User information satisfaction,job satisfaction and computer background: An exploratory study

The relationships among user information satisfaction (UIS), job satisfaction and the users' computer background were examined. UIS was measured using a modified version of the short-form of UIS, while job satisfaction was measured using the short-form Minnesota satisfaction questionnaire (MSQ). We found that UIS provides a sound indication of job satisfaction. However, none of the user computer-background parameters has any significant effect on UIS and job satisfaction. Data for the study were collected from three large organizations which had similar organizational structure and comparable information systems maturity; people who used computer as part of their jobs were randomly selected to take part in the study. A study with more organizations would yield better results.     

Literacy and computer literacy: Definitions and comparisons

This paper analyzes the prevailing definitions of literacy and computer literacy. It is shown that similar factors confound our understanding of both these terms. In addition we argue that the term computer literacy is highly inappropriate. In order to clarify the meaning of these terms we suggest a hierarchy of definitions, from the operational level to the broader socio-political definitions.The paper proposes the following. Firstly a definition for the operational skills of reading and writing, for which Papert's term letteracy is used. Secondly a corresponding definition for the operational skills required to use a computer, for which the new term comperacy is proposed. Both these terms represent a continuum of skill levels and a classification for these levels is also developed. The paper concludes with an examination of the interdependencies between letteracy and comperacy which can serve as the first step in a broader analysis of the relationship between literacy and computer literacy.     

Computer metaphors: Approaches to computer literacy for educators

This paper describes a number of different metaphors which may be used by educators for gaining computer literacy. Each metaphor relates the computer to some other (presumably well-understood) conceptual foundation in order to make new knowledge about computers more comprehensible. These metaphorical approaches include: THE COMPUTER AS PERSON; THE COMPUTER AS TOOL; THE COMPUTER AS BRAIN; THE COMPUTER AS MAP; THE COMPUTER AS GLASS BOX; THE COMPUTER AS VITAMIN; THE COMPUTER AS PALETTE; THE COMPUTER AS MENTOR; THE COMPUTER AS CATALYST.     

ComWeb: An electronic classroom for teaching computer literacy

We have developed an electronic classroom environment based on an analog/digital hybrid network, ComWeb. This environment supplements traditional methods of presentation by providing powerful communication tools between the students and the teacher directed from the instructor's workstation. The instructor can access every student's workstation at any time to monitor the student's work or to transmit information from any source. ComWeb has facilities for individual and group supervision. It can be adapted for teaching deaf or hard of hearing students in a mainstream environment. We describe the implementation of a ComWeb-based classroom at our site. The performance of students in conventional sections of a computer literacy course is compared with that in a section using ComWeb. For most of the material, performance of students in the ComWeb based section was markedly superior.     

The acquisition, representation and reconstruction of printed music by computer: A review

Material published on the subject of Acquisition, Representation and Reconstruction of printed music by computer is reviewed.The paper is divided into three sections. 1. Acquisition covers music data entry by automatic pattern recognition, directly-connected keyboard, soundtrack analysis, purpose-built hardware and other, compromise, methods. 2. Representation deals with Music Representational Languages (with particular reference to DARMS, MUSTRAN and ALMA), their background, structure, software support, and associated problems concerning score reconstruction. 3. Reconstruction discusses briefly the hardware available for computerized printing of sheet music.An Appendix is included which lists a representative selection of the most significant computer systems for printing music. The Bibliography contains nearly 200 references from diverse publications.N. P. Carter and T. Messenger are in the Music Department, and R. A. Bacon in the Physics Department, all at the University of Surrey, Guildford, England.     

A review of computer graphics publications

This computer graphics survey briefly discusses the contents of a number of papers and articles presented in each year from 1963 until 1977.     

Robust regression methods for computer vision: A review

Regression analysis (fitting a model to noisy data) is a basic technique in computer vision, Robust regression methods that remain reliable in the presence of various types of noise are therefore of considerable importance. We review several robust estimation techniques and describe in detail the least-median-of-squares (LMedS) method. The method yields the correct result even when half of the data is severely corrupted. Its efficiency in the presence of Gaussian noise can be improved by complementing it with a weighted least-squares-based procedure. The high time-complexity of the LMedS algorithm can be reduced by a Monte Carlo type speed-up technique. We discuss the relationship of LMedS with the RANSAC paradigm and its limitations in the presence of noise corrupting all the data, and we compare its performance with the class of robust M-estimators. References to published applications of robust techniques in computer vision are also given.     

