GEQUAMO-a generic, multilayered, customisable, software quality model

Software Quality Models have primarily been based on Top Down Process Improvement Approaches. Such models are based on the fundamental principle of empowerment of all involved and foster a questioning attitude through the active exchange of ideas and criticism ensuring that the most appropriate approach for quality improvements is adopted. The holistic view of systems enables the incorporation of many viewpoints held by different parties within the same organisation and by the same party at different stages of development. In this paper the GEQUAMO(GEneric, multi-layered and customisable) QUAlity MOdel is proposed. GEQUAMO encapsulates the requirements of different stakeholders in a dynamic and flexible manner so as to enable each stakeholder (developer, user or sponsor) to construct their own model reflecting the emphasis/weighting for each attribute/requirement. Using a combination of the CFD (Composite Features Diagramming Technique) developed by the author, and Kiviat diagrams a multi-layered and dynamic model is constructed. Instances of models are presented together with the algorithm for the computation of the profiles. Indications of future work conclude the paper

Taiwanese speech–language therapists’ awareness and experiences of service provision to transgender clients

Background: One of the most influential factors that affect the quality of life of transgender individuals is whether they can be perceived by others to “pass” in their felt gender. Voice and communication style are two important identifying dimensions of gender and many transgender individuals wish to acquire a voice that matches their gender. Evidence shows that few transgender individuals access voice therapy, and that this is caused by their concerns about stigmatization or negative past experiences within healthcare services. In order to address the negative experiences faced by transgender populations we need a better understanding of healthcare services’ current levels of knowledge and LGBT awareness. Some studies of Speech–Language Therapists’ (SLTs’) experience and confidence working with transgender individuals have recently been undertaken in the United States (US). However, little research has been carried out in Asia. Aims: To investigate Taiwanese SLTs’ knowledge, attitudes and experiences of providing transgender individuals with relevant therapy. Method: A cross-sectional self-administered web-based survey hosted on the Qualtrics platform was delivered to 140 Taiwanese SLTs. Results: Taiwanese SLTs were, (i) more familiar with the terminology used to address “lesbian, gay, and bisexual groups” than with “transgender” terminology, (ii) generally positive in their attitudes toward transgender individuals, and (iii) comfortable about providing clinical services to transgender clients. However, the majority of participants did not feel that they were sufficiently skilled in working with transgender individuals, even though most believed that providing them with voice and communication services fell within the SLT scope of practice. Conclusion: It is important for clinicians to both be skilled in transgender voice and communication therapy and to be culturally competent when providing services to transgender individuals. This study recommends that cultural competence relating to gender and sexual minority groups should be addressed in SLTs’ university education as well as in their continuing educational programs

A holistic method for improving software product and process quality

The concept of quality in general is elusive, multi-faceted and is perceived differently by different stakeholders. Quality is difficult to define and extremely difficult to measure. Deficient software systems regularly result in failures which often lead to significant financial losses but more importantly to loss of human lives. Such systems need to be either scrapped and replaced by new ones or corrected/improved through maintenance. One of the most serious challenges is how to deal with legacy systems which, even when not failing, inevitably require upgrades, maintenance and improvement because of malfunctioning or changing requirements, or because of changing technologies, languages, or platforms. In such cases, the dilemma is whether to develop solutions from scratch or to re-engineer a legacy system. This research addresses this dilemma and seeks to establish a rigorous method for the derivation of indicators which, together with management criteria, can help decide whether restructuring of legacy systems is advisable. At the same time as the software engineering community has been moving from corrective methods to preventive methods, concentrating not only on both product quality improvement and process quality improvement has become imperative. This research investigation combines Product Quality Improvement, primarily through the re-engineering of legacy systems; and Process Improvement methods, models and practices, and uses a holistic approach to study the interplay of Product and Process Improvement. The re-engineering factor rho, a composite metric was proposed and validated. The design and execution of formal experiments tested hypotheses on the relationship of internal (code-based) and external (behavioural) metrics. In addition to proving the hypotheses, the insights gained on logistics challenges resulted in the development of a framework for the design and execution of controlled experiments in Software Engineering. The next part of the research resulted in the development of the novel, generic and, hence, customisable Quality Model GEQUAMO, which observes the principle of orthogonality, and combines a top-down analysis of the identification, classification and visualisation of software quality characteristics, and a bottom-up method for measurement and evaluation. GEQUAMO II addressed weaknesses that were identified during various GEQUAMO implementations and expert validation by academics and practitioners. Further work on Process Improvement investigated the Process Maturity and its relationship to Knowledge Sharing, resulted in the development of the I5P Visualisation Framework for Performance Estimation through the Alignment of Process Maturity and Knowledge Sharing. I5P was used in industry and was validated by experts from academia and industry. Using the principles that guided the creation of the GEQUAMO model, the CoFeD visualisation framework, was developed for comparative quality evaluation and selection of methods, tools, models and other software artifacts. CoFeD is very useful as the selection of wrong methods, tools or even personnel is detrimental to the survival and success of projects and organisations, and even to individuals. Finally, throughout the many years of research and teaching Software Engineering, Information Systems, Methodologies, I observed the ambiguities of terminology and the use of one term to mean different concepts and one concept to be expressed in different terms. These practices result in lack of clarity. Thus my final contribution comes in my reflections on terminology disambiguation for the achievement of clarity, and the development of a framework for achieving disambiguation of terms as a necessary step towards gaining maturity and justifying the use of the term “Engineering” 50 years since the term Software Engineering was coined. This research resulted in the creation of new knowledge in the form of novel indicators, models and frameworks which can aid quantification and decision making primarily on re-engineering of legacy code and on the management of process and its improvement. The thesis also contributes to the broader debate and understanding of problems relating to Software Quality, and establishes the need for a holistic approach to software quality improvement from both the product and the process perspectives

