The role of digital information use on student performance and collaboration in marginal universities

Using technology to facilitate learning in universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs) has become common practice due to its ability to reduce barriers related to time and space in traditional learning environments. However, current literature mostly focuses on the use of the technology and not on the use of the information it conveys. Also, very few studies focus on technology adoption in universities and HEIs in developing countries, especially those in Africa. Thus, we propose a model that explains the changing information behaviors of students in this digital age and the effect this has on their learning outcomes. We collected questionnaire data from 303 students and analyzed the data using structural equation modelling partial least squares (SEM-PLS). We found that our proposed model explains 60.2 % of student satisfaction, 24.2 % of academic performance, 24.1 % of information sharing, and 19.8 % of their information exchange behavior. This study confirms that the use of digital information and its antecedent factors have significant effects on the college experience of students. This has several implications for information systems research and practice, especially in the design and assessment of technology use in learning environments.     

基于CityGML的数字城市快速建模研究

研究了基于CityGML的多层次细节3D城市模型快速建模方法,并将其结合到3DUGIS中用于数字城市建设。建模过程中考虑空间关系、拓扑关系和语义信息,建模过程自动化程度高,能够在三维空间直接进行空间分析,方便海量数据的交换与数据挖掘。并给出了上海世博园区三维信息系统结合具体应用案例。     

Scholarly research and information practices: a domain analytic approach

This paper deals with information needs, seeking, searching, and uses within scholarly communities by introducing theory from the field of science and technology studies. In particular it contributes to the domain-analytic approach in information science by showing that Whitley’s theory of ‘mutual dependence’ and ‘task uncertainty’ can be used as an explanatory framework in understanding similarity and difference in information practices across intellectual fields. Based on qualitative case studies of three specialist scholarly communities across the physical sciences, applied sciences, social sciences and arts and humanities, this paper extends Whitley’s theory into the realm of information communication technologies. The paper adopts a holistic approach to information practices by recognising the interrelationship between the traditions of informal and formal scientific communication and how it shapes digital outcomes across intellectual fields. The findings show that communities inhabiting fields with a high degree of ‘mutual dependence’ coupled with a low degree of ‘task uncertainty’ are adept at coordinating and controlling channels of communication and will readily co-produce field-based digital information resources, whereas communities that inhabit fields characterised by the opposite cultural configuration, a low degree of ‘mutual dependence’ coupled with a high degree of ‘task uncertainty’, are less successful in commanding control over channels of communication and are less concerned with co-producing field-based digital resources and integrating them into their epistemic and social structures. These findings have implications for the culturally sensitive development and provision of academic digital resources such as digital libraries and web-based subject portals.     

Uncertainty in information seeking and retrieval: A study in an academic environment

This research focuses specifically on uncertainty and information seeking in a digital environment. In this research we argue that different types of uncertainty are associated with the information seeking process and that, with the proliferation of new and different search tools, sources and channels, uncertainty, positive/desirable or negative/undesirable, continues to be a significant factor in the search process. Users may feel uncertain at any stage of the information search and retrieval process and uncertainty may remain even after completion of the process resulting in what may be called persistent uncertainty. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from users in the higher education sector. There were three parts to the questionnaire focusing on: information seeking activities, information seeking problems, and access to specific information channels or sources. Quantitative analysis was carried out on the data collected through the online questionnaire. A total of 668 responses were returned from the chosen user categories of academic staff, research staff and research students. This research has shown that there are some information seeking activities and information seeking problems that are the most common causes of uncertainty among significant number of users from different disciplines, age, gender, ICT skills, etc. This is also the case with respect to access to and use of specific information sources/channels, although the degrees of uncertainty in relation are relatively small. Possible implications of this study and further research issues are indicated.     

CloudChain: A novel distribution model for digital products based on supply chain principles

Cloud computing is a popular outsourcing solution for organizations to support the information management during the life cycle of digital information goods. However, outsourcing management with a public provider results in a lack of control over digital products, which could produce incidents such as data unavailability during service outages, violations of confidentiality and/or legal issues. This paper presents a novel distribution model of digital products inspired by lean supply chain principles called CloudChain, which has been designed to support the information management during digital product lifecycle. This model enables connected networks of customers, partners and organizations to conduct the stages of digital product lifecycle as value chains. Virtual distribution channels are created over cloud resources for applications of organizations to deliver digital products to applications of partners through a seamless information flow. A configurable packing and logistic service was developed to ensure confidentiality and privacy in the product delivery by using encrypted packs. A chain management architecture enables organizations to keep tighter control over their value chains, distribution channels and digital products. CloudChain software instances were integrated to an information management system of a space agency. In an experimental evaluation CloudChain prototype was evaluated in a private cloud where the feasibility of applying supply chain principles to the delivery of digital products in terms of efficiency, flexibility and security was revealed.     

Customer value creation through community-based information networks

This paper point out that utilizing fully the community-based information networks based on multimedia digital networking Information Technology (IT) makes it possible to formulate a new customer value creation business model. Aggressive IT investment by top management to build community-based information networks, a support tool for this future network strategy, will permit business innovation based on strengthened competitiveness and enhanced customer service.     

