mp Computer Science Education in Early Childhood: The Case of ScratchJr By Published On :: 2019-10-01 Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to explore whether having state Computer Science standards in place will increase young children’s exposure to coding and powerful ideas from computer science in the early years. Background: Computer science education in the K-2 educational segment is receiving a growing amount of attention as national and state educational frameworks are emerging. By focusing on the app ScratchJr, the most popular free introductory block-based programming language for early childhood, this paper explores if there is a relationship between the presence of state frameworks and ScratchJr’s frequency of use. Methodology: This paper analyzes quantitative non-identifying data from Google Analytics on users of the ScratchJr programming app. Google Analytics is a free tool that allows access to user activity as it happens in real time on the app, as well as audience demographics and behavior. An analysis of trends by state, time of year, type of in-app activities completed, and more are analyzed with a specific focus on comparing states with K-12 Computer Science in place versus those without. Contribution: Results demonstrate the importance of having state standards in place to increase young children’s exposure to coding and powerful ideas from computer science in the early years. Moreover, we see preliminary evidence that states with Computer Science standards in place support skills like perseverance and debugging through ScratchJr. Findings: Findings show that in the case of ScratchJr, app usage decreases during the summer months and on weekends, which may indicate that coding with ScratchJr is more often happening in school than at home. Results also show that states with Computer Science standards have more ScratchJr users on average and have more total sessions with the app on average. Results also show preliminary evidence that states with Computer Science standards in place have longer average session duration as well as a higher average number of users returning to edit an existing project. Recommendations for Practitioners: Successful early childhood computer science education programs must teach powerful ideas from the discipline of computer science in a developmentally appropriate way, provide means for self-expression, prompt debugging and problem solving, and offer a low-floor/high-ceiling interface for both novices and experts. Practitioners should be aware in drops in computer science learning during the summer months when school is not in session. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should consider the impact of state and national frameworks on computer science learning and skills mastered during the early childhood years. Researchers should look for ways to continue engaging students in computer science education during times when school is not in session. Impact on Society: Results demonstrate the importance of having state CS standards in place to increase young children’s exposure to coding and powerful ideas from computer science in the early years. Moreover, we see preliminary evidence that states with Computer Science standards in place support skills like perseverance and debugging through ScratchJr. Future Research: Future research should continue collecting Google Analytics from the ScratchJr app and track changes in usage. Future research should also collect analytics from a wide range of programming applications for young children to see if the trends identified here are consistent across different apps. Full Article
mp Rubric for Measuring and Visualizing the Effects of Learning Computer Programming for Elementary School Students By Published On :: 2020-11-14 Aim/Purpose: Although many computer science measures have been proposed, visualizing individual students’ capabilities is difficult, as those measures often rely on specific tools and methods or are not graded. To solve these problems, we propose a rubric for measuring and visualizing the effects of learning computer programming for elementary school students enrolled in computer science education (CSE), which is independent of the programming language being used. Background: In this research, we proposed a rubric based on existing CSE standards and criteria having a programming education-learning goal. We then applied this rubric to actual lessons to visualize the educational effects. Methodology: The proposed new rubric for teaching computer programming, based on existing standards and criteria, was applied to fourth- and sixth-grade students in Japan. We assessed which skills were cultivated through quizzes before and after the teaching. Contribution: This paper contributes on how to make and utilize a rubric for programming education in computer science. We evaluated and visualized the proposed rubric’s learning effects on children and found that our proposed rubrics are independent of any particular method or tool. Findings: The results of this survey are twofold: (1) we proposed a rubric of programming education in computer science, independent of the programming tools used and (2) we succeeded in visualizing students’ learning stages by applying the proposed rubric to programming education conducted in a Japanese elementary school. Recommendations for Practitioners: Evaluating educational effects in CSE is important. In particular, graded assessments of learner abilities can reveal individual characteristics. This research is useful for assessing CSE because it focuses specifically on programming education. Recommendation for Researchers: The rubric’s suggestions and quality improvements in CSE help learners assess their learning progress and will clarify the cultivated computer science skills. Impact on Society: This research evaluates CSE based on a rubric in the programming education field. Future Research: Future work is needed to improve the proposed rubric’s quality and relevance. Also, this rubric should be applied to many classes to increase the number of evaluations and analyses. Full Article
mp Improving Workgroup Assessment with WebAVALIA: The Concept, Framework and First Results By Published On :: 2020-09-21 Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop an efficient methodology that can assist the evaluators in assessing a variable number of individuals that are working in groups and guarantee that the assessment is dependent on the group members’ performance and contribution to the work developed. Background: Collaborative work has been gaining more popularity in academic settings. However, group assessment needs to be performed according to each individual’s performance. The problem rests on the need to distinguish each member of the group in order to provide fair and unbiased assessments. Methodology: Design Science Research methodology supported the design of a framework able to provide the evaluator with the means to distinguish individuals in a workgroup and deliver fair results. Hevner’s DSR guidelines were fulfilled in order to describe WebAVALIA. To evaluate the framework, a quantitative study was performed and the first results are presented. Contribution: This paper provides a methodological solution regarding a fair evaluation of collaborative work through a tool that allows its users to perform their own assessment and peer assessment. These are made accordingly to the user’s perspectives on the performance of each group member throughout the work development. Findings: The first analysis of the results indicates that the developed method provides fairness in the assessment of group members, delivering a distinction amongst individuals. Therefore, each group member obtains a mark that corresponds to their specific contribution to the workgroup. Recommendations for Practitioners: For those who intend to apply this workgroup assessment method, it is relevant to raise student awareness about the methodology that is going to be used. That is, all the functionalities and steps in WebAVALIA have to be thoroughly