Achieving quality improvement through understanding and evaluating information systems development methodologies

Since the 70s literally hundreds of different methods and tools have appeared each claiming to ease the life of the developer and the user by achieving improved productivity without compromising the quality of the software artefact. These methodologies range from integrated collections of procedures to single technique, notations, 4GLs and tools for supporting the process at the various stages of the systems lifecycle [1, 2, 3, 4]. This paper discusses how an organisation wishing to improve their development practices embarks onto the time-consuming and expensive process of evaluation of methods and tools. The underlying complexity and application domain will themselves be decisive in the choice of methodology. The improvement process starts with the understanding phase. Here, we need to identify the important features of a methodology such as usability, portability, adaptability and functionality, and the nature of the problem(s) the methodology will apply to. We draw the distinction between problem, methodology (procedures, techniques) and tools and discuss their interrelationships [4, 7]. The evaluation phase starts with the specification of acceptance criteria and it involves the study of the features identified during the understanding phase against these criteria. Evaluations can be qualitative and quantitative

KASL-II: a dynamic four-loop model for knowledge sharing and learning

Knowledge sharing is by far the most important component of a knowledge management programme. Organizations strive to gain competitive advantage through efficiencies. When organizations realize that organizational knowledge is by far the most valuable resource, they need to find ways for efficient and effective knowledge sharing. We explore the barriers to knowledge sharing especially in virtual and multicultural teams. In particular, we unfold the human and cultural challenges that can create added competitive value for virtual and networked organizations. We conclude that the ideal environment and working practices will be to change the mindset and behaviour of team members so that instead of perceiving knowledge sharing as an extra task for the team members, isolated from the knowledge of other team members, it (knowledge sharing) becomes the natural way to work for everyone. Finally, we propose the dynamic knowledge acquisition and sharing lifecycle (KASL-II) model for aiding the knowledge sharing process by showing the stages of translating an organization's mission and goals into objectives, and how decisions and actions operate for materialising these objectives

Quality improvement through the identification of controllable and uncontrollable factors in software development

The software engineering community has moved from corrective methods to preventive methods shifting the emphasis from product quality improvement to process quality improvement. Inspections at the end of the production line have been replaced by design walkthroughs and built-in quality assurance techniques throughout the development lifecycle. Process models such as the Spiral, V, W and X-Models provide the principles and techniques for process improvement which, in turn, produces product improvement. Factors that affect the quality of software need to be identified and controlled to ensure predictable and measurable software. In this paper we identify controllable and uncontrollable factors and provide empirical results from a large industrial survey, as well as conclusions relating to the models and metamodels for the estimation, measurement and control of the totality of features and characteristics of software

Cultural impacts on knowledge sharing: empirical data from EU project collaboration.