Development of a holistic model for the management of an enterprise’s information assets

Organisations increasingly realise that they must transform into true digital enterprises to create competitive advantage and ensure corporate survival. However, many organisations do not realise that successful digital transformation (DT) requires much more than technology; it can only succeed if they manage their data, information and knowledge as true business assets. This paper describes collaborative research conducted by academic and industry partners, a mutually beneficial journey spanning the past ten years. The aim was to develop a Holistic Information Asset Management (HIAM) model indicating the important areas of information asset management (IAM) that support the DT journey. Interviews were conducted with C-level executives in organisations from all industries on three continents to investigate their IAM practices, the barriers to good IAM and the benefits of managing information assets (IAs) well. This paper proposes that organisations should focus on ten domains in their quest for effective IAM: i) business benefits, ii) business environment, iii) executive awareness, iv) leadership and management, v) information environment, vi) information systems, vii) information behaviour, viii) information attributes/quality, ix) information performance and x) justification.     

基于语义WEB服务的WSMO信息检索应用模型及支撑体系研究

搭建一个良好的信息检索平台,通过互联网提供对分布式存储信息的知识化组织、智能化访问和服务。提出WSMO信息检索应用的模型,借鉴现有的信息资源检索组织模式、借助本体网络服务模型WSMO,创造性地与精准检索技术相结合,有效地进行信息整序,使用户获取信息不受空间限制,都可以在任何时间、任何地点方便快捷地享用世界上任何一个开放的数字化信息资源。     

数字信息可视化及其实现方法研究

本文首先提出研究数字信息可视化技术的意义,然后对数字信息可视化含义作出解释,并对数字信息可视化实现方法进行分类阐述,最后列举了数字信息可视化技术的新进展.     

信息隐藏模型与数字水印技术

信息隐藏，作为信息安全的新兴领域，是在信息技术特别是网络技术和多媒体技术等迅速发展和广泛普及的基础上发展起来的。本文较系统地论述了信息隐藏模型和数字水印技术，探讨了数字水印技术的嵌入、恢复与检测模型，最后指出数字水印技术的发展前景。     

论我国数字信息资源建设

本文介绍了我国数字信息资源建设的进程，分析了目前存在的主要问题，针对性的提出了数字信息资源建设的对策。     

Understanding the impact of digital service failure on users: Integrating Tan’s failure and DeLone and McLean’s success model

Although information systems (IS) success has been given much attention in IS literature, failure has received lesser attention. This study empirically validates a model of digital service failure for consumers by integrating three dimensions from Tan’s failure model and one dimension from DeLone and Mclean’s Information Success model. The factors have been mapped to Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT). Experiential survey approach has been used to collect primary data from information systems users who have experienced digital service failure. Structural equation modeling (SEM) has been used for model testing and validation to measure the impact of information, system, functional and service failure of digital service on end users. The findings suggests that information, functional, system and service failure has an impact on the consumers through the outcome, process, cost and user satisfaction of digital services.     

数字图书馆中统一检索系统的开发

随着数字图书馆的发展，如何对多个信息源进行同时检索就成为现在的检索问题。本文介绍了如何利用JSP技术开发一个统一检索系统。     

数字图书馆概念的广义化及其服务理念

文章基于数字图书馆,现代图书馆学,信息集成服务的基础上,提出了“广义数字图书馆”的概念,并对其建设的理念和组织实施等问题,进行了初步探讨。     

What Is the Content of the World's Technologically Mediated Information and Communication Capacity: How Much Text,Image, Audio,and Video?

This article asks whether the global process of digitization has led to noteworthy changes in the shares of the amount of text, images, audio, and video in worldwide technologically stored and communicated information content. We empirically quantify the amount of information that is globally broadcast, telecommunicated, and stored (1986–2007) and assess the evolution of the respective content shares. Somewhat unexpectedly, it turns out that the transfer from analog to digital has not led to toward increasing shares of media-rich audio and video content, despite vastly increased bandwidth. First, there is a certain inertia in the evolution of content, which seems to stick to stable proportions independent of its technological medium (be it analog vinyl and VHS tapes, or digital CDs and hard disks). Second, the relative share of text and still images actually captures a larger portion of the total amount than before the digital age. Text merely represented 0.3% of the (optimally compressed) bits that flowed through global information channels in 1986 but grew to almost 30% in 2007. On another level, we are seeing an increasing transition of text and images from one-way information diffusion networks (like newspapers) to digital storage and two-way telecommunications networks, where they are more socially embedded. Both tendencies are good news for big-data analysts who extract intelligence from easily analyzable text and image data.     

