamificação pensadas necessitam de uma revisão. Em síntese, uma plataforma desta natureza parece ser um instrumento de utilidade a outros ramos do ensino do inglês (como o General English), que pode gerar o desenvolvimento de mecanismos de inteligência artificial para mapeamento automático de conteúdo audiovisual, e o racional subjacente pode ser transferido para outras línguas estrangeiras.Programa Doutoral em Multimédia em Educaçã

Sustainability reporting on Malaysian local authority websites

This thesis examines the extent of sustainability reporting on Malaysian local authority websites. The use of websites by government in Malaysia is closely associated with the public service administrative reforms. The central underlying theme of the thesis is the importance of local authority websites in disseminating sustainability information to society. Institutional theory isomorphism is employed as a theoretical lens for both the quantitative and qualitative phases of the thesis. This is one of only a small number of studies examining local government website sustainability reporting, both in Malaysia and internationally. Thus it makes a significant contribution given this dearth of international literature on website sustainability reporting in local government.This thesis employs two methods to measure the extent of sustainability reporting on websites, namely: the content analysis and disclosure index methods. The content analysis and disclosure index instruments were specifically developed to measure the extent of sustainability information disclosure on websites in the context of local government.Sustainability information disclosure for the 139 councils varies significantly from 2 to 785 sentences with a mean of 106 sentences and the mean disclosure is 15 out of 57 items in the disclosure index method. Overall, the disclosure level is low despite the special features and technological capabilities of websites to contain more information compared to other mediums of reporting. In the quantitative phase, the disclosure index method was able to produce more significant results in explaining the level of sustainability information disclosure. The significant explanatory variables are: size (logrevenue), jurisdictions, internal goals and the LA 21 program. The justification for the differences in results from the content analysis and disclosure index methods make a contribution to the limited issue in the CSR literature.The qualitative phase findings added meaningful insights to the explanatory variables hypothesized in the quantitative phase. The additional factors identified under normative isomorphism include motivations to receive an award, and the key personnel in charge of the sustainable development program in councils. As well, the interview findings explained the reasons as to why jurisdiction was a significant predictor in the quantitative phase and the most noticeable variable within the institutional theory framework. The interview findings also provided evidence of copying of the sustainable development activity implementation from other councils’ websites in the same organizational field under the mimetic isomorphism.The thesis found a blurring of boundaries between coercive, mimetic and normative pressures for variables such as the size of councils, LA 21 implementation and awards, in both the quantitative and qualitative phases. The use of LA 21 was a significant explanatory variable in the thesis and should be considered in future research for public sector sustainability reporting. Following Malaysia's participation in the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government implemented LA 21 in local authorities in such a way that it filtered down and encouraged more participation from the people. This situation is also expected to happen in other countries all over the world. Hence, Malaysia is a good example of success in regards to LA 21 and the implementation process could be replicated by other countries worldwide. Finally, it is put forward here that local authority websites can become a useful tool to maintain or achieve legitimacy.Overall, the empirical findings have implications for various stakeholders with respect to improving the level of sustainability information disclosure on Malaysian local authority websites, namely: 1) policy makers; 2) communities; 3) local authorities; 4) the tertiary accounting education curriculum; 5) NGOs; and 6) universities. The findings provide an overview of the extent of sustainability information disclosure in the public sector in Malaysia. The differences highlighted between councils in urban and rural areas can serve as a basis for future studies. It is expected that the use of the website as a medium of disclosure will be increased in the future with more support from the management, clear directives from the government and a higher education level of the people. The thesis makes a significant contribution to the CSR and public sector accounting literature especially for Malaysian local authorities. Additionally, several ideas for future research could make further valuable contributions in this area

The First 25 Years of the Bled eConference: Themes and Impacts

The Bled eConference is the longest-running themed conference associated with the Information Systems discipline. The focus throughout its first quarter-century has been the application of electronic tools, migrating progressively from Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) via Inter-Organisational Systems (IOS) and eCommerce to encompass all aspects of the use of networking facilities in industry and government, and more recently by individuals, groups and society as a whole. This paper reports on an examination of the conference titles and of the titles and abstracts of the 773 refereed papers published in the Proceedings since 1995. This identified a long and strong focus on categories of electronic business and corporate perspectives, which has broadened in recent years to encompass the democratic, the social and the personal. The conference\u27s extend well beyond the papers and their thousands of citations and tens of thousands of downloads. Other impacts have included innovative forms of support for the development of large numbers of graduate students, and the many international research collaborations that have been conceived and developed in a beautiful lake-side setting in Slovenia

Platforms of Learning: The Ongoing Professonal Learning of Experienced Principals in Aotearoa New Zealand

