Understanding and Assessing the Extent of Enjoyment of Web Experiences

The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of enjoyment as experienced by users of the web and to provide an instrument for the measurement of this construct. A review of literature across disciplines indicated that enjoyment was characterised by: (i) engagement in an activity; (ii) a resultant positive affect (e.g., pleasure, happiness, contentment, satisfaction); and (iii) the fulfillment of some need or desire. An instrument was developed using Churchill’s method and validated. Constructs and measurement scales developed in this study have practical value for predicting and explaining the enjoyment experiences of web users

Publication Productivity in Information Systems 2003-2007: A Focus on the \u27Basket of Six\u27 and the Pacific Asia Region

This study examines the publication productivity of researchers in information systems (IS), with special emphasis on the Pacific Asia region. A scientometric analysis was performed covering the years 2003 to 2007, using articles from six premier IS journals: the ‘Basket of Six’ journals proposed by the Association for Information Systems. The authors with highest productivity were identified. Analysis by region for authors with high productivity showed a relationship between the region in which the researcher was based and the region in which the journals were published. Interestingly, publications by leading researchers in the Pacific Asia region were split almost evenly between North American and European outlets. Comparison with prior studies reinforces the importance of including journals with a diverse geographic base in studies of international productivity. The study shows increasing support for and development of quality journals with a regional base, such as the Pacific Asia Journal of the Association for Information Systems, is indicated. Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais/vol1/iss1/7

The Hedonic Experience of Enjoyment and Its Relationship to Informal Learning: A Study of Museum Websites

Online hedonic experiences are increasingly of interest in both research and practice. In particular, it has been proposed that ‘traditional usability approaches are too limited and must be extended to encompass enjoyment’ (Blythe and Wright 2003, p.xvi). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among: (i) website design features; (ii) user’s experience of enjoyment; and (iii) informal learning such as that occurring with a museum website. A cross-over experimental design was employed with web pages from the National Palace Museum, Taiwan. Results indicated that, as expected, a multimedia game-based ‘lesson’ led to both more enjoyment and more learning than a text-based ‘lesson’. With text-based pages more enjoyment also meant more learning. The situation was complicated, however, with the game-based pages, as results were not in the expected direction. The study points to the need for more research in this complex area

Persistence Influence for IT Outsourcing: Small and Medium Firms Perspectives of Their Application Service Providers

Given today’s fierce competition among application service providers (ASP), one key question for any ASP is how to retain their customers’ loyalty through partnership establishment and provision of quality of service. However, prior studies focused on the ongoing relationships between the ASP and clients are sparse. This study investigates the perspectives of small and medium firms for their information technology (IT) outsourcing, especially when they are seeking facilitation from the ASP. The study applies the psychological concepts of satisfaction and trust to assess a firm’s loyalty state which can predict the persistence for IT outsourcing. The research questions are: (i) Do the key factors of IT outsourcing enhancement - partnership and quality of service - influence a firm’s IT outsourcing cognition? (ii) Does a small or medium firm’s IT outsourcing cognition - satisfaction and trust - have a positive relationship to its IT outsourcing continuance with an ASP? This study uses the partial least squares approach to develop and test a model that encapsulates these questions. A field study of 158 small and medium firms was conducted. Results show that the key factors of IT outsourcing enhancement and cognition are able to predict a firm’s persistence of IT outsourcing

Designing Websites for Learning and Enjoyment: A study of museum experiences

This study reports on an exploratory research study that examined the design of websites that encourage both learning and enjoyment. This study examines museum websites that offer educational materials. As part of their mission, most museums provide the general public educational materials for study and enjoyment. Many museums use the Internet in support of their mission. Museum websites offer excellent opportunity to study learning environments designed for enjoyment. Computer-supported learning of various types has been studied over the years, including computer-aided learning, computer-aided instruction, computer-managed learning, and more recently, learning via the Internet. However, the concept of online learning for enjoyment – specifically when learning is not part of a formal instructional undertaking – has not been well studied and thus is not well understood. Some relevant work appears in the literature on pleasure (Telfer, 1980), happiness (Perry, 1967; Veenhoven, 1984), playfulness (Lieberman, 1977; Webster & Martocchio, 1992), and flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990; Pace, 2004). The study reported here seeks to redress this gap in the literature, specifically ‘learning for enjoyment,’ by reporting on a number of semi-structured in-depth interviews with museum and educational experts in Taiwan. Our study identified a number of characteristics required of online learning websites, and we conclude some suggested guidelines for developing an online learning website for enjoyment

