The potential of synchronous communication to enhance participation in online discussions: A case study of two e-learning courses

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has been adopted in most e-learning settings. However, few research studies have considered the effect of different CMC. This study examined how and why synchronous communication affected participation in online discussions. Two online classes that participated in two asynchronous and two synchronous online discussions were examined. Actual and perceived measures of participation indicated that synchronous communication induced personal participation, which could be regarded as a complement to cognitive participation. Personal participation involves more intense interaction better supported by synchronous communication while cognitive participation is a more reflective type of participation supported by asynchronous communication. In synchronous discussions, the e-learners felt that they worked together and were not restricted to only discuss course content. This was likely to induce arousal and motivation and increased convergence on meaning, especially in small groups.     

Linux2.6内核下同步串行通信驱动的开发与应用

随着ARM/DSP双核处理器在地球物理勘探仪器中的推广应用,双核间的通信成为实现这种双核处理器系统的关键技术。针对Linux2.6版本内核,详细介绍了基于AT91TM9200的SSC同步串行通信设备驱动的模块化、分层次的设计架构,并在驱动中使用DMA传输模式、分段缓存技术和修改PDA控制器优先级。在此基础上给出了AT91RM9200/DSP56309双核的接口电路设计。试验表明,在AT91RM9200 /DSP56309双核中利用同步串行同步通信的设计,能够使系统高效、稳定、快速地进行数据传输,从而使双核处理器能够很好地协同工作。     

Industry case studies in the use of immersive virtual assembly

In this paper, we report on two engineering case studies that have been conducted as part of a Virtual Assembly Technology Consortium. The objectives of the case studies were to determine if immersive virtual assembly capabilities allow industry assembly situations to be modelled and studied realistically, and to demonstrate the downstream value of the virtual assembly capabilities in areas such as ergonomics, assembly installation, process planning, installation, and serviceability. What is of special significance is that instead of modelling simplified problems or perceived representative situations, the case studies were constructed from actual assembly floor projects and situations encountered at industry member sites and with considerable participation from industry engineers and manufacturing shop floor personnel. Based on the success of the case studies, the consortium members inferred that virtual assembly methods are poised to move out of the realm of special projects and test scenarios to deployment in the actual design and manufacturing cycle. However, in order to be truly accepted in industry, there are still issues to be addressed in terms of ease of use, portability of the applications, and preparation of the models for the evaluations. Thus, the case studies added a new dimension to the exploration and understanding of how this new technology could be of practical value in industry.     

大学计算机基础课程实战化案例教学研究与实践

针对当前军校大学计算机基础课程立足于以建设信息化军队,打赢信息化战争的根本方针,结合自身的教学经验,注重在教学实施上以实战化案例教学为原则,形成问题前导、主题研讨、案例辨析、推演论证四位一体的案例化教学方法。列出了大学计算机基础课程中的所有知识模块及教学目标,并详细分析几个关键模块的教学步骤,为军校大学计算机基础课程教学提供一些方法和思路。     

Towards establishing the use of holons as an enquiry method

This paper argues the need for utilizing holons as an enquiry method to identify problems associated with messy situations. We demonstrate the use of holons through an investigation of a department within a UK university. Similar work was conducted by the university higher management using its quality management and enhancement procedures. We employ the case study research method to assess the explanatory capability of both approaches and conclude that there is evidence to support the use of holons for enquiry purposes and that the holons provide a structure for both soft and hard systems modeling.     

Evaluating e-government: learning from the experiences of two UK local authorities

Abstract. Part of the remit of public sector management includes planning and reflecting on capital expenditure on new technology. With this in mind, the role that information systems play in supporting improvements in e-government service delivery to stakeholder groups continues to attract much attention. The authors of this paper seek to define the scope and role that information systems evaluation plays within the public sector. In particular, the authors assess whether public sector organizations might benefit from the use of established ex-ante evaluation techniques, when applied to analyse the impact of e-government information systems. Following a comprehensive review of the normative literature, an initial conceptual framework for public sector information systems evaluation is proposed, which is then empirically explored within two local government authorities. The conceptual framework is then revised by using the structured case approach, which is dependent on an iterative research cycle where triangulated data are elicited. This then supports the emergence of new concepts during each research cycle that leads to the view that information systems evaluation in the public sector is a process of experiential and subjective judgement, which is grounded in opinion and world views. This leads the authors to challenge the appropriateness of traditional modes of investment appraisal when applied in the public sector. The finalized framework embraces investment decisions, evaluation methods, culture and structure, as well as post hoc evaluation. It emphasizes the importance of situated, interpretive user assessments in evaluating e-government investments.     

