The use of animated agents in e‐learning environments: an exploratory, interpretive case study

There is increasing interest in the use of animated agents in e‐learning environments. However, empirical investigations of their use in online education are limited. Our aim is to provide an empirically based framework for the development and evaluation of animated agents in e‐learning environments. Findings suggest a number of challenges, including the multiple dialogue models that animated agents will need to accommodate, the diverse range of roles that pedagogical animated agents can usefully support, the dichotomous relationship that emerges between these roles and that of the lecturer, and student perception of the degree of autonomy that can be afforded to animated agents

Research 2.0: encouraging engagement in online market research communities

Research 2.0 is the emerging term used to describe the use of Web 2.0 platforms to conduct research with geographically dispersed participants. Research 2.0 is becoming particularly popular within the market research industry. This paper reports on engagement in and e-moderation of online research communities which are using Web 2.0 tools, specifically we draw on three case studies that are operated by a commercial market research company in the UK on behalf of their clients: easyJet plc, Telefónica O2 UK Ltd and United Biscuits UK Ltd. The study adopts an interpretivist stance focusing on the e-moderation process and uses data triangulation - online community members’ survey (465 responses), three months of observations and three focus groups with staff in the market research company. The findings drawn from the research suggest that there are fundamentally different requirements for Research 2.0 communities to the more familiar collaborative online communities

Unpacking User Relations in an Emerging Ubiquitous Computing Environment: Introducing the Bystander

The move towards technological ubiquity is allowing a more idiosyncratic and dynamic working environment to emerge that may result in the restructuring of information communication technologies, and changes in their use through different user groups’ actions. Taking a ‘practice’ lens to human agency, we explore the evolving roles of, and relationships between these user groups and their appropriation of emergent technologies by drawing upon Lamb and Kling\u27s social actor framework. To illustrate our argument, we draw upon a study of a UK Fire Brigade that has introduced a variety of technologies in an attempt to move towards embracing mobile and ubiquitous computing. Our analysis of the enactment of such technologies reveals that Bystanders, a group yet to be taken as the central unit of analysis in information systems research, or considered in practice, are emerging as important actors. The research implications of our work relate to the need to further consider Bystanders in deployments other than those that are mobile and ubiquitous. For practice, we suggest that Bystanders require consideration in the systems development life cycle, particularly in terms of design and education in processes of use

Tinker, Tailor: Information Systems and Strategic Development in Knowledge Based SMEs

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) can experience difficulties in adopting Information Systems (IS) and aligning them with their strategic development. Using the concept of bricolage, an improvisational approach that allows learning from concrete experience, we explore IS adoption and organisational change in two SME case studies. The case studies cover IS rationalisations and innovations and small- and large-scale change over a four year period, and highlight the roles of different actors, internal and external to the SMEs. We find that bricolage is a useful concept as it deals with the need for SMEs to learn about the possibilities of IS in situ, simultaneously exploiting the can-do approach that can be found in many SMEs. However bricolage needs organisation space and the possibility for trust to grow between end users, developers and management as visions are explored and revised

Knowledge Management Systems: The Role of Encouragement

Some organisations appear to be more successful than others at adopting and implementing Knowledge Management (KM) systems. In this paper, the authors investigate why this situation may occur through a case study analysis of two organisations that have implemented KM systems. In the first case, the authors consider why one supposedly technologically literate organisation experienced problems implementing what could be termed a ‘tried and tested’ technical solution. In the second, the authors consider a supposedly technologically illiterate organisation’s more positive experiences with a ‘state of the art’ application. The focus of the analysis is on the interplay amongst the organisational factors that inhibited and facilitated the KM projects. Our case analysis suggests that a key factor is the levels of encouragement/discouragement for the use of the system that occur and their source: the technology, the organisation or both

Toward the Construction Knowledge Economy: The E-Cognos Project

The paper focuses upon the contribution that knowledge management portals can make to the enhancement, development and improvement of professional expertise in the Construction domain. The paper is based on the e-COGNOS project1 which aims at specifying and developing an open model-based infrastructure and a set of tools that promote consistent knowledge management within collaborative construction environments. The specified solution emerged from a comprehensive analysis of the business and information / knowledge management practices of the project end-users. The system architect uses a Construction specific ontology as a basis for specifying adaptive mechanisms that can organise documents according to their contents and interdependencies, while maintaining their overall consistency. e-COGNOS has a web-based infrastructure will include services allowing to create, capture, index, retrieve and disseminate knowledge. It also promotes the integration of third-party services, including proprietary tools. The e-COGNOS approach will be tested and evaluated through a series of field trials. This will be followed by the delivery of business recommendations regarding the deployment of e-COGNOS in the construction sector. The research is ongoing and supported by the European Commission under the IST programme – Key Action I

When standards is not enough to secure interoperability and competitiveness for European exporters

Web 2.0 thinking and technologies create a number of new opportunities to conduct research broadly labeled as Research 2.0. Research 2.0 is a growing area of academic and commercial interest, which includes research undertaken in online research communities. This research in progress paper explores the practice of online research communities using a case study example operated by the commercial market research company Virtual Surveys Limited (VSL) in the UK on behalf of their client United Biscuits UK Ltd. The preliminary findings are based on VSL and academics working together to improve the online research community participants’ response rate and the quality of contributions. Data collected for this study is based on meetings, participant observation, and a pilot survey of United Biscuits online research community (snackrs.com) members. Using the responses of 112 snackrs.com community members, a preliminary typology of motivational factors is proposed. This can be used to refine the recruitment and development of activities in an online research community. Also, a model for supporting online research communities to ensure longitudinal engagement based on an adaptation of Salmon’s (2004) 5 Stage Model for e-moderation is proposed, extending the 5 stages to 7 – adding the stages of selection and disengagemen