An innovative pedagogy for teaching and evaluating computer literacy

In Spring 1998, 353 students enrolled in a web-based, self-paced, competency-based introductory computer literacy course. This pedagogy radically differed from the traditional lock-step, “monkey-see, monkey-do” approach utilized by many colleges and universities. This paper reports on the outcomes of this innovative approach including student success rates, instructor differences, technical considerations, and student attitudes. With the exception of withdrawal rates, all indicators are positive regarding both student perceptions and student learning outcomes. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Components of the visual computer: A review of relevant technologies

Visual computing emhpasizes visibility of information of interest and direct manipulation of visible information. It has become a dominant style of computing in recent years. In this paper, we review three major technologies that provide a platform for visual computing. These technologies reflect the needs of various people who use visual computers: programmers, end users, and scientists. We begin with a discussion of important developments in visual programming and follow with discussions of visual interfaces and visualization. We conclude with a summary of visual computing's current status and identify critical areas of research that should be emphasized in future work.     

Software engineering research for computer games: A systematic review

ContextCurrently, computer game development is one of the fastest growing industries in the worldwide economy. In addition to that, computer games are rapidly evolving in the sense that newer game versions arrive in a very short interval. Thus, software engineering techniques are needed for game development in order to achieve greater flexibility and maintainability, less cost and effort, better design, etc. In addition, games present several characteristics that differentiate their development from classical software development.ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the state of the art on research concerning software engineering for computer games and discuss possible important areas for future research.MethodWe employed a standard methodology for systematic literature reviews using four well known digital libraries.ResultsSoftware engineering for computer games is a research domain that has doubled its research activity during the last 5 years. The dominant research topic has proven to be requirements engineering, while topics such as software verification and maintenance have been neglected up to now.ConclusionThe results of the study suggest that software engineering for computer games is a field that embraces many techniques and methods from conventional software engineering and adapts them so as to fit the specific requirements of game development. In addition to that, the study proposes the employment of more elaborate empirical methods, i.e. controlled experiments and case studies, in game software engineering research, which, have not been extensively used up to now.     

Students' profiles of ICT use: Identification,determinants, and relations to achievement in a computer and information literacy test

Current debates on students' use of information and communication technology (ICT) have brought to attention profiles and purposes of ICT use in either school-related or recreational contexts. Examining these two contexts at the same time, the present study seeks to identify student profiles of ICT use on the basis of the Norwegian International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2013 data (N = 2426). In order to explore profiles of ICT use in schools and at home for different purposes such as recreation, study purposes, exchanging information, and social communication, we take a person-centered approach and apply latent profile analysis. These analyses revealed two independent user profiles and showed that background characteristics (i.e., gender, immigration status) and motivational constructs (i.e., self-efficacy, interest, and enjoyment in ICT) play a significant role in determining profile membership. Significant differences between the user profiles in students' computer and information literacy test performance did not exist. Given that the coverage of ICT at home and in schools has increased substantially over the last decades, the identification of user profiles informs teachers and parents about whether or not students exploit these opportunities to the same extent. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

‘B Seeing U’ in unfamiliar places: ESL writers, email epistolaries, and critical computer literacy

This article poses a rich, to date unexplored, resource for facilitating students’ development of critical technological literacy: the email epistolary novel. With reference to a developmental writing class populated primarily by international English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students, the article describes how the study of an email epistolary helped students to examine technology critically and made students’ technological literacies a course emphasis. This approach to writing pedagogy, the article argues, illustrates how ESL students negotiate their technological literacies in the context of their assimilation into American undergraduate communities. The article concludes by suggesting that email epistolaries can guide students at all levels toward more nuanced understandings of how technological literacy emerges in dialogue with other literacy practices.     