An investigation of use case quality in a large safety-critical software development project

Use case modelling is a much-used technique for eliciting and documenting functional requirements. The quality of the use cases may have an important impact on the development project and on the resulting software product. This paper presents an empirical study of the changes that were made to the use case models in a large software project during the analysis phase. The results show (a) which were the most difficult aspects of use case modelling in this project and (b) how the quality of the functional requirements, in particular correctness, completeness, and clarity, was improved through the use case modelling process.     

On the design of online synchronous assessments in a synchronous cyber classroom

Online learning has been rapidly developing in the last decade. However, there is very little literature available about the actual adoption of online synchronous assessment approaches and any guidelines for effective assessment design and implementation. This paper aims at designing and evaluating the possibility of applying online synchronous assessments in a formal credit course. Relying on the four dimensions of knowledge taxonomy, this paper describes four different online synchronous assessments for conducting a formal mid‐term exam, including synchronous quiz, synchronous practicum, synchronous essay and synchronous oral assessments. The designs were implemented and evaluated in a synchronous cyber classroom for an online credit course. This study identified the challenges and potential issues while conducting the online synchronous assessments, including (1) the extent of monitoring and cheating; (2) the lack of suitable software tools specifically for supporting online synchronous assessments; and (3) the need for a variety of online synchronous assessment methods for different subject matter. This paper concludes with some possible solutions, such as a short time limit for answering questions and a well analysed need of a software tool, to address all the issues.     

Analysing the use of interactive technology to implement interactive teaching

Abstract   Recent policy initiatives in England have focused on promoting 'interactive' teaching in schools, with a clear expectation that this will lead to improvements in learning. This expectation is based on the perceived success of such approaches in other parts of the world. At the same time, there has been a large investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources, and particularly in interactive whiteboard technology. This paper explores the idea of interactive teaching in relation to the interactive technology which might be used to support it. It explains the development of a framework for the detailed analysis of teaching and learning in activity settings which is designed to represent the features and relationships involved in interactivity. When applied to a case study of interactive teaching during a lesson involving a variety of technology-based activities, the framework reveals a confusion of purpose in students' use of an ICT resource that limits the potential for learning when students are working independently. Discussion of relationships between technical and pedagogical interactivity points a way forward concerning greater focus on learning goals during activity in order to enable learners to be more autonomous in exploiting ICT's affordances, and the conclusion identifies the variables and issues which need to be considered in future research which will illuminate this path.     

永磁同步电动机的混沌特性及其反混沌控制

永磁同步电动机在一定工作情况下将呈现出混沌运动. 而在其非混沌工作区, 通过在永磁同步电动机系统中增加一个线性控制项, 则将使原本稳定的永磁同步电动机系统呈现出混沌行为, 即实现了系统的混沌化或反混沌控制. 为此本文全面地研究了永磁同步电动机混沌及其反混沌控制特性, 这为永磁同步电动机混沌运动的抑制或利用打下了重要的研究基础.     

Comparison of two novel MRAS based strategies for identifying parameters in permanent magnet synchronous motors

Two model reference adaptive system (MRAS) estimators are developed for identifying the parameters of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) based on the Lyapunov stability theorem and the Popov stability criterion, respectively. The proposed estimators only need online measurement of currents, voltages, and rotor speed to effectively estimate stator resistance, inductance, and rotor flux-linkage simultaneously. The performance of the estimators is compared and verified through simulations and experiments, which show that the two estimators are simple, have good robustness against parameter variation, and are accurate in parameter tracking. However, the estimator based on the Popov stability criterion, which can overcome parameter variation in a practical system, is superior in terms of response speed and convergence speed since there are both proportional and integral units in the estimator, in contrast to only one integral unit in the estimator based on the Lyapunov stability theorem. In addition, the estimator based on the Popov stability criterion does not need the expertise that is required in designing a Lyapunov function.     

