Hypermedia Systems Development: A Comparative Study of Software Engineers and Graphic Designers

Hypermedia systems development is, in many regards, different from conventional systems development, chief amongst these differences being its multidisciplinary nature. Foremost amongst the roles in hypermedia development are software engineering and graphic design. However, traditionally the tension between software engineers and graphic designers is pronounced. It is therefore important to gain an understanding of the differences between the two camps with a view to bringing them closer together. This paper reports on the findings of a survey of hypermedia developers conducted in Ireland. One of the objectives of the survey was to compare and contrast the development approaches, methods, and techniques used by software engineers with those used by graphic designers. It was found that software engineers and graphic designers are much closer than might be believed in their attitudes on the value and importance of processes and documented working methods. However, graphic designers primarily base development approaches around the use of specific tools, whereas software engineers are more reliant on traditional and object-oriented software development methods. Regarding diagramming methods, there is some evidence of cross-pollination, as software engineers often use informal techniques such as storyboarding and graphic designers use software engineering techniques such as use case diagrams, but graphic designers find software engineering techniques to be less useful than vice versa

Investigating the Role of Geospatial Technologies as a Supplement to Environmental Education: Development of an Environmental Data Collection Application and Its Implementation in the Classroom

Informal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education refers to science learning that takes place in a non-traditional setting, such as a museum, a library, and outside a classroom, based on the methods different from the traditional pen-to-paper style of classroom learning. A critical component of Informal STEM education is to ensure student understanding and using available technologies to better analyze and convey scientific data, particularly for the data that are spatial in nature. Combining mobile technologies with geographic information systems (GIS) in field data collection provides unique opportunities for students to feel stimulated and engaged in what they are learning and to take ownership of their own learning process.In this thesis, I developed a publicly available and open access data collection application and investigated its impacts on students’ engagement and perception of the incorporation of technology in their learning within the environmental science curricula. The analyses of pre- and post-surveys indicate that the inclusion of geospatial technologies as a part of curricula can significantly boost students’ engagement by allowing the opportunities to 1) take the lead on their own research, 2) view field data in real-time as opposed to looking at a database in hindsight, and 3) view and analyze multiscale data as it is presented during field analysis. The findings of this study are consistent with previous studies, suggesting a strong correlation between the inclusion of geospatial technologies as a part of curricula and student engagement and performance

Collaborative design : managing task interdependencies and multiple perspectives

This paper focuses on two characteristics of collaborative design with respect to cooperative work: the importance of work interdependencies linked to the nature of design problems; and the fundamental function of design cooperative work arrangement which is the confrontation and combination of perspectives. These two intrinsic characteristics of the design work stress specific cooperative processes: coordination processes in order to manage task interdependencies, establishment of common ground and negotiation mechanisms in order to manage the integration of multiple perspectives in design

Water infrastructure and social housing in Bogotá: an intersection between modern water management and social housing production

En la actualidad Bogotá afronta la presión de construir viviendas sociales en ecosistemas frágiles, áreas rurales o zonas propensas a las inundaciones, y al mismo tiempo proteger estas áreas para asegurar la capacidad de resiliencia del medio ambiente. Ante esta contradicción, la pregunta de investigación es: ¿Cómo se pueden modificar las tendencias de urbanización para crear una interacción que favorezca el manejo sustentable del agua? Con el fin de responder esta pregunta ésta comunicación presenta un análisis histórico de planes de alcantarillado y control hidráulico desarrollados desde 1990, junto con una revisión de proyectos de vivienda social representativos, e investiga la interacción entre estos dos campos. El análisis permite definir diferentes etapas en la transformación física del sistema hídrico que se basan en los cambios universales de paradigma en la gestión del agua e ilustra diferentes construcciones socio-culturales en torno a la naturaleza, además analiza la producción de vivienda en relación a la transformación del sistema hídrico.Currently, Bogotá faces the pressure to continue to urbanize fragile ecosystems, rural lands and flood prone areas with low-cost housing projects and simultaneously protect these areas to ensure environmental resilience. Given this contradiction, the question is how urbanization trends could be reversed into a constructive interplay with a revised water management? In order to that, this paper provides an historical analysis of representative water infrastructure projects, urban plans and housing projects in Bogotá developed after 1900 and investigates the interplays between this two realms. The analysis allows to define different stages in the physical transformation of the water system that are based on universal paradigm shifts in water management and illustrates different socio-cultural constructions around nature. It also analysis the production of social housing in relation to the water system transformation

Human resource development in construction organisations: an example of a 'chaordic' learning organisation?

Purpose/ Methodology/Approach The concept of the Learning Organisation (LO) is associated with an advanced approach to Human Resource Development (HRD) characterised by an ethos of self-responsibility and self-development. The learning climate that this engenders is supported by temporary organisational structures responsive to environmental change. This paper presents case study research of the HRD strategy, policy and practice of a large UK-based construction contractor in relation to the concept of LO. Findings The analysis suggests that the organisational project-based structure and informal culture combine to form a ‘chaordic LO’. A ‘Chaordic enterprise’ comprises a complex organisation that operates in a non-linear dynamic environment. However, it appears that this approach has evolved unintentionally rather than as a result of targeted Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) policies, which in turn reflects a genuine commitment to advanced HRD. Originality/value of paper The findings render previous assertions that the industry fails to invest in its employees highly questionable. They suggest a need for further research to reveal how such approaches can be captured in replicate in the future

Learning from Digital Natives: Bridging Formal and Informal Learning. Final Report

Overview This report suggests that students are increasingly making use of a variety of etools (such as mobile phones, email, MSN, digital cameras, games consoles and social networking sites) to support their informal learning within formalised educational settings, and that they use the tools that they have available if none are provided for them. Therefore, higher education institutions should encourage the use of these tools. Aims and background This study aimed to explore how e-tools (such as mobile phones, email, MSN, digital cameras, games consoles and social networking sites) and the processes that underpin their use can support learning within educational institutions and help improve the quality of students’ experiences of learning in higher education (pgs 9-11). Methodology The study entailed: (i) desk research to identify related international research and practice and examples of integration of e-tools and learning processes in formal educational settings; (ii) a survey of 160 engineering and social work students across two contrasting Scottish universities (pre- and post-1992) – the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University – and follow-up interviews with eight students across the two subject areas to explore which technologies students were using for both learning and leisure activities within and outside the formal educational settings and how they would like to use such technologies to support their learning in both formal and informal settings; and (iii) interviews with eight members of staff from across the institutions and two subject areas to identify their perceptions of the educational value of the e-tools. (pgs 24-27). Key findings • Students reported making extensive use of a variety of both e-tools (such as mobile phones, email, MSN, digital cameras) and social networking tools (such as Bebo, MySpace, Wikipedia and YouTube) for informal socialisation, communication, information gathering, content creation and sharing, alongside using the institutionally provided technologies and learning environments. • Most of the students owned their own computer or had access to a sibling or parent’s computer. Many students owned a laptop but preferred not to bring it onto campus due to security concerns and because they found it too heavy to carry about. • Ownership of mobile phones was ubiquitous. • Whilst the students’ information searching literacy seemed adequate, the ability of these students to harness the power of social networking tools and informal processes for their learning was low. Staff reported using a few Web 2.0 and social software tools but they were generally less familiar with how these could be used to support learning and teaching. There were misconceptions surrounding the affordances of the tools and fears expressed about security and invasion of personal space. Considerations of the costs and the time it would take staff to develop their skills meant that there was a reluctance to take up new technologies at an institutional level. • Subject differences emerged in both staff and student perceptions as to which type of tools they would find most useful. Attitudes to Web 2.0 tools were different. Engineers were concerned with reliability, using institutional systems and inter-operability. Social workers were more flexible because they were focused on communication and professional needs. • The study concluded that digital tools, personal devices, social networking software and many of the other tools explored all have a large educational potential to support learning processing and teaching practices. Therefore, use of these tools and processes within institutions, amongst staff and students should be encouraged. • The report goes on to suggest ways in which the use of such technologies can help strengthen the links between informal and formal learning in higher education. The recommendations are grouped under four areas – pedagogical, socio-cultural, organisational and technological