Designing Websites for Learning and Enjoyment: A study of museum experiences

This study reports on an exploratory research study that examined the design of websites that encourage both learning and enjoyment. This study examines museum websites that offer educational materials. As part of their mission, most museums provide the general public with educational materials for study and enjoyment. Many museums use the Internet in support of their mission. Museum websites offer excellent opportunity to study learning environments designed for enjoyment. Computer-supported learning of various types has been studied over the years, including computer-aided learning, computer-aided instruction, computer-managed learning, and more recently, learning via the Internet. Some relevant work appears in the literature on pleasure; however, the concept of online learning for enjoyment – specifically when learning is not part of a formal instructional undertaking – has not been well studied and thus is not well understood. This study seeks to redress this gap in the literature, specifically ‘learning for enjoyment,’ by reporting on a number of semi-structured in-depth interviews with museum and educational experts in Taiwan. Our study identified a number of characteristics required of online learning websites, and we conclude some suggested guidelines for developing an online learning website for enjoyment

Designing for Enjoyment and Informal Learning: A Study in A Museum Context

This study reports a qualitative exploratory study from the end users’ perspective of the design of websites that encourage enjoyable web experiences and informal online learning. As the mission of museums is to provide the general public with educational materials for study and enjoyment, museum websites offer an excellent opportunity to study learning environments designed for enjoyable web experiences. The concept of enjoyable online learning experiences – specifically when learning is not part of a formal instructional undertaking – has not been well studied and thus is not well understood. This study seeks to redress this gap in the literature by reporting on hundreds of end users’ opinions and perspectives. The study identifies a set of characteristics for encouraging online learning experiences for the general public and suggests a number of conceptual guidelines fo

Molecular analysis expands the spectrum of phenotypes associated with GLI3 mutations

A range of phenotypes including Greig cephalopolysyndactyly and Pallister-Hall syndromes (GCPS, PHS) are caused by pathogenic mutation of the GLI3 gene. To characterize the clinical variability of GLI3 mutations, we present a subset of a cohort of 174 probands referred for GLI3 analysis. Eighty-one probands with typical GCPS or PHS were previously reported, and we report the remaining 93 probands here. This includes 19 probands (12 mutations) who fulfilled clinical criteria for GCPS or PHS, 48 probands (16 mutations) with features of GCPS or PHS but who did not meet the clinical criteria (sub-GCPS and sub-PHS), 21 probands (6 mutations) with features of PHS or GCPS and oral-facial-digital syndrome, and 5 probands (1 mutation) with nonsyndromic polydactyly. These data support previously identified genotype-phenotype correlations and demonstrate a more variable degree of severity than previously recognized. The finding of GLI3 mutations in patients with features of oral-facial-digital syndrome supports the observation that GLI3 interacts with cilia. We conclude that the phenotypic spectrum of GLI3 mutations is broader than that encompassed by the clinical diagnostic criteria, but the genotype-phenotype correlation persists. Individuals with features of either GCPS or PHS should be screened for mutations in GLI3 even if they do not fulfill clinical criteria

Molecular analysis expands the spectrum of phenotypes associated with GLI3 mutations.

A range of phenotypes including Greig cephalopolysyndactyly and Pallister-Hall syndromes (GCPS, PHS) are caused by pathogenic mutation of the GLI3 gene. To characterize the clinical variability of GLI3 mutations, we present a subset of a cohort of 174 probands referred for GLI3 analysis. Eighty-one probands with typical GCPS or PHS were previously reported, and we report the remaining 93 probands here. This includes 19 probands (12 mutations) who fulfilled clinical criteria for GCPS or PHS, 48 probands (16 mutations) with features of GCPS or PHS but who did not meet the clinical criteria (sub-GCPS and sub-PHS), 21 probands (6 mutations) with features of PHS or GCPS and oral-facial-digital syndrome, and 5 probands (1 mutation) with nonsyndromic polydactyly. These data support previously identified genotype-phenotype correlations and demonstrate a more variable degree of severity than previously recognized. The finding of GLI3 mutations in patients with features of oral-facial-digital syndrome supports the observation that GLI3 interacts with cilia. We conclude that the phenotypic spectrum of GLI3 mutations is broader than that encompassed by the clinical diagnostic criteria, but the genotype-phenotype correlation persists. Individuals with features of either GCPS or PHS should be screened for mutations in GLI3 even if they do not fulfill clinical criteria