explained before beginning of the project. Then, the evaluators have to decide about the students’ intermediate voting, namely if the evaluator chooses or not to publish student results throughout the project’s development. If there is the decision to display these intermediate results, the evaluator must try to encourage collaboration among workgroup members, instead of competition. Recommendation for Researchers: This study explores the design and development of an e-assessment tool – WebAVALIA. In order to assess its feasibility, its use in other institutions or contexts is recommended. The gathering of user opinions is suggested as well. It would then be interesting to compare the findings of this study with the results from other experimentations Impact on Society: Sometimes, people develop a rejection of collaborative work because they feel exploited due to the biased evaluation results. However, the group members assessment distinction, according to each one’s performance, may give each individual a sense of fairness and reward, leading to an openness/willingness towards collaborative work. Future Research: As future work, there are plans to implement the method in other group assessment contexts – such as sports and business environments, other higher education institutions, technical training students – in other cultures and countries. From this myriad of contexts, satisfaction results would be compared. Other future plans are to further explore the mathematical formulations and the respective WebAVALIA supporting algorithms. Full Article
mp Incorporating Kinesthetic Learning into University Classrooms: An Example from Management Information Systems By Published On :: 2020-03-27 Aim/Purpose: Students tend to learn best when an array of learning styles is used by instructors. The purpose of this paper is to add, to introduce, and to apply the concepts of kinesthetic learning and learning structures to university and STEM education. Background: The study applies the concept of kinesthetic learning and a learning structure called Think-Pair-Share to an experiential exercise about Moore’s Law in an introductory MIS classroom. The paper details the exercise and each of its components. Methodology: Students in two classes were asked to complete a short survey about their conceptual understanding of the course material before and after the experiential exercise. Contribution: The paper details the benefits of kinesthetic learning and learning structures and discusses how to apply these concepts through an experiential exercise used in an introductory MIS course. Findings: Results indicate that the kinesthetic learning activity had a positive impact on student learning outcomes. Recommendations for Practitioners: University educators can use this example to structure several other learning activities that apply kinesthetic learning principles. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers can use this paper to study more about how to incorporate kinesthetic learning into education, and about teaching technology concepts to undergraduate students through kinesthetic learning. Impact on Society: The results of this study may be extremely beneficial for the university and STEM community and overall academic business community. Future Research: Researchers should consider longitudinal studies and other ways to incorporate kinesthetic learning activities into education. Full Article
mp Implementing Team-Based Learning: Findings From a Database Class By Published On :: 2022-01-17 Aim/Purpose: The complexity of today’s organizational databases highlights the importance of hard technical skills as well as soft skills including teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Therefore, when teaching students about databases it follows that using a team approach would be useful. Background: Team-based learning (TBL) has been developed and tested as an instructional strategy that leverages learning in small groups in order to achieve increased overall effectiveness. This research studies the impact of utilizing team-based learning strategies in an undergraduate Database Management course in order to determine if the methodology is effective for student learning related to database technology concepts in addition to student preparation for working in database teams. Methodology: In this study, a team-based learning strategy is implemented in an undergraduate Database Management course over the course of two semesters. Students were assessed both individually and in teams in order to see if students were able to effectively learn and apply course concepts on their own and in collaboration with their team. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected and analyzed in order to determine if the team approach improved learning effectiveness and allowed for soft skills development. The results from this study are compared to previous semesters when team-based learning was not adopted. Additionally, student perceptions and feedback are captured. Contribution: This research contributes to the literature on database education and team-based learning and presents a team-based learning process for faculty looking to adopt this methodology in their database courses. This research contributes by showing how the collaborative assessment aspect of team-based learning can provide a solution for the conceptual and collaborative needs of database education. Findings: Findings related to student learning and perceptions are presented illustrating that team-based learning can lead to improvements in performance and provides a solution for the conceptual and collaborative needs of database education. Specifically, the findings do show that team scores were significantly higher than individual scores when completing class assessments. Student perceptions of both their team members and the team-based learning process were overall positive with a notable difference related to the perception of team preparedness based on gender. Recommendations for Practitioners: Educational implications highlight the challenges of team-based learning for assessment (e.g., gender differences in perceptions of team preparedness), as well as the benefits (e.g., development of soft skills including teamwork and communication). Recommendation for Researchers: This study provides research implications supporting the study of team assessment techniques for learning and engagement in the context of database education. Impact on Society: Faculty looking to develop student skills in relation to database concepts and application as well as in relation to teamwork and communication may find value in this approach, ultimately benefiting students, employers, and society. Future Research: Future research may examine the methodology from this study in different contexts as well as explore different strategies for group assignments, room layout, and the impact of an online environment. Full Article