Detailed empirical studies of student information storing in the context of distributed design team-based project work

This paper presents the findings of six empirical case studies investigating the information stored by engineering design students in distributed team-based Global Design Projects. The aim is to understand better how students store distributed design information in order to prepare them for work in today‟s international and global context. This paper outlines the descriptive element of the work, the qualitative and quantitative research methods used and the results. It discusses the issues around the emergent themes of information storing; information storing systems; information storing patterns; and information strategy, making recommendations; establishing that there is a need for more prescriptive measures to supporting distributed design information management. This work will be of great value to industry also

Digital information support for concept design

This paper outlines the issues in effective utilisation of digital resources in conceptual design. Access to appropriate information acts as stimuli and can lead to better substantiated concepts. This paper addresses the issues of presenting such information in a digital form for effective use, exploring digital libraries and groupware as relevant literature areas, and argues that improved integration of these two technologies is necessary to better support the concept generation task. The development of the LauLima learning environment and digital library is consequently outlined. Despite its attempts to integrate the designers' working space and digital resources, continuing issues in library utilisation and migration of information to design concepts are highlighted through a class study. In light of this, new models of interaction to increase information use are explored

A study of information & knowledge generated during engineering design meetings

During the design process, there is a wealth of information generated, and although it may not be obvious at the time, this information can be extremely useful at a later instance when it may be no longer available. Many information capture solutions utilise tools such as video and media capture, incorporating the idea that if you capture all information then you will not miss anything. However, this creates another problem. Not all the information captured will be useful, therefore how can you distinguish the information that is useful from information that is not? The challenge many organisations face is how to capture and store valuable informal information in a way that is both simple and efficient, whilst remaining unobtrusive to the designers involved and without inhibiting the design activities. Through the undertaking of a series of case studies and test scenarios, it is possible to observe, identify and evaluate the various degrees of information and knowledge being generated and passed amongst design engineering teams whilst performing design activities in meeting situations. Using multi-media recording equipment and observation techniques, insight can be gained into the decision making process design engineering teams encounter during the course of a design project, and thus it is possible to evaluate where improved techniques can be applied to enhance the recording of information for re-use

The Relationship between Performance Standards and Achieving the Objectives of Supervision at the Islamic University in Gaza

The aim of the research is to identify the relationship between the performance criteria and the achievement of the objectives of supervision which is represented in the performance of the job at the Islamic University in Gaza Strip. To achieve the objectives of the research, the researchers used the descriptive analytical approach to collect information. The questionnaire consisted of (22) paragraphs distributed to three categories of employees of the Islamic University (senior management, faculty members, their assistants and members of the administrative board). A random sample of 314 employees was selected, 276 responses were retrieved with a return rate of 88.1%. The SPSS program was used to enter, process, and analyze the data. The results of the study showed a positive relationship between the performance criteria and the achievement of the control objectives represented by the job performance in the Islamic University from the point of view of the members (senior management, faculty and their assistants and the administrative board). The researchers also recommended a number of recommendations, including the provision of an appropriate level of control system components today through the continuous updating and development of performance standards and the need to provide the necessary physical and financial resources to continue the development and achievement within the university. Expand the development of technology in the various activities of the university through the construction of a complete and integrated system to support the control systems in the university to suit its size. The researchers also recommended the follow-up, review of the performance standards and work to modify them in line with the mission of the university and the goals that the university seeks to reach