IBM computer usability satisfaction questionnaires: Psychometric evaluation and instructions for use

This article describes recent research in subjective usability measurement at IBM, focused on evaluating the psychometric properties of questionnaires designed for use in scenario‐based usability evaluation. The questionnaires address evaluation at both a global overall system level and at a more detailed scenario level. The primary goals of this article are to (a) discuss the psychometric characteristics of IBM questionnaires that measure user satisfaction with computer system usability, and (b) provide the questionnaires, with administration and scoring instructions. For scenario‐level measurement, the 3‐item After‐Scenario Questionnaire (ASQ) has excellent internal consistency, with coefficient alphas across a set of scenarios ranging from .90 to .96. For more global assessment, the Post‐Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) also has excellent internal consistency, with an overall coefficient alpha of .97. Preliminary principal factor analysis of 48 PSSUQ questionnaires suggested the presence of three factors named, after varimax rotation, System Usefulness, Information Quality, and Interface Quality, with corresponding coefficient alphas of .96, .91, and .91. Evaluation of 377 PSSUQ questionnaires (modified to allow mailing to respondents in their offices and referred to as the Computer System Usability Questionnaire, or CSUQ) confirmed the structure of the preliminary principal factor analysis. Consequently, usability practitioners can use these questionnaires to help them measure users’ satisfaction with the usability of computer systems in the context of scenario‐based usability studies.     

A review of the construct of computer experience

This paper reviews and evaluates current definitions and methods used to assess computer experience. The authors argue that most studies reported in the literature have adopted measures that assess what they term objective computer experience, rather than subjective computer experience. A bi-dimensional view of computer experience is proposed, with emphasis placed on the development of a measure of subjective computer experience.     

Computer attitude as a moderator in the relationship between computer anxiety,satisfaction, and stress

The present study empirically examines the relationship between computer anxiety, job satisfaction, career satisfaction, and stress. Based on self-efficacy theory and self-worth theory of achievement-motivation, it is hypothesized that the relationship between computer anxiety and job satisfaction is curvilinear and attitude towards computer moderates such relationship. The relationship between computer anxiety and career satisfaction and job stress were empirically examined in this study. Two hundred and thirty undergraduate students (125 female and 105 male students) at a university in south-western part of Louisiana completed computer anxiety, computer attitude, job satisfaction, career satisfaction and stress surveys. Hierarchical moderated regression results support that the attitude towards computer acts as a moderator in the relationship between (i) computer anxiety and stress, (ii) computer anxiety and job satisfaction, and (iii) computer anxiety and career satisfaction. Implications for management are discussed.     

Electronic literacy, critical pedagogy, and collaboration: A case for cyborg writing

This study concerns the convergence of electronic literacy, collaboration, and critical pedagogy in the classroom. I argue that teachers in the humanities must relinquish the vestiges of non-electronic criteria in their assessments of electronic literacy. Instead, the interplay of human and technological factors in the classroom leads to a reaffirmation of literacy as a social process. The radical democratization and multivocality of the corporate or collaboratively-written text demands a critical problematizing of our roles and actions as teacher-readers. The viability of static criteria for good literacy practices vanishes with electronic literacy. Feminist cyborg theory offers a useful paradigm for understanding the corporate text by bridging theories of electronic literacy and theories of collaborative learning. The cyborg is a dynamic techno-fusion of difference and contradiction: much like the corporate text. A cyborgian perspective reaffirms the polyvocalic, instable nature of postmodern literacy and calls for contextual writing criteria.Carol L. Winkelmann, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She teaches electronic literacy, linguistics, and seventeenth-century women's literacy. Winkelmann has written forLinguistics and Education, The Oxford Companion to the English Language, andThe Sixteenth Century Journal. Currently, she is writing about women's political language, violence, and social change education.     

Problems and prospects of modeling computer information networks. A review

The sphere of modeling computer information networks (CINs) is developed as a necessary instrument for the forecasting and estimation of the basic operating characteristic of CINs according to the elaborations, construction, and operation of such networks. These CINs include their controllability, compatibility, expendability, scalability, transparency, network capacity, delay and response time, safety, failure tolerance, and existence factor.