mp Unveiling the Digital Equation Through Innovative Approaches for Teaching Discrete Mathematics to Future Computer Science Educators By Published On :: 2023-11-06 Aim/Purpose: This study seeks to present a learning model of discrete mathematics elements, elucidate the content of teaching, and validate the effectiveness of this learning in a digital education context. Background: Teaching discrete mathematics in the realm of digital education poses challenges, particularly in crafting the optimal model, content, tools, and methods tailored for aspiring computer science teachers. The study draws from both a comprehensive review of relevant literature and the synthesis of the authors’ pedagogical experiences. Methodology: The research utilized a system-activity approach and aligned with the State Educational Standard. It further integrated the theory of continuous education as its psychological and pedagogical foundation. Contribution: A unique model for instructing discrete mathematics elements to future computer science educators has been proposed. This model is underpinned by informative, technological, and personal competencies, intertwined with the mathematical bedrock of computer science. Findings: The study revealed the importance of holistic teaching of discrete mathematics elements for computer science teacher aspirants in line with the Informatics educational programs. An elective course, “Elements of Discrete Mathematics in Computer Science”, comprising three modules, was outlined. Practical examples spotlighting elements of mathematical logic and graph theory of discrete mathematics in programming and computer science were showcased. Recommendations for Practitioners: Future computer science educators should deeply integrate discrete mathematics elements in their teaching methodologies, especially when aligning with professional disciplines of the Informatics educational program. Recommendation for Researchers: Further exploration is recommended on the seamless integration of discrete mathematics elements in diverse computer science curricula, optimizing for varied learning outcomes and student profiles. Impact on Society: Enhancing the quality of teaching discrete mathematics to future computer science teachers can lead to better-educated professionals, driving advancements in the tech industry and contributing to societal progress. Future Research: There is scope to explore the wider applications of the discrete mathematics elements model in varied computer science sub-disciplines, and its adaptability across different educational frameworks. Full Article
mp Critical Thinking: The Code to Crack Computer Science Education By Published On :: 2024-10-27 Aim/Purpose: This paper explores the potential value of critical thinking in computer science education and discusses strategies for its integration across the curriculum. Background: As technology rapidly evolves and becomes increasingly integrated into society, there is a growing need for computer science graduates who can think critically about the ethical, societal, and technical implications of their work. Methodology: This study employs a conceptual analysis approach, reviewing existing literature on critical thinking in computer science education and synthesising insights from various sources. The analysis focuses on identifying challenges in implementing critical thinking instruction and proposing practical solutions. Contribution: This paper provides an overview of the current discourse on integrating critical thinking into computer science curricula. It explores the distinction between critical thinking and computational thinking, discusses various pedagogical approaches, and offers insights into potential challenges of implementation. Findings: The paper identifies six key challenges in embedding critical thinking into computer science education. It proposes initial steps to address these challenges, including curriculum redesign, innovative assessment methods, and faculty development strategies. Recommendations for Practitioners: Educators should adopt a balanced approach that complements technical education with critical thinking exercises, using diverse teaching methods such as dialogue-based teaching and authentic instruction. Recommendation for Researchers: Future research should focus on empirical studies to assess the effectiveness of the proposed solutions and develop standardised tools for evaluating critical thinking skills in computer science. Impact on Society: By enhancing critical thinking skills in computer science education, we can produce graduates who are better equipped to address complex technological challenges and their societal implications. Future Research: Further investigation is needed into the most effective pedagogical approaches for teaching critical thinking in computer science, with a focus on multidisciplinary perspectives. Full Article
mp Generating a Template for an Educational Software Development Methodology for Novice Computing Undergraduates: An Integrative Review By Published On :: 2024-09-24 Aim/Purpose: The teaching of appropriate problem-solving techniques to novice learners in undergraduate software development education is often poorly defined when compared to the delivery of programming techniques. Given the global need for qualified designers of information technology, the purpose of this research is to produce a foundational template for an educational software development methodology grounded in the established literature. This template can be used by third-level educators and researchers to develop robust educational methodologies to cultivate structured problem solving and software development habits in their students while systematically teaching the intricacies of software creation. Background: While software development methodologies are a standard approach to structured and traceable problem solving in commercial software development, educational methodologies for inexperienced learners remain a neglected area of research due to their assumption of prior programming knowledge. This research aims to address this deficit by conducting an integrative review to produce a template for such a methodology. Methodology: An integrative review was conducted on the key components of Teaching Software Development Education, Problem Solving, Threshold Concepts, and Computational Thinking. Systematic reviews were conducted on Computational Thinking and Software Development Education by employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) process. Narrative reviews were conducted on Problem Solving and Threshold Concepts. Contribution: This research provides a comprehensive analysis of problem solving, software development education, computational thinking, and threshold concepts in computing in the context of undergraduate software development education. It also synthesizes review findings from these four areas and combines them to form a research-based foundational template methodology for use by educators and researchers interested in software development undergraduate education. Findings: This review identifies seven skills and four concepts required by novice learners. The skills include the ability to perform abstraction, data representation, decomposition, evaluation, mental modeling, pattern recognition, and writing algorithms. The concepts include state and sequential flow, non-sequential flow control, modularity, and object interaction. The teaching of these skills and concepts is combined into a spiral learning framework and is joined by four development stages to guide software problem solving: understanding the problem, breaking into tasks, designing, coding, testing, and integrating, and final evaluation and reflection. This produces the principal finding, which is a research-based foundational template for educational software development methodologies. Recommendations for Practitioners: Focusing introductory undergraduate computing courses on a programming syllabus without giving adequate support to problem solving may hinder students in their attainment of development skills. Therefore, providing a structured methodology is necessary as it equips students with essential problem-solving skills and ensures they develop good development practices from the start, which is crucial to ensuring undergraduate success in their studies and beyond. Recommendation for Researchers: The creation of educational software development methodologies with tool support is an under-researched area in undergraduate education. The template produced by this research can serve as a foundational conceptual model for researchers to create concrete tools to better support computing undergraduates. Impact on Society: Improving the educational value and experience of software development undergraduates is crucial for society once they graduate. They drive innovation and economic growth by creating new technologies, improving efficiency in various industries, and solving complex problems. Future Research: Future research should concentrate on using the template produced by this research to create a concrete educational methodology adapted to suit a specific programming paradigm, with an associated learning tool that can be used with first-year computing undergraduates. Full Article
