Implementation Strategies for a Graduate eCommerce Curriculum

This paper examines the strategies used in the implementation of DePaul University\u27s pioneering master\u27s degree in E-Commerce Technology. These strategies emphasize curriculum development, technical support, faculty staffing, marketing, industry partnership, and organization support. The lessons learned from DePaul\u27s implementation experience during this first year will offer other schools unique insights for introducing their e-commerce curriculum

A Competency Based MSIS Curriculum

In response to the changing industry demands and increasing diversity of student needs when embarking on IS graduate studies, we determined that a fundamental redesign of the MSIS curriculum was necessary. We saw that the expanding IT universe now has more specialties than ever before while competitive forces simultaneously demand that firms keep costs under strict controls. Facing such pressures, firms demand more from IT professionals in the breadth and depth of their IT knowledge and skills coming from numerous knowledge domains. From these trends and issues we formulated the competency concept that forms the foundation for the new curriculum. A student earns a competency by completing four courses in a module. Now students can choose to pursue multiple competencies and can return to upgrade skills after graduation. We describe the process and issues we faced as well as the competency-based modular curriculum. We end with discussing the remaining issues that we are handling

Measuring Flow Experience of Computer Game Players

This research-in-progress paper reports on the development of an instrument for measuring flow experience of computer game players. Flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1993) has been widely adopted in various research fields such as information systems (IS), human-computer action (HCI), and computer games. We argue that flow experience in computer game play leads to enjoyment and therefore can be measured as a dimension of enjoyment in addition to emotion. Development process of the instrument is discussed in this paper

Search for pair production of the scalar top quark in the electron-muon final state

We report the result of a search for the pair production of the lightest supersymmetric partner of the top quark ($\tilde{t}_1$) in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron collider corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb$^{-1}$. The scalar top quarks are assumed to decay into a $b$ quark, a charged lepton, and a scalar neutrino ($\tilde{\nu}$), and the search is performed in the electron plus muon final state. No significant excess of events above the standard model prediction is detected, and improved exclusion limits at the 95% C.L. are set in the the ($M_{\tilde{t}_1}$,$M_{\tilde{\nu}}$) mass plane

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

A Lexical Approach to Classifying Computer Games

According to the Entertainment Software Association (2009), more than two-thirds of all American households play computer games. This vast audience is fueling the growth of the multi-billion dollar computer game industry and bringing jobs to communities across the nation. The rising popularity and proliferation of computer games call for systematic research on the design of computer games and their impact on game players. Systematic research on computer games inevitably requires an accurate description of the traits or characteristics of games. However, the traits of computer games haven’t been well studied. Currently, computer games are often classified into genres by the computer game industry. Existing computer game genres, such as action adventure, simulation, single shooter, are designated by vendors and publishers. These genres are often general, overlapping, and not indicative of the complex traits of games and the hedonic information technologies. A few published studies on game genres are primarily based on qualitative analysis and are inconsistent with the views of different stakeholders -- game developers, game players, and game reviewers (Myers, 1990). The absence of a reliable game classification scheme could hinder research on hedonic information technologies and their interaction with users. The objective of this study is to systematically investigate the essential traits for computer games and empirically validate the classification scheme. We propose to use a lexical approach to identify basic computer game traits. We argue that these computer game traits can be used to establish a more reliable and consistent classification scheme than the current game genres. Results from this study will help researchers investigate characteristics and designs of different types of games for educational as well as hedonic purposes. The idea of using a lexical approach to obtain personality traits stems from the lexical hypothesis for personality research. The lexical hypothesis states that people will want to talk about personality traits that they view as having important consequences in their lives (Ashton, 2007). As a result, people will inevitably invent some words to describe those who exhibit high or low levels of these essential traits. Over long periods of time, words that describe important traits should become established in every language. In applying a lexical approach to personality research, a researcher first systematically searches the dictionary of the language to be examined in order to obtain a list of personality–descriptive adjectives. After establishing this list of adjectives, the researcher excludes terms that are rarely used. The resulting list is then administered to a large sample of participants who are asked to provide self-ratings on these adjectives, indicating the extent to which each adjective describes their own personalities. In our research project, we argue that computer game traits, like personality traits, can be characterized by a set of adjectives, and consistently rated by different game players and developers. Therefore, the lexical approach can be applied to studying computer game traits. To overcome the problems with current computer game genres, we propose a classification scheme for computer games. In this classification scheme, computer game traits are defined as differences among computer games consistently perceived by different game players at different times. These traits are independent of one another. They are reliable and specific, because they can be consistently observed by different players and at different times. We hypothesize that any given computer game can be described by a finite set of traits. When a group of computer game traits form a cluster, it is called a genre. Different genres may share same trait(s) but traits are distinctive and mutually exclusive. This bottom-up classification scheme will enable game developers, players, and researchers to more accurately define the characteristics of a computer game and categorize it more consistently. We propose a lexical approach for identifying and clustering game traits. The proposed research involves three phases: 1) creation of a list of game-descriptive adjectives, 2) online surveys to rate the adjectives, and 3) factor analyses to group the computer game traits

