Evaluating Digital Libraries: A Longitudinal and Multifaceted View

published or submitted for publicatio

A basic web-based distance education model

Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Computer Engineering, Izmir, 2005Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 147)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishxv, 201 leavesDuring the recent years, the rapid growth of the Web and multimedia technologies urged a shift of Computer-Based Educational Technology towards the Web. In the leading universities of the developed countries, studies on Web-Based Education have started and in an increasing manner are going strong. In the last few years, the leading universities of Turkey are also greatly interested in Web-Based Education and have started their re-structuring accordingly.The goal of this study is to design a basic model to be utilized by a university aiming to offer web-based distance education. In achieving this; by the use of system approach, a model comprising of three subsystems, namely system analysis, system design and evaluation&control, working in coordination with each other, has been tried to be proposed. There may be only one missing point of this study, that is; since preparing a lesson or program according to this model was not foreseen in this thesis, the effectiveness evaluations suggested in the evaluation&control subsystem could not be realized. It is recommended to realize such an evaluation in a further study to make it possible to reveal the effectiveness of web-based education by preparing a lesson or program according to this model.On the other hand, a survey has been conducted in Turkey in some of the universities either offering web-based education or are interested in studies in this field.The aim of this survey is to analyze from system design point of view the studies carried out in our universities on this matter and to get a picture of the existing situation.The directed questions aiming this were prepared by taking into consideration of the three stages of system design subsystem, i.e. administrative design, educational design, and technological design. It is intended for the result of this survey to shed light to the new-coming institutions in this field. As a matter of fact, each stage of this subsystem is a survey item itself and should be researched one by one in other studies.Furthermore, for individuals interested in distance education and web-based distance education and for people newly involved in this matter, this thesis is intended to be a reference material and to serve this purpose the sections are prepared containing the basic information accordingly. Nevertheless, since most of the information regarding system design are prepared without taking into consideration the disabled people, the relevant information are not complete. In another study, the offering of the web-based education to the disabled people, especially for deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, and blind students, has to be investigated.Finally, in this thesis the proposed model for the Web-Based Distance Education, as being a basic and conceptual model, has a flexible structure; i.e., suitable for all the institutions and establishments intending to offer the web-based education.What is important here, is to exploit the potential sources within the institution that will display the required systematic approach

Minority University-Space Interdisciplinary Network Conference Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Users' Conference

Seventh annual conference proceedings of the Minority University-SPace Interdisciplinary Network (MU-SPIN) conference. MU-SPIN is cosponsored by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Science Foundation, and is a comprehensive educational initiative for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and minority universities. MU-SPIN focuses on the transfer of advanced computer networking technologies to these institutions and their use for supporting multidisciplinary research

Attitudes and perceptions regarding Internet-based electronic data interchange in a public organization in Saudi Arabia

This study examined the attitudes and perceptions of staff members and administrators in the General Directorate for Private Institutes & Centers (GDPI&C), Training institutes, and Centers in Saudi Arabia toward Internet-based Electronic Data Interchange (I-EDI) in a public organization. A survey was conducted of a group of GDPI&C members and randomly selected Institutes and Centers. The 339 respondents participated anonymously by providing demographic information and completing the attitudes and perceptions section of I-EDI questionnaire. The survey response rate was 82.6%. An attitude survey was distributed to staff members, administrators, and faculty members in the Saudi Arabian GDPI&C, Training Institutes, and Centers. The study was designed to (a) measure the attitudes and perceptions of staff members, administrators, and faculty members in GDPI&C toward the use of computers, the Internet, and the implementation of I-EDI within the organization and (b) describe Institute/Center administrators\u27, staff members\u27, and faculty members\u27 attitudes and perceptions toward the use of computers, the Internet, and the implementation of I-EDI. The study also examined the expectations of GDPI&C staff members/administrators/faculty members and those of Institute and Center staff members, administrators, and faculty members regarding the potential benefits of implementing a new system (I-EDI). It was found that the participants in GDPI&C, Training Institutes, and Centers across Saudi Arabia did understand and appreciate the value to the organization of I-EDI. It was also found that they did not hold significant fears about using computers and the Internet in the organization. It was further found that they would not be likely to fear the implementation of I-EDI in the organization. Based on these findings, it was concluded that implementation of I-EDI in GDPI&C, Training Institutes, and Centers across Saudi Arabia is a necessary project and that fears of personnel are unlikely to interfere with the implementation I-EDI. It was recommended that the GDPI&C proceed to a stage of intensive planning for the implementation of I-EDI in the organization