mp A Constructionist Approach to Learning Computational Thinking in Mathematics Lessons By Published On :: 2024-09-02 Aim/Purpose: This study presents some activities that integrate computational thinking (CT) into mathematics lessons utilizing GeoGebra to promote constructionist learning. Background: CT activities in the Indonesian curriculum are dominated by worked examples with less plugged-mode activities that might hinder students from acquiring CT skills. Therefore, we developed mathematics and CT (math+CT) lessons to promote students’ constructionist key behaviors while learning. Methodology: The researchers utilized an educational design research (EDR) to guide the lesson’s development. The lesson featured 11 applets and 22 short questions developed in GeoGebra. To improve the lesson, it was sent to eight mathematics teachers and an expert in educational technology for feedback, and the lesson was improved accordingly. The improved lessons were then piloted with 17 students, during which the collaborating mathematics teachers taught the lessons. Data were collected through the students’ work on GeoGebra, screen recording when they approached the activities, and interviews. We used content analysis to analyze the qualitative data and presented descriptive statistics to quantitative data. Contribution: This study provided an example and insight into how CT can be enhanced in mathematics lessons in a constructionist manner. Findings: Students were active in learning mathematics and CT, especially when they were engaged in programming and debugging tasks. Recommendations for Practitioners: Educators are recommended to use familiar mathematics software such as GeoGebra to support students’ CT skills while learning mathematics. Additionally, our applets are better run on big-screen devices to optimize students’ CT programming and debugging skills. Moreover, it is recommended that students work collaboratively to benefit from peer feedback and discussion. Recommendation for Researchers: Collaboration with teachers will help researchers better understand the situation in the classroom and how the students will respond to the activities. Additionally, it is important to provide more time for students to get familiar with GeoGebra and start with fewer errors to debug. Future Research: Further research can explore more mathematics topics when integrating CT utilizing GeoGebra or other mathematics software or implement the lessons with a larger classroom size to provide a more generalizable result and deeper understanding. Full Article
mp Coding with AI as an Assistant: Can AI Generate Concise Computer Code? By Published On :: 2024-08-20 Aim/Purpose: This paper is part of a multi-case study that aims to test whether generative AI makes an effective coding assistant. Particularly, this work evaluates the ability of two AI chatbots (ChatGPT and Bing Chat) to generate concise computer code, considers ethical issues related to generative AI, and offers suggestions for how to improve the technology. Background: Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, generative artificial intelligence has steadily gained wide use in software development. However, there is conflicting information on the extent to which AI helps developers be more productive in the long term. Also, whether using generated code violates copyright restrictions is a matter of debate. Methodology: ChatGPT and Bing Chat were asked the same question, their responses were recorded, and the percentage of each chatbot’s code that was extraneous was calculated. Also examined were qualitative factors, such as how often the generated code required modifications before it would run. Contribution: This paper adds to the limited body of research on how effective generative AI is at aiding software developers and how to practically address its shortcomings. Findings: Results of AI testing observed that 0.7% of lines and 1.4% of characters in ChatGPT’s responses were extraneous, while 0.7% of lines and 1.1% of characters in Bing Chat’s responses were extraneous. This was well below the 2% threshold, meaning both chatbots can generate concise code. However, code from both chatbots frequently had to be modified before it would work; ChatGPT’s code needed major modifications 30% of the time and minor ones 50% of the time, while Bing Chat’s code needed major modifications 10% of the time and minor ones 70% of the time. Recommendations for Practitioners: Companies building generative AI solutions are encouraged to use this study’s findings to improve their models, specifically by decreasing error rates, adding more training data for programming languages with less public documentation, and implementing a mechanism that checks code for syntactical errors. Developers can use the findings to increase their productivity, learning how to reap generative AI’s full potential while being aware of its limitations. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers are encouraged to continue where this paper left off, exploring more programming languages and prompting styles than the scope of this study allowed. Impact on Society: As artificial intelligence touches more areas of society than ever, it is crucial to make AI models as accurate and dependable as possible. If practitioners and researchers use the findings of this paper to improve coders’ experience with generative AI, it will make millions of developers more productive, saving their companies money and time. Future Research: The results of this study can be strengthened (or refuted) by a future study with a large, diverse dataset that more fully represents the programming languages and prompting styles developers tend to use. Moreover, further research can examine the reasons generative AI fails to deliver working code, which will yield valuable insights into improving these models. Full Article
mp Impact of a Digital Tool to Improve Metacognitive Strategies for Self-Regulation During Text Reading in Online Teacher Education By Published On :: 2024-06-18 Aim/Purpose: The aim of the study is to test whether the perception of self-regulated learning during text reading in online teacher education is improved by using a digital tool for the use of metacognitive strategies for planning, monitoring, and self-assessment. Background: The use of self-regulated learning is important in reading skills, and for students to develop self-regulated learning, their teachers must master it. Therefore, teaching strategies for self-regulated learning in teacher education is essential. Methodology: The sample size was 252 participants with the tool used by 42% or the participants. A quasi-experimental design was used in a pre-post study. ARATEX-R, a text-based scale, was used to evaluate self-regulated learning. The 5-point Likert scale includes the evaluation of five dimensions: planning strategies, cognition management, motivation management, comprehension assessment and context management. A Generalized Linear Model was used to analyse the results. Contribution: Using the tool to self-regulate learning has led to an improvement during text reading, especially in the dimensions of motivation management, planning management and comprehension assessment, key dimensions for text comprehension and learning. Findings: Participants who use the app perceive greater improvement, especially in the dimensions of motivation management (22,3%), planning management (19.9%) and comprehension assessment (24,6%), which are fundamental dimensions for self-regulation in text reading. Recommendations for Practitioners: This tool should be included in teacher training to enable reflection during the reading of texts, because it helps to improve three key types of strategies in self-regulation: (1) planning through planning management, (2) monitoring through motivation management and comprehension assessment, and (3) self-assessment through comprehension assessment. Recommendation for Researchers: The success of the tool suggests further study for its application in other use cases: other student profiles in higher education, other teaching modalities, and other educational stages. These studies will help to identify adaptations that will extend the tool’s use in education. Impact on Society: The use of Metadig facilitates reflection during the reading of texts in order to improve comprehension and thus self-regulate the learning of content. This reflection is crucial for students’ knowledge construction. Future Research: Future research will focus on enhancing the digital tool by adding features to support the development of cognition and context management. It will also focus on how on adapting the tool to help other types of learners. Full Article