A Lexical Approach to Classifying Computer Games

According to the Entertainment Software Association (2009), more than two-thirds of all American households play computer games. This vast audience is fueling the growth of the multi-billion dollar computer game industry and bringing jobs to communities across the nation. The rising popularity and proliferation of computer games call for systematic research on the design of computer games and their impact on game players. Systematic research on computer games inevitably requires an accurate description of the traits or characteristics of games. However, the traits of computer games haven’t been well studied. Currently, computer games are often classified into genres by the computer game industry. Existing computer game genres, such as action adventure, simulation, single shooter, are designated by vendors and publishers. These genres are often general, overlapping, and not indicative of the complex traits of games and the hedonic information technologies. A few published studies on game genres are primarily based on qualitative analysis and are inconsistent with the views of different stakeholders -- game developers, game players, and game reviewers (Myers, 1990). The absence of a reliable game classification scheme could hinder research on hedonic information technologies and their interaction with users. The objective of this study is to systematically investigate the essential traits for computer games and empirically validate the classification scheme. We propose to use a lexical approach to identify basic computer game traits. We argue that these computer game traits can be used to establish a more reliable and consistent classification scheme than the current game genres. Results from this study will help researchers investigate characteristics and designs of different types of games for educational as well as hedonic purposes. The idea of using a lexical approach to obtain personality traits stems from the lexical hypothesis for personality research. The lexical hypothesis states that people will want to talk about personality traits that they view as having important consequences in their lives (Ashton, 2007). As a result, people will inevitably invent some words to describe those who exhibit high or low levels of these essential traits. Over long periods of time, words that describe important traits should become established in every language. In applying a lexical approach to personality research, a researcher first systematically searches the dictionary of the language to be examined in order to obtain a list of personality–descriptive adjectives. After establishing this list of adjectives, the researcher excludes terms that are rarely used. The resulting list is then administered to a large sample of participants who are asked to provide self-ratings on these adjectives, indicating the extent to which each adjective describes their own personalities. In our research project, we argue that computer game traits, like personality traits, can be characterized by a set of adjectives, and consistently rated by different game players and developers. Therefore, the lexical approach can be applied to studying computer game traits. To overcome the problems with current computer game genres, we propose a classification scheme for computer games. In this classification scheme, computer game traits are defined as differences among computer games consistently perceived by different game players at different times. These traits are independent of one another. They are reliable and specific, because they can be consistently observed by different players and at different times. We hypothesize that any given computer game can be described by a finite set of traits. When a group of computer game traits form a cluster, it is called a genre. Different genres may share same trait(s) but traits are distinctive and mutually exclusive. This bottom-up classification scheme will enable game developers, players, and researchers to more accurately define the characteristics of a computer game and categorize it more consistently. We propose a lexical approach for identifying and clustering game traits. The proposed research involves three phases: 1) creation of a list of game-descriptive adjectives, 2) online surveys to rate the adjectives, and 3) factor analyses to group the computer game traits

Towards defining IT skills portfolio for e-business

Mirza, Abdulrahman A. Information Systems Department, King Saud University Tel: (312) 362-5050; Fax: (312) 362-6116, [email protected] companies move from an e-commerce to an e-business enterprise, the technology–driven transformation generates new demand of IT workers. This paper examines several factors pertinent to e-business transformation, in terms of changes in architecture, enterprise applications, application development environment, organization change process, and tools and techniques. A framework is proposed to guide the identification of specific IT skill sets essential to e-business transformation. Further research will be conducted to evaluate the applicability of the framework for identifying IT skills