Customer perceived value in the software business

This paper addresses customer perceived value in the context of high-technology industry, specifically in the software business. Customer perception of value is a complex phenomenon not only theoretically, but even more so in practice. We have chosen to examine this phenomenon in the specific context of the software business, as we believe that software as an object of exchange encourages fresh viewpoints owing to its abstract nature. Our study is exploratory in nature, with an empirical insight gained through two qualitative case studies from the software business. The conclusion presents elements of customer perceived value within both software project and product businesses. Based on the findings, we suggest a framework for examining the way business logic influences the customer's value perception, especially in terms of the complexity of the perception of both benefits and sacrifices.     

A shared document-based annotation tool to support learner-centred collaborative learning

A shared document‐based annotation tool was presented, and its usefulness in two different real‐life web‐based university‐level courses (adult learners, n= 27 and adolescent learners, n= 23) was empirically investigated. The study design embodied three data collection phases: (1) a pretest measuring self‐rated motivation, learning strategies, and social ability; (2) log file data analysis showing actual use of the system features; and (3) a posttest in a form of an email survey. For both groups, the results showed that the level of motivation has a positive effect on activity in the system and the final grade. The learners, who reported to have good time‐management strategies, were the most active users of the system. The level of social ability predicted both the number of consecutive comments in the documents and the threads in document‐related newsgroup discussions. Log file data analysis showed that user activity in the system was positively related to the final grade in both samples. Results of the posttest showed that all the respondents agreed when asked: (1) if the system brought added value to the learning process; (2) if the use of the system changed their studying habits favourably; and (3) if they would like to use the system in other courses.