mp Implementation of a novel technique for ordering of features algorithm in detection of ransomware attack By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-07T23:20:50-05:00 In today's world, malware has become a part and threat to our computer systems. All electronic devices are very susceptible/vulnerable to various threats like different types of malware. There is one subset of malware called ransomware, which is majorly used to have large financial gains. The attacker asks for a ransom amount to regain access to the system/data. When dynamic technique using machine learning is used, it is very important to select the correct set of features for the detection of a ransomware attack. In this paper, we present two novel algorithms for the detection of ransomware attacks. The first algorithm is used to assign the time stamp to the features (API calls) for the ordering and second is used for the ordering and ranking of the features for the early detection of a ransomware attack. Full Article
mp The authenticity of digital evidence in criminal courts: a comparative study By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-07T23:20:50-05:00 Scientific progress has a significant impact on both reality and the law that applies to it. As the ICT system has positive points that are considered an added value to it, it made it easier for people to perform their tasks and facilitate interpersonal communication for individuals, saved effort and money, and reduced the time needed to accomplish part of the duties. However, at the same time, it has become a means of committing offences and a fertile space for the existence of offence, to the extent that offence in our current era has become the result of intermarriage between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. Thus, the issue of proving cybercrimes requires a deep exploration in the notion of the authenticity of audio evidence obtained from electronic searches, as well as the process of eavesdropping and recording phone calls, and the use of expert and inspection procedures in criminal lawsuits and its impact on proof before the criminal courts. Full Article
mp A novel IoT-enabled portable, secure automatic self-lecture attendance system: design, development and comparison By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-07T23:20:50-05:00 This study focuses on the importance of monitoring student attendance in education and the challenges faced by educators in doing so. Existing methods for attendance tracking have drawbacks, including high costs, long processing times, and inaccuracies, while security and privacy concerns have often been overlooked. To address these issues, the authors present a novel internet of things (IoT)-based self-lecture attendance system (SLAS) that leverages smartphones and QR codes. This system effectively addresses security and privacy concerns while providing streamlined attendance tracking. It offers several advantages such as compact size, affordability, scalability, and flexible features for teachers and students. Empirical research conducted in a live lecture setting demonstrates the efficacy and precision of the SLAS system. The authors believe that their system will be valuable for educational institutions aiming to streamline attendance tracking while ensuring security and privacy. Full Article
mp Quality of work life: an impact on bankers productivity By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-21T23:20:50-05:00 Quality of work life (QWL) is a generic term that includes an employee's feeling about various aspects of their work including the compensation and rewards, job security, interpersonal relations and the intrinsic meaning of being satisfied in their workplace. This research paper was documented with an intention to understand the influence of the QWL on the productivity of employees working in the banking arena. The study examined the most clout able factors that contributed to the quality of work-life of employees and its correlation on their productivity. A multi-stage sampling method was used to draw a sizeable sample from ten major banks situated in the Karnataka state of India. A total of 756 personnel spread across various branches belonging to rural, semi-urban and urban were covered. The study was validated further by testing various hypotheses drawn based on a review of the literature. The study empirically identified eight major attributes that influence the QWL of bankers. The relationship between QWL and productivity was investigated with notable results using SEM approach. Full Article
mp Nexus between women directors and firm performance: a study on BSE 200 companies By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-21T23:20:50-05:00 The present study is a modest attempt to investigate the impact of gender diversity on firm performance of BSE 200 listed companies. The study is based on the secondary data collected from the EMIS database and the corporate governance reports for a period of eight years, i.e., from 2012 to 2019. Sample size of the present study is 174 Indian companies listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange. The study has employed multiple regression models by considering the endogeneity issue to empirically test the impact of gender diversity on firm performance in Indian context. Based on the multiple regression models, we find that the impact of gender diversity is positive and significant on the market-based measure of firm performance. However, the impact becomes negative significant when firm performance was measured by accounting based measure of firm performance. Full Article
mp Influence of nostalgic behaviour on the consumption patterns of adults: a conceptual framework By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-21T23:20:50-05:00 Nostalgia has an intrinsic association with consumer behaviour. Retrieval of memories drives emotions among consumers and reinforces experience-led buying decisions. Despite nostalgia, and consumption being a common practice at various times in life, issues regarding the nostalgia stimuli on customers' perceptions and buying decisions remain less explored. This article aims at exploring the consumption pattern of adult consumers by analysing the influence of nostalgic behaviour referring to the autobiographic memories and social motivations. It describes the purchase intentions and consumption pattern among adult consumers in the context of self-reference criteria based on nostalgic memories and social motivations. This article offers constructive understanding on establishing relationship between nostalgic memories and consumption pattern over the temporal framework and establishing the brand loyalty and hedonic satisfaction. It contributes to the existing literature by critically examining the theoretical concepts and empirical findings of previous studies on perceptions of consumers on nostalgic emotions and their role in making buying decisions. Full Article