A modeling approach and reference models for the analysis of mobile payment use cases

Mobile payments can be categorized according to their usage in each of the five payment scenarios presented here. The paper proposes the mobile payment modeling approach (MPMA) especially suited for value-based analysis of mobile payment use cases. Based on this approach, the study also develops a set of seven reference models that can classify any given mobile payment use case or mobile payment procedure and analyze it with regard to the business model, the roles of the market participants, and their interrelation from a value-based perspective. An introspective analysis of the mobile payment service provider role and a market constellation analysis which shows the implications of different actors assuming one or more of the respective roles complete the study.     

信息安全专业课程中协作对抗教学法的应用研究

本文首先分析了信息安全课程体系和目前的教学方法和培养模式的不足之处;然后阐述了基于建构主义学习理论的协作对抗教学法;最后以“蠕虫病毒”部分内容为例,详细描述了协作对抗教学法在信息安全专业的一门重要课程“计算机病毒”中的教学示范及步骤流程。     

信息反馈在大学计算机公共基础课程中的运用

教学中的信息反馈既是教学过程的重要环节,也是实施教学活动、完成教学任务及提高教学质量的基本方式和重要手段.教师可通过多种途径获取有效的信息反馈,并正确的运用到教学中.学生可通过教师提供的信息反馈增强学习的自觉性和积极性,从而提高自身学习成绩.     

案例教学法在编程语言课程中的作用探讨

针对当前学生对编程课程学习热情普遍不高的情况,提出在编程语言教学中使用案例教学法来激发学生的学习热情。首先,对案例教学法进行了解释;然后,结合软件工程专业的C#程序设计课程教学实践,从四个方面分析案例教学法的实际作用,具体阐述如何有效运用案例教学来提升学生编程能力;最后,给出了关于如何恰当使用案例教学法的几点建议。     

一种安全需求分析中的用例漏洞检测方法

提出一种基于攻击模式的用例漏洞检测方法,用于对需求分析人员设计的用例图进行漏洞检测。该方法以形式化用例作为基础,把误用例作为安全攸关信息的载体、设置为用例的特殊属性。通过与用户的交互完成误用例相关属性的信息采集,并进一步运用这些信息计算出用例的误用例指数。将此指数与预定义的攻击模式相关指数进行对比,以此来判断该用例是否与某个特定误用例、某些特定攻击模式相关。从而检测到用例图中的用例漏洞,并在此基础上提出可行建议。     

Learning to be a psychologist: the construction of identity in an online forum

The paper reports a study that investigated the construction of a common identity in an online Italian forum of psychologists based on asynchronous CMC. Discourse analysis was carried out on 20 discussions, and three Interpretative Repertoires were identified: (i) Professional Boundaries, (ii) disempowered psychology and (iii) psychology and health, which refer to three recurrent modalities of constructing the psychological profession. The study suggests that a framework drawing on social constructionism and Bourdieu's critical theory can help understand some aspects of identity in, and across, communities of practice. The main conclusion is that analysing critically how identities are constructed in learning environments, virtual or not, allows reconsidering the role of the cultural context in the production of those identities.     

Analysis of the standard deletion algorithms in exact fit domain binary search trees

It is well known that the expected search time in anN node binary search tree generated by a random sequence of insertions isO(logN). Little has been published about the asymptotic cost when insertions and deletions are made following the usual algorithms with no attempt to retain balance. We show that after a sufficient number of updates, each consisting of choosing an element at random, removing it, and reinserting the same value, that the average search cost is (N ^1/2).This work was done in part while the first author was at the University of Waterloo. This work was supported by an NSERC '67 Science Scholarship and Grant A-8237 and the Information Technology Research Centre of Ontario.     

The use of domination and legitimation in information systems implementation

In this paper, we present the results of a longitudinal case study on information systems (IS) implementation conducted in a community healthcare organization. Using structuration theory as a sensitizing framework, we highlight how the information technology (IT) Management improved their influence through gaining legitimation from other organizational stakeholders, and how the nature of this evolved over time. Our results highlight how an appropriate, sophisticated use of what Giddens refers to as the duality of structure contributed to the consolidation of the IT Manager's credibility and authority. We also report on how the IT Management had most of their actions legitimated as an integral element of their actions. The results also highlight the distributed nature of power, such that even those at the lower end of organizational hierarchy were able to influence the success or failure of IS implementation.