Demystifying blockchain: A critical analysis of challenges,applications and opportunities

The blockchain is considered to be the potential driver of the digital economy. The Blockchain technology outweighs the challenges associated with the traditional transaction business governed and regulated by the third trusted party. There is a growth in the interest among the researchers, the industry, and the academia to study and leverage the potential of Blockchain. Blockchain provides a decentralized and distributed public ledger for all the participating parties. Though it seems that blockchain is a viable choice and solution for all the centralized governed and regulated transactions (in digital online space), it has potential challenges that need to be resolved; opportunities to be explored, and applications to be studied. This paper utilizes a systematic literature review to study several research endeavors made in the domain of blockchain. To further research on blockchain adoption, the paper theoretically constructs an integrated framework of the blockchain innovation adoption process in an organization considering organizational and user acceptance perspectives. This would facilitate its widespread adoption, thereby achieving sustained leadership solutions. The paper offers 23 propositions to information systems (IS)/information management (IM) scholars with respect to innovation characteristics, organizational characteristics, environmental characteristics, and user acceptance characteristics. Further, the paper explores several areas of future research and directions that can provide deep insights for overcoming challenges and for the adoption of blockchain technology.     

A framework to evaluate the interoperability of information systems – Measuring the maturity of the business process alignment

In the current socio-economic environment, to face challenges such as the emergence of new technologies, globalisation and increasing demands from their clients it is inevitable that enterprises will collaborate with others and progressively shift their boundaries. In this context, interoperability has become a prerequisite in the jigsaw of such collaboration. By definition, it is entities’ ability to work together as an organisation. This ability spans a wide range of aspects, embracing both technical and business issues. Over the past decade, both the concept and the context of interoperability have been extended from a largely IT-focused domain to a business-focused domain and the evaluation of interoperability has become a rising concern. An increasing number of studies have concentrated on not just digital but business aspects of human behaviour in the social environment. In general, the wider application domain is the assessment of the interoperability of information systems and processes in any organisation (especially medium and large) that needs multiple processes to interact effectively.To deal with such concerns and pave the way to achievement of more effective collaborative goals in business, the concept of interoperability has been adopted to measure the efficiency and productivity of information systems’ integration. More than twenty approaches have so far been adopted to evaluate this interoperability, however most are unable to assess it at the higher levels, such as at the pragmatic, process and social levels. Hence, we have conducted a three-phase study. Phase 1 reviewed existing interoperability evaluation approaches. To prove the concept, phase 2 proposed the concept of semiotic interoperability and its application to healthcare information systems. This article reports on the third phase of the study, a proposed framework with a group of metrics to measure interoperability from a new perspective – a semiotics perspective. The framework is named the Semiotic Interoperability Evaluation Framework (the SIEF) and has the ability to analyse, measure and assess the interoperability among business processes. The metrics derive from a feasibility study to investigate several interoperability barriers at a hospital. Next, the SIEF was applied in a case study and a detailed interoperability evaluation was conducted.     

网络环境下的特色信息服务

本文针对当前信息技术在的普及和应用,探讨了高校图书馆进行网络特色信息服务的必要性、可能性及实施中应注意的几个问题,旨在使高校图书馆能利用自己的资源优势,人才优势,技术优势更好地开发利用文献信息资源,实现服务功能的深化。     

The role of information technologies (ITs) in firms’ resource orchestration process: A case analysis of China’s “Huangshan 168”

This case analysis considers how digital disruption is reaching beyond technology to engulf traditionally considered low-tech industries and influence conventionally viewed non-digital businesses. For incumbent firms in these low-tech industries, the disruption brings not only plenty of opportunities but also numerous threats. Firms that quickly embrace the digital era by profoundly changing their incumbent strategies, systems, operational habits, and business models have great chances to outperform their competitors and succeed within this dynamic environment. One digital strategy that might be adopted by incumbent firms in the low-tech industries to seize the opportunities brought by digital disruption is to integrate their resource orchestration actions with advanced information technologies (ITs). Given the strong connection between firms’ resource orchestration actions and their competitive advantages, as well as the increasingly vital role of ITs in contemporary business operations, it is an imperative to investigate the impacts of ITs on the resource orchestration processes of modern enterprises. Additionally, for incumbent firms operating in the low-tech industries, integrating their resource management with modern ITs might help them effectively identify and accumulate unique resources, develop their capabilities, and create value through continuous reconfiguration of resources. Therefore, low-tech firms that strive to adopt modern information technologies in their resource orchestration process are more likely to achieve improved organizational performance and competitive advantages than their competitors.     

Specifics of information retrieval for young users: A survey

In this paper, we present the state of the art in the field of information retrieval that is relevant for understanding how to design information retrieval systems for children. We describe basic theories of human development to explain the specifics of young users, i.e., their cognitive skills, fine motor skills, knowledge, memory and emotional states in so far as they differ from those of adults. We derive the implications these differences have on the design of information retrieval systems for children. Furthermore, we summarize the main findings about children’s search behavior from multiple user studies. These findings are important to understand children’s information needs, their search strategies and usage of information retrieval systems. We also identify several weaknesses of previous user studies about children’s information-seeking behavior. Guided by the findings of these user studies, we describe challenges for the design of information retrieval systems for young users. We give an overview of algorithms and user interface concepts. We also describe existing information retrieval systems for children, in specific web search engines and digital libraries. We conclude with a discussion of open issues and directions for further research. The survey provided in this paper is important both for designers of information retrieval systems for young users as well as for researchers who start working in this field.