mp Identification of badminton players' swinging movements based on improved dense trajectory algorithm By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-14T23:20:50-05:00 Badminton, as a fast and highly technical sport, requires high accuracy in identifying athletes' swing movements. Accurately identifying different swing movements is of great significance for technical analysis, coach guidance, and game evaluation. To improve the recognition accuracy of badminton players' swing movements, this text is based on an improved dense trajectory algorithm to improve the accuracy of recognising badminton players' swing movements. The features are efficiently extracted and encoded. The results on the KTH, UCF Sports, and Hollywood2 datasets demonstrated that the improved algorithm achieved recognition accuracy of 94.2%, 88.2%, and 58.3%, respectively. Compared to traditional methods, the innovation of research lies in optimised feature extraction methods, efficient algorithm design, and accurate action recognition. These results provide new ideas for the research and application of badminton swing motion recognition. Full Article
mp An MCDM approach to compare different concepts of SMED to reduce the setup time in concrete products manufacturing: a case study By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-11-11T23:20:50-05:00 In the construction sector, moulding machines are crucial in producing concrete products, yet changing their mould can pose challenges for some businesses. This paper presents a case study aimed at reducing the setup time of HESS RH 600 moulding machine. Four alternatives are proposed and evaluated to achieve this goal. The first alternative involves converting internal to external activities, while the subsequent alternatives aim to improve the basic solution. These include building a canopy near the machine (alternative 2), installing an air reservoir (alternative 3), and a comprehensive approach involving building the canopy, installing the air reservoir, and adding a new forklift to facilitate the machine setup process (alternative 4). The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) heuristic method is used to select the best alternative solution based on prespecified criteria. It is found that the application of the single-minute exchange of die (SMED) solution without any further improvement is the most favourable. Full Article
mp Exploring the impact of monetary policy on sustainable development with mediation of e-banking services and moderation of financial risk awareness By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-11-11T23:20:50-05:00 Monetary policy is essential for sustainable growth where effective monetary policies can improve investment, employment, and consumption by fostering a balanced and resilient economy. However, sustainable development is vital for harmonising economic growth, social equity, and environmental preservation. A number of factors have been discussed in the literature that impact sustainable development. However, this study explicitly tries to investigate the nexus among the monetary policy (MP) toward sustainable development (SD) with the mediation of e-banking services (e-BS) and moderation of financial risk management (FRM) from China drawing on stakeholder theory. It discovered a significant connection between monetary policy and sustainable development along with sub-dimensions of SD. Likewise, this study confirmed a positive mediating influence of e-BS between monetary policy and sustainable development. Finally, the study additionally ensured a positive moderation of financial risk between monetary policy and sustainable development, respectively. These outcomes bestow several interesting insights into monetary policy, e-banking services, financial risk management, and sustainable development. Full Article
mp Finding a balance between business and ethics: an empirical study of ERP-based DSS attributes By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2023-10-23T23:20:50-05:00 Numerous scandals due to unethical decisions occur despite the growing use of decision support systems (DSS). Several scholars recommend incorporating ethical attributes along with business requirements in DSS design. However, little guidance exists to indicate which ethical attributes to include and the importance ethical attributes should be given in comparison to business requirements. This study addresses this deficiency by identifying ethical requirements to integrate in DSS design drawn from the business ethics literature. This study conducted a large-scale empirical survey with information technology decision-makers to examine the relative importance of DSS fit with ethical and business requirements as well as the appropriate balance of those requirements on perceived DSS performance. The results show that decision makers perceive better DSS performance when the ethical and business requirements align with its organisation's beliefs than from ethical or business requirements alone. Full Article
mp Assessing supply chain risk management capabilities and its impact on supply chain performance: moderation of AI-embedded technologies By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-10T23:20:50-05:00 This research investigates the correlation between risk management and supply chain performance (SCP) along with moderation of AI-embedded technologies such as big data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, and blockchain technologies. To calculate the results, this study utilised 644 questionnaires through the structural equation modelling (SEM) method. It is revealed using SmartPls that financial risk management (FRM) is positively linked with SCP. Second, it was observed that AI significantly moderates the connection between FRM and SCP. In addition, the study presents certain insights into supply chain and AI-enabled technologies and how these capabilities can beneficially advance SCP. Besides, certain implications, both managerial and theoretical are described for the supply chain managers along with limitations for future scholars of the world. Full Article
mp Measuring information quality and success in business intelligence and analytics: key dimensions and impacts By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2017-03-21T23:20:50-05:00 The phenomenon of cloud computing and related innovations such as Big Data have given rise to many fundamental changes that are evident in information and data. Managing, measuring and developing business value from the plethora of this new data has significant impact on many corporate agendas, particularly in relation to the successful implementation of business intelligence and analytics (BI&A). However, although the influence of Big Data has fundamentally changed the IT application landscape, the metrics for measuring success and in particular, the quality of information, have not evolved. The measurement of information quality and the antecedent factors that influence information has also been identified as an area that has suffered from a lack of research in recent decades. Given the rapid increase in data volume and the growth and ubiquitous use of BI&A systems in organisations, there is an urgent need for accurate metrics to identify information quality. Full Article
mp Application of artificial intelligence in enterprise human resource management and employee performance evaluation By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-03T23:20:50-05:00 With the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, significant breakthroughs have been made in its application in many fields. Especially, in the field of enterprise human resource management and employee performance evaluation, AI has demonstrated its powerful ability to optimise and improve performance. This study explores the application of AI in enterprise human resource management and how to use AI to evaluate employee performance. The research includes analysing and comparing existing AI-driven human resource management models, evaluating how AI can help improve employee performance and leadership styles, and designing and developing human resource management computer systems for enterprise employees. Through empirical research and case analysis, this study proposes a new AI-optimised employee performance evaluation model and explores its application and effect in practice. In general, the application of AI can improve the efficiency and accuracy of enterprise human resource management, and provide new possibilities for employee performance evaluation. At present, artificial intelligence technology has been widely used in various fields of daily life, especially in corporate human resource management, providing better support for the development of enterprises. Full Article
mp International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology By www.inderscience.com Published On :: Full Article
mp Evaluation method for the effectiveness of online course teaching reform in universities based on improved decision tree By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-09-03T23:20:50-05:00 Aiming at the problems of long evaluation time and poor evaluation accuracy of existing evaluation methods, an improved decision tree-based evaluation method for the effectiveness of college online course teaching reform is proposed. Firstly, the teaching mode of college online course is analysed, and an evaluation system is constructed to ensure the applicability of the evaluation method. Secondly, AHP entropy weight method is used to calculate the weights of evaluation indicators to ensure the accuracy and authority of evaluation results. Finally, the evaluation model based on decision tree algorithm is constructed and improved by fuzzy neural network to further optimise the evaluation results. The parameters of fuzzy neural network are adjusted and gradient descent method is used to optimise the evaluation results, so as to effectively evaluate the effect of college online course teaching reform. Through experiments, the evaluation time of the method is less than 5 ms, and the evaluation accuracy is more than 92.5%, which shows that the method is efficient and accurate, and provides an effective evaluation means for the teaching reform of online courses in colleges and universities. Full Article
mp Study on personalised recommendation method of English online learning resources based on improved collaborative filtering algorithm By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-09-03T23:20:50-05:00 In order to improve recommendation coverage, a personalised recommendation method for English online learning resources based on improved collaborative filtering algorithm is studied to enhance the comprehensiveness of personalised recommendation for learning resources. Use matrix decomposition to decompose the user English online learning resource rating matrix. Cluster low dimensional English online learning resources by improving the K-means clustering algorithm. Based on the clustering results, calculate the backfill value of English online learning resources and backfill the information matrix of low dimensional English online learning resources. Using an improved collaborative filtering algorithm to calculate the predicted score of learning resources, personalised recommendation of English online learning resources for users based on the predicted score. Experimental results have shown that this method can effectively backfill English online learning resources, and the resource backfilling effect is excellent, and it has a high recommendation coverage rate. Full Article
mp A method for evaluating the quality of teaching reform based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-09-03T23:20:50-05:00 In order to improve the comprehensiveness of evaluation results and reduce errors, a teaching reform quality evaluation method based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is proposed. Firstly, on the premise of meeting the principles of indicator selection, factor analysis is used to construct an evaluation indicator system. Then, calculate the weights of various evaluation indicators through fuzzy entropy, establish a fuzzy evaluation matrix, and calculate the weight vector of evaluation indicators. Finally, the fuzzy cognitive mapping method is introduced to improve the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, obtaining the final weight of the evaluation indicators. The weight is multiplied by the fuzzy evaluation matrix to obtain the comprehensive evaluation result. The experimental results show that the maximum relative error of the proposed method's evaluation results is about 2.0, the average comprehensive evaluation result is 92.3, and the determination coefficient is closer to 1, verifying the application effect of this method. Full Article
mp Multiplication complexity in education activities with fair use principle of copyright in Indonesia By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-30T23:20:50-05:00 Copying and duplicating papers for educational purposes is a violation form of copyright in Indonesia. The principle of fair use in education is a form of structured violation. Copying and duplicating the papers of the authors for educational purposes has provided commercial (business) benefits for libraries and universities. The research method is conducted using the observation method in libraries and universities that duplicate papers. The method also uses the normative juridical method that connects duplication of the papers in libraries and universities with the fair use principle. The results explain the authors' loss from copying and duplicating of papers in libraries and universities. Therefore, copying and duplicating the papers can only be done by implementing the responsibility system. Copying and duplicating the papers of the authors' in libraries and universities can be allowed if they fulfil the elements of copyright protection in the new concept. Full Article
mp Intellectual property management in technology management: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis during 2000-2022 By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-30T23:20:50-05:00 Presently, there are many existing academic studies on the development, protection and operation of intellectual property management (IPM). Therefore, provides a comprehensive econometric analysis in order to provide scholars, with a clearer understanding of the evolution and development of IP management research during 2000 to 2022. The study is aiming to help scholars to better discern the expanding IPM research field from a multidimensional perspective. The database used for this analysis is the Web of Science Core Collection database. After retrieval through keywords and using a variety of tools such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometrix and HistCite, 1033 documents were refined to conduct the econometric analysis, and produce graphs. The findings indicate that the US is a highly active country/region in the field IP management research, and its expanding IP management research is branching out into other disciplines. The study also presents the future directions and possible challenges for IPM in technology management. Full Article
mp Research on fast mining of enterprise marketing investment databased on improved association rules By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-07-04T23:20:50-05:00 Because of the problems of low mining precision and slow mining speed in traditional enterprise marketing investment data mining methods, a fast mining method for enterprise marketing investment databased on improved association rules is proposed. First, the enterprise marketing investment data is collected through the crawler framework, and then the collected data is cleaned. Then, the cleaned data features are extracted, and the correlation degree between features is calculated. Finally, according to the calculation results, all data items are used as constraints to reduce the number of frequent itemsets. A pruning strategy is designed in advance. Combined with the constraints, the Apriori algorithm of association rules is improved, and the improved algorithm is used to calculate all frequent itemsets, Obtain fast mining results of enterprise marketing investment data. The experimental results show that the proposed method is fast and accurate in data mining of enterprise marketing investment. Full Article
mp Stock market response to mergers and acquisitions: comparison between China and India By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-07T23:20:50-05:00 This research delves into the wealth effect of shareholders from bidding firms created by mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in China and India, two of the world's most populous nations. The study reveals that on average, M&A deals create wealth for shareholders of the acquiring firms, as determined by abnormal percentage returns in a five-day event window. Regarding the further classification of acquiring firms based on industry, the abnormal percentage returns vary in different sectors in both countries. In China, shareholders benefit in seven out of ten industries, while in India, they gain in five out of nine industries. Moreover, the stock markets' responses vary depending on the type of M&A in each country. Cross-industry M&A deals in China generate higher gains for shareholders than within-industry deals, whereas, in India, within-industry M&A deals generate higher gains. Full Article
mp Chempound - a Web 2.0-inspired repository for physical science data By jodi-ojs-tdl.tdl.org Published On :: Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 Chempound is a new generation repository architecture based on RDF, semantic dictionaries and linked data. It has been developed to hold any type of chemical object expressible in CML and is exemplified by crystallographic experiments and computational chemistry calculations. In both examples, the repository can hold >50k entries which can be searched by SPARQL endpoints and pre-indexing of key fields. The Chempound architecture is general and adaptable to other fields of data-rich science. Full Article Articles
mp Agricultural informatics: emphasising potentiality and proposed model on innovative and emerging Doctor of Education in Agricultural Informatics program for smart agricultural systems By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-29T23:20:50-05:00 International universities are changing with their style of operation, mode of teaching and learning operations. This change is noticeable rapidly in India and also in international contexts due to healthy and innovative methods, educational strategies, and nomenclature throughout the world. Technologies are changing rapidly, including ICT. Different subjects are developed in the fields of IT and computing with the interaction or applications to other fields, viz. health informatics, bio informatics, agriculture informatics, and so on. Agricultural informatics is an interdisciplinary subject dedicated to combining information technology and information science utilisation in agricultural sciences. The digital agriculture is powered by agriculture informatics practice. For teaching, research and development of any subject educational methods is considered as important and various educational programs are there in this regard viz. Bachelor of Education, Master of Education, PhD in Education, etc. Degrees are also available to deal with the subjects and agricultural informatics should not be an exception of this. In this context, Doctor of Education (EdD or DEd) is an emerging degree having features of skill sets, courses and research work. This paper proposed on EdD program with agricultural informatics specialisation for improving healthy agriculture system. Here, a proposed model core curriculum is also presented. Full Article
mp An empirical study on the nexus among the prices of commodities: an ARDL and bound test approach By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-29T23:20:50-05:00 This study investigates the nexus among the commodities: bitcoin, copper, gold, silver, crude oil, and iron ore. Previous studies on establishing the plausibility and the dynamic nexus among commodities are rare. This research attempts to fill this gap. This study investigates whether there are long-term and short-term links between commodities for the period 2010-2022 by applying the bounds testing method to co-integration and ECM, built using an ARDL model and establishing both short-term and long-term relationships among the economic variables analysed. The ECM confirmed the presence of some co-integration relationship for all the variables, both in the short and long term. A strong correlation was discovered among the commodities, which were greatly influenced by their lagged values. The results of this study provides an opportunity for policymakers and researchers to understand the nature of the relationship between the analysed variables and further support the development of new policies for economic sustainability. Full Article
mp Performance improvement in inventory classification using the expectation-maximisation algorithm By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-29T23:20:50-05:00 Multi-criteria inventory classification (MCIC) is popularly used to aid managers in categorising the inventory. Researchers have used numerous mathematical models and approaches, but few resorted to unsupervised machine-learning techniques to address MCIC. This study uses the expectation-maximisation (EM) algorithm to estimate the parameters of the Gaussian mixture model (GMM), a popular unsupervised machine learning algorithm, for ABC inventory classification. The EM-GMM algorithm is sensitive to initialisation, which in turn affects the results. To address this issue, two different initialisation procedures have been proposed for the EM-GMM algorithm. Inventory classification outcomes from 14 existing MCIC models have been given as inputs to study the significance of the two proposed initialisation procedures of the EM-GMM algorithm. The effectiveness of these initialisation procedures corresponding to various inputs has been analysed toward inventory management performance measures, i.e., fill rate, total relevant cost, and inventory turnover ratio. Full Article
mp The role of shopping apps and their impact on the online purchasing behaviour patterns of working women in Bangalore By www.inderscience.com Published On :: 2024-10-15T23:20:50-05:00 The study aims to analyse the impact of shopping applications on the shopping behaviour of the working women community in Bangalore, a city known as the IT hub. The research uses a quantitative analysis with SPSS version 23 software and a structured questionnaire survey technique to gather data from the working women community. The study uses descriptive statistics, ANOVA, regression, and Pearson correlation analysis to evaluate the perception of working women regarding the significance of online shopping applications. The results show that digital shopping applications are more prevalent among the working women community in Bangalore. The study also evaluates the socio-economic and psychological factors that influence their purchasing behaviour. The findings suggest that online marketers should enhance their strategies to improve their business on digital platforms. The research provides valuable insights into the shopping habits of the working women community in Bangalore. Full Article
mp e-HR and Employee Self Service: A Case Study of a Victorian Public Sector Organisation By Published On :: Full Article
mp A Computer Hardware/Software/Services Planning and Selection Course for the CIS/IT Curriculum By Published On :: Full Article
mp A Comparison of Learning and Teaching Styles – Self-Perception of IT Students By Published On :: Full Article
mp Assessing the Impact of Instructional Methods and Information Technology on Student Learning Styles By Published On :: Full Article
mp ERP Systems and User Perceptions: An Approach for Implementation Success By Published On :: Full Article
mp The Human Dimension on Distance Learning: A Case Study of a Telecommunications Company By Published On :: Full Article
mp Exploring the Research Ethics Domain for Postgraduate Students in Computing By Published On :: Full Article
mp Behavioural Issues in Software Development: The Evolution of a New Course Dealing with the Psychology of Computer Programming By Published On :: Full Article