Scientific Literacy in the digital age: tools, environments and resources for co-inquiry

This paper describes some European and International projects to promote Scientific Literacy in the digital age as well as technologies, environments and resources for co-inquiry. The aim of this research is also to describe computer applications, software tools and environments that were designed to support processes of collaborative inquiry learning to promote Scientific Literacy. These tools are analyzed by describing their interfaces and functionalities. The outcomes of this descriptive research points out some effects on student learning and competences developed known from the literature. This paper argues the importance of promoting scientific citizenship not only through schools and Universities (formal learning), but also non-credit online courses and community-based learning programmes (non-formal context), as well as daily life activities, educational open digital materials through social networks (informal scenario)

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationGreat innovations seldom come from a single individual or firm. Rather, entire networks of people, usually sponsored by many firms drive great innovation, innovation that is rarely captured in a single product or service, but an entire platform sponsored by an ecosystem of firms. Many of these innovative platforms are guided by a visible hand, coalitions of firms that coordinate and collaborate. One such "visible hand" is the multipartner alliance, a collection of tens, hundreds, or even thousands of firms assembled to collaboratively define, develop, and promote innovation. While much research in collaborative innovation assumes homogenously available benefits and an exogenously determined appropriation of these benefits, this dissertation assumes heterogeneity and explores the degree to which benefits may be endogenously determined. The benefit of interest is a firm's own innovation productivity based on technologies defined by the multipartner alliance. In studying firm actions, choices, and characteristics as they relate to participating in multipartner alliances, I examine the relationships between a firm's innovation productivity and its entry timing, value-chain position, level of membership, contribution, timing of contribution, and size. These are tested primarily using hierarchical negative binomial regression and an original dataset developed in cooperation with the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, a multipartner alliance of over 12,000 firms interested in defining, developing, and promoting short range wireless technology. Empirical findings suggest support of heterogeneity in the availability of benefits and a degree of endogeneity in how they are appropriated

The business model: Theoretical roots, recent developments, and future research

The paper provides a broad and multifaceted review of the received literature on business models, in which we attempt to explore the origin of the construct and to examine the business model concept through multiple disciplinary and subject-matter lenses. The review reveals that scholars do not agree on what a business model is, and that the literature is developing largely in silos, according to the phenomena of interest to the respective researchers. However, we also found some emerging common ground among students of business models. Specifically, i) the business model is emerging as a new unit of analysis; ii) business models emphasize a system-level, holistic approach towards explaining how firms do business; iii) organizational activities play an important role in the various conceptualizations of business models that have been proposed, and iv) business models seek not only to explain the ways in which value is captured but also how it is created. These emerging themes could serve as important catalysts towards a more unified study of business models.Business model; strategy; technology management; innovation; literature review;

The appropriation of a software ecosystem : a practice take on the usage, maintenance and modification of the eclipse IDE

This thesis was written in order to gain a deeper understanding of the appropriation of software in groups and organizations. In doing so, it focuses on software created under the modern software engineering trend software ecosystems. Software ecosystems have a major influence on software development, as they rely on massive usage of distributed software development, open source models and modularization. It is unclear if existing models to explain appropriation still hold good. Furthermore, it has to be explored whether current appropriation support is still appropriate and beneficial or if we need new ideas to help users cope with these developments. In order to achieve these objectives, this work is mainly based on an empirical field study, which investigates workgroups at seven German organizations that use the Eclipse IDE, an extremely modularized and adaptable software system, developed by a globally active ecosystem of large corporations, small businesses and even hobbyists. Using the qualitative analysis approach of the grounded theory method and appropriation as a lens for this research endeavor, observations and interviews as well as artifacts were analyzed, uncovering practices that are part of Eclipse usage and appropriation. They are identified and discussed from the backdrop of software ecosystems – viewed from a users perspective. Examples are the sheer amount of appropriation activities at the shop floor, the dilemma of software maintenance, that comes with continuously developed but sometimes unstable technology, practices as learning or tailoring, influences on practices stemming from the software ecosystem, the organization and the group. Grounded in these results, suggestions for the design of appropriation support are given and prototypically implemented, which reflect the embeddedness of individuals and groups in the software ecosystem. They provide a fresh perspective, based on peer-to-peer technology and awareness mechanisms.Diese Arbeit wurde erstellt, um ein tieferes Verständnis über die Aneignung von Software in Gruppen und Organisationen zu erlangen. Dabei fokussiert sie auf eine Software die unter den Bedingungen eines modernen Trends im Software Engineering entstanden ist: Der Software Ökosystem Bewegung. Software Ökosysteme beeinflussen die Entwicklung von moderner Software maßgeblich, da sie verstärkt auf örtlich verteilte Entwicklung, Open Source Modelle und Modularisierung setzen. Bisher ist ungeklärt, ob existierende Ansätze zum Verständnis von Aneignung unter diesen Gegebenheiten ihre Gültigkeit behalten. Weitergehend ist zu untersuchen ob existierende Maßnahmen der Aneignungsunterstützung auch in diesem Kontext angemessen und vorteilhaft wirken, oder ob neue Ansätze entwickelt werden müssen um Nutzer heute sinnvoll zu unterstützen. Um diese Ziele zu erreichen, basiert diese Arbeit hauptsächlich auf einer qualitativ-empirischen Feldstudie in Arbeitsgruppen sieben Deutscher Organisationen, die alle die Eclipse IDE einsetzen – ein extrem modularisiertes und anpassbares Software System das durch ein global agierendes Software Ökosystem aus großen Konzernen, KMU und sogar Hobbyisten hergestellt wird. Mit Hilfe des qualitativen Analyseansatzes in Form der Grounded Theory Method und Aneignung als Linse für dieses Forschungsvorhaben wurden die Daten aus Beobachtungen, Interviews und bei Arbeitsplatzbesuchen gesammelter Artefakte analysiert. Dabei wurden Praktiken die Teil der Eclipse Nutzung und Aneignung sind, erfasst näher definiert und vor dem Hintergrund von Software Ökosystemen und aus Perspektive der Nutzer diskutiert. Die Ergebnisse umfassen unter anderem eine Reihe verschiedener Aneignungsaktivitäten, das Dilemma der Wartung komplexer Software Systeme welche durch die kontinuierliche Entwicklung und teilweise instabile Komponenten entsteht, Praktiken wie Lernen oder Anpassen, sowie Einflüsse auf die Arbeitspraktiken die aus dem Software Ökosystem, der Gruppe oder der Organisation stammen. Begründet auf den Ergebnissen dieser Forschung, werden Vorschläge für das Design von Aneignungsunterstützung gegeben und prototypisch realisiert. Diese spiegeln wider wie Individuen und Gruppen in das Software Ökosystem eingebettet sind und präsentieren durch den Einsatz von Peer-to-Peer Technik und Awareness Mechanismen eine neue Perspektive auf Aneignungsunterstützung