Purpose – EU sponsored Lifelong Learning Projects involve a variety of experts of diverse cultural, organisational, and professional backgrounds connected together in one project with time and money constraints. The members of the consortium, often unknown to each other from the beginning, come together for a specific period of time to accomplish certain distinctive objectives. A special Knowledge Sharing strategy is needed in order to incorporate culturally diverse values, and to overcome the technical difficulties of dispersion and limited access to informal communication. This paper explores the way in which EU projects appreciate diverse cultural (national, organisational, and professional) influences on Knowledge Sharing in project-based collaboration. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on longitudinal studies, own multicultural experiences and earlier conceptually grounded arguments regarding cultural complexities to Knowledge Sharing in project environments. The key cultural issues highlighted here were empirically tested through a survey in the context of Knowledge Sharing in several EU Lifelong learning projects. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of dealing with cultural issues in fostering good Knowledge Sharing practices within dispersed projects. Findings – It is apparent that culture has a most significant influence on the Knowledge Sharing capability of time and money restricted dispersed project. Cultural awareness and the use of new Information and Communication (ICT) tools, such as WEB 2.0 are factors supporting Knowledge Sharing. Research limitations/implications – This paper puts forward experiences and opinions of a number of project partners from different EU lifelong learning projects regarding their general opinions about knowledge sharing and their experiences from knowledge sharing in EU projects they have participated in. The findings are not statistically tested due to the small sample, but highlight certain issues that will be further investigated in future work. Practical implications – At the project level, people and processes must be the first priority for project managers who wish to nurture a „Knowledge Sharing culture‟ in a dispersed context. At the team level, the project manager can help to create a team culture favourable to Knowledge Sharing by emphasising appropriate values and beliefs to the team members and by introducing suitable enablers for virtual communities. Originality/value – Previous studies have not examined knowledge sharing in EU projects. The paper aims to help practitioners and academics, who participate in EU projects to recognise that the different EU project team members usually are dispersed in terms of geography, expertise and working methods) and to understand that diverse cultural values (national, organisational and professional) can be a competitive advantage. As a result of gaining such understanding it is expected that EU project performance will improve if diversities are handled in a right manner and in addition Web 2.0 is used as a communication and sharing platform to enable increased knowledge sharing, interactive participation and digital democracy in practice

In search for a widely applicable and accepted software quality model for software quality engineering

Software Quality Engineering is an emerging discipline that is concerned with improving the approach to software quality. It is important that this discipline be firmly rooted in a quality model satisfying its needs. In order to define the needs of this discipline, the meaning of quality is broadly defined by reviewing the literature on the subject. Software Quality Engineering needs a quality model that is usable throughout the software lifecycle and that it embraces ail the perspectives of quality. The goal of this paper is to propose a quality model suitable for such a purpose, through the comparative evaluation of existing quality models and their respective support for Software Quality Engineering

Heuristics for ethical development and use of MOOCs

It is widely acknowledged that technology offers a chance to redefine, or at least change, learning and education for the better. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can be defined as learning events that are conducted via the Web, which can accommodate large numbers of people, typically ranging from a few hundreds of participants to over a hundred thousand. A classification of MOOCs suggests that there are two general types: xMOOCs and cMOOCs. Different types of MOOCS require different levels of participatory literacy skills, motivation and self-determination. Although it is recognised that MOOCs embody a potentially exciting opportunity to use technology to realize many benefits of universal higher education there are also significant ethical concerns that arise in their development and deployment. In this paper we customize a theoretical framework developed by the US Content Subcommittee of the ImpactCS Steering Committee that specifies traditional moral and ethical concepts, which can be used to cater for the teaching and learning of the social, legal and ethical issues concerning MOOCs. An application of these conventional and generic ethical concepts can help flag issues, amongst others, such as: intellectual and pedagogical integrity; privacy, identity, and anonymity; intellectual property rights and plagiarism; and the digital divide. In the design and utilisation of MOOCs developers, content authors, tutors and participants must be aware of these ethical and moral concepts, as presented in this paper, in order to become more responsible professionals and citizens in general. We propose a set of heuristics for ethical development and deployment of MOOCs

Control by Ca2+ of mitochondrial structure and function in pancreatic β-cells

Mitochondria play a central role in glucose metabolism and the stimulation of insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. In this review, we discuss firstly the regulation and roles of mitochondrial Ca2+ transport in glucose-regulated insulin secretion, and the molecular machinery involved. Next, we discuss the evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction in β-cells is associated with type 2 diabetes, from a genetic, functional and structural point of view, and then the possibility that these changes may in part be mediated by dysregulation of cytosolic Ca2+. Finally, we review the importance of preserved mitochondrial structure and dynamics for mitochondrial gene expression and their possible relevance to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes