Charity Begins at the Homepage: Providing Access to the Web for People with Disabilities

The Web transformed the environment in which Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs) work. NPOs can now reach donors and recipients inexpensively through cyberspace. They may, however, be missing, a large, untapped clientele--people with disabilities who want to donate, volunteer, or access services of a NPO. If NPO homepages are not accessible to the growing population of people with disabilities, they may not be doing their job. This study assesses 100 NPO homepages to determine how accessible they are. The overall results show that only 10% of all NPO homepages examined are truly accessible

An Information Systems Project Management Course Using a Client-Based Model

This paper describes the implementation of a capstone project management course that is a requirement for graduating seniors in an undergraduate Computer Information Systems (CIS) program at a regional university. The description provides a model which includes the culmination of students’ academic training in Information Systems, IS, curriculum which is part of a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program in an accredited college of business. The requirements include an application of technical and business skills, as well as systems development and project management skills—all working on an actual information technology project for an external sponsoring organization. Rationale for implementing this type of course includes the benefits it provides to the students, the project sponsors who participate in the projects, and the IS department providing the training. Feedback from the course is used as integral part of the curriculum assessment process used for accreditation purposes

Multi-Dimensional Views for Sustainability: Ontological Approach

Sustainability has been assessed by measuring the environmental, social and economic performance. Such diverse measurements could include contrasting attributes in sustainability measures namely environmental, social, and economic attributes. Our research argues that it is necessary to use a multi-dimensional approach for sustainability knowledge improvements that consist of all sustainability dimensions. Ontology models the real world and is useful in understanding different dimensions of a phenomenon. The use of an appropriate ontology such as static, dynamic, social, and intentional ontologies help to better understand the sustainability dimensions - environmental, social, and economic. This research develops ontology-based multi-dimensional view to environmental management by focusing on sustainability. The research uses hypothetical situations to develop ontological views and maps the ontological knowledge onto the sustainability dimensions to develop knowledge. This approach integrates information systems and environmental research, while encouraging multi-dimensional approaches for improved knowledge

Investigating the Introduction to IS Course: Do Faculty, Recruiters, and Students Value the Same Content?

This research focuses on the possible impact of the Introduction to Information Systems (IS) course on declining IS enrollments. The declining enrollments are so widespread that ACM/AIS has redesigned its curriculum in an attempt to reverse this trend. Although all majors in a Business School are typically required to take the Introduction to IS course, the real or perceived value is unclear. In this paper, we examine the content of the Intro to IS course recommended by ACM/AIS from the perspective of three stakeholders, students, faculty and recruiters. If a disconnect is found among the stakeholders, recommendations on future directions will be made

Global Diffusion of the Internet VII- Teledensity Growth Strategies for Latin America: The Case of Colombia and Ecuador

The Internet in developing countries grew substantially in recent years. Given the large income disparities and low telephone penetration. rates in most Latin American countries, only about 4% of the region\u27s population can access the Internet. The International Telecommunication Union reports that teledensity (the number of telephone land-lines per 100 people) in Latin America is currently at about 10.8%. Prior research identified specific factors that hinder growth of teledensity in developing countries and specific strategies used to overcome such limitations. This study investigates Latin American telecommunication stakeholders\u27 perspective of how these strategies can be used to address teledensity growth in the region. Survey participants (Latin America\u27s telecommunications stakeholders) analyzed the strategies critically and modified, enhanced, or added new insights. Using appropriate statistical procedures we examined the telecommunications stakeholders\u27 perceptions to find potential solutions the low teledensity problem. Qualitative comments to support the stakeholders\u27 responses are reported, together with future research implications

Distance Education At The Graduate Level: A Viable Alternative

This research extends a previous comparative study that looked at learning outcomes between traditional classroom and web-based education at the graduate level. That research (Jones and Everard, 2008) provided little evidence that there were significant differences between delivery methods. This research looks at employment status, household demographics, and family commitments and explores why these underlying factors do not affect outcomes between traditional classroom and web-based education at the graduate level. Results of this research provide evidence that for graduate level education, distance education is a practical and appropriate option