Using Technology to Support At-Risk Students' Learning

A new report finds that technology - when implemented properly -can produce significant gains in student achievement and boost engagement, particularly among students most at risk

TOWARDS A NOVEL APPROACH TO GEODESIGN ANALYTICS

The adoption of sustainability principles in current European regulatory framework which affect spatial planning and environmental protection, such as Directive 2001/42/C, introduced the need for collaboration and participation in spatial planning practices aiming at achieving more evidence-based, transparent and democratic decision making. However, the involvement of a wide range of actors, along with traditional collaborative and participatory methods, makes it often diffi cult to grasp the dynamics which drive the process towards the fi nal decision. Emerging design methodologies and increased recourse to advanced information technologies promise unprecedented opportunities not only for applying a system approach and coordinating involved actors, but also for tracking the evolution of the design alternatives toward the fi nal plan. In this context, this paper explores the potential offered by the collaborative Planning Support System Geodesignhub to ease and record the process workfl ow of geodesign studies. The paper describes underlying theories, research questions formulation and the fi rst results of the analysis of empirical data on the Cagliari Geodesign case study. The set of variables and relations identifi ed in this research endeavor represents the fi rst effort towards the development of an operation framework for geodesign process analysis, which may potentially contribute to clarify the relationships between the knowledge base and the actors in the planning process. The aim is to earning a deeper understanding of the process dynamics for more informed, transparent, and democratic planning, design and decision-making. KEYWORD

Opportunity Creation in Innovation Networks: Interactive Revealing Practices

Innovating in networks with partners that have diverse knowledge is challenging. The challenges stem from the fact that the commonly used knowledge protection mechanisms often are neither available nor suitable in early stage exploratory collaborations. This article focuses on how company participants in heterogeneous industry networks share private knowledge while protecting firm-specific appropriation. We go beyond the prevailing strategic choice perspectives to discuss interactive revealing practices that sustain joint opportunity creation in the fragile phase of early network formation.Center for Business, Technology and La

BLOCKCHAIN-BASED DATA SHARING SYSTEM: AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOURAL FEATURES AFFECTING INTER-ORGANISATIONAL COOPERATION

This paper investigates the role of managers’ behavioural features on Blockchain Technology (BCT) appropriation within an online scenario-based behavioural experiment. At the intersection between Management of Information Systems and Experimental Economics, the scenario describes a BCT set-up as a new governance mechanism facilitating data sharing among organisations. The experiment involves BCT experts who performed two different Public Good Games (PGG): the first, reflecting a traditional data sharing system while the second was concerned with an exogenous minimum contribution level representing a BCT-based system. Results reveal that experts’ beliefs play a positive role in BCT early appropriation at an ecosystem level. When BCT-based data-sharing is established, and information about others’ cooperation is available, early appropriation level still affects the managers’ contribution and relative appropriation, moderating the role of behavioural features, such as beliefs and generalised trust