Little is known about the professional learning of experienced school principals in New Zealand. How do they maintain sufficient learning to meet a diverse and fluid variety of leadership expectations after at least five years as principal? This research examines the professional learning habits and preferences of fifty two experienced school principals from a variety of schools covering subgroups of Years 1 – 13 within the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. A self-selected self-administered survey elicited responses on their use of over twenty three potential sources of learning. This approach was used to provide a fresh look at an under-researched topic. Research findings demonstrate that respondents used all learning sources to varying degrees according to factors such as personal preference, availability, cost, perceived quality, time and distance. A single best practice model remains elusive; those surveyed adopted eclectic approaches to their professional learning. The impact of information technologies and the role of professional principals’ associations in monitoring, promoting and supporting principals’ access to high quality professional learning are also discussed. Consideration of links between survey data and existing theory has resulted in the development of a framework of learning platforms for experienced principals. In addition, a number of dualities are highlighted. Together the proposed learning platforms and dualities provide a conceptual mechanism for the planning of deliberate professional learning and directions for further research

Scientific dissemination and professional practices through digital media: The study of pragmatic strategies in the communication of international research projects

La investigación científica hoy en día está ligada a los procesos de globalización y a la búsqueda de la innovación y la excelencia, lo cual favorece una creciente colaboración, internacionalización y multidisciplinariedad. Para llevar a cabo estas iniciativas ambiciosas y de gran escala, los investigadores necesitan la financiación externa que distintas organizaciones, instituciones y programas pueden proporcionar. Esta reconfiguración del trabajo académico va de la mano de la ubiquidad y popularidad de Internet. Un extenso abanico de géneros, plataformas y medios digitales permiten a los científicos y académicos difundir sus investigaciones a una audiencia amplia y heterogénea. La inversión de esfuerzo en la comunicación mediada digitalmente permite a los investigadores contribuir a una diseminación más efectiva del conocimiento generado, así como cumplir con su compromiso social. Por otra parte, este esfuerzo les puede permitir reforzar su reputación como investigadores y conseguir un mayor impacto. Un ejemplo destacado de este escenario académico cambiante donde se maximiza el discurso digital para propósitos investigadores es el de los proyectos de investigación internacionales. Se trata de consorcios compuestos de miembros provenientes de entornos socioculturales y profesionales distintos que hacen uso de sitios web y redes sociales para la diseminación de sus proyectos conjuntos y utilizan las características tecnológicas y comunicativas de estos espacios digitales para ofrecer actualizaciones periódicas de su trabajo e información sobre hallazgos en progreso y resultados de investigación. De este modo, rinden cuentas a los organismos que los financian y aumentan su visibilidad entre los lectores digitales. Las intenciones comunicativas de estos equipos de investigación para cumplir dichos objetivos se codifican y transmiten discursivamente a través de diversas estrategias pragmáticas, que se encuadran en determinados parámetros contextuales y que responden a las especificidades del medio y se ven constreñidas por estas. Estas estrategias revelan cómo los investigadores comparten la información, cómo publicitan sus hallazgos y cómo se dirigen a sus potenciales lectores.Así, esta tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo investigar las estrategias pragmáticas prominentes en lengua inglesa empleadas por grupos de investigación internacionales en sus prácticas digitales discursivas, que normalmente se materializan en sitios webs y redes sociales para sus proyectos. Con este propósito, se compiló y analizó el corpus digital EUROPRO, que contiene 30 sitios web de proyectos de investigación que recibieron financiación en el marco del programa Horizonte2020 (subcorpus EUROPROwebs) y las correspondientes cuentas de Twitter de aquellos proyectos (subcorpus EUROPROtweets). Dichos subcorpus han sido extraídos de la base de datos digital EUROPRO recopilada por el grupo de investigación InterGedi. En mi tesis doctoral propongo una taxonomía derivada de los datos como resultado del análisis del corpus, que comprende 27 estrategias organizadas en torno a tres macrocategorías: informativas, promocionales e interaccionales. Incido teórica y metodológicamente en el proceso de diseñar y revisar esta herramienta analítica para así demonstrar su solidez y viabilidad. Además, analizo el rango de ocurrencia, la frecuencia y el uso específico de estas estrategias en las secciones que aparecen de manera sistemática en los sitios web incluidos en el corpus y en las páginas web donde se aloja la mayor parte de la información sobre el proyecto (Homepage, About, Partners, News & Events), en las cuentas de Twitter y, de forma comparativa, entre las secciones web y los tuits, con el fin de observar tendencias significativas y en cuanto a similitudes y diferencias en su funcionamiento en estos medios digitales. Además, adopto un enfoque etnográfico mediante la inclusión de evidencias contextuales conseguidas a través de entrevistas semi-estructuradas con investigadores de los proyectos Horizonte2020, cuyos resultados ayudan a sustentar los hallazgos procedentes del análisis textual. También tomo una perspectiva multimodal sobre cómo se emplean las estrategias pragmáticas en los sitios web de proyectos de investigación en relación a la sección Homepages. Este análisis, en concreto, permite reconocer el potencial de los recursos verbales y visuales para la construcción de significado desde una perspectiva pragmática. En general, el presente estudio busca ahondar en nuestro entendimiento de prácticas académicas digitales que están evolucionando rápidamente y que tienen gran alcance, en particular adoptadas por grupos de investigación, que pueden beneficiarse de los resultados y las implicaciones de esta investigación para la futura comunicación y diseminación de sus proyectos científicos.<br /