Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALNs)

Papers submitted to this mini-track may deal with any, or a combination of, the following:

1. Theoretical frameworks that integrate aspects of theory from the fields of education or cognitive psychology (learning theories), social impacts of computing, and/or communication media.
2. Qualitative case studies or quantitative evaluations, which measure and summarize how ALN courses differ from traditional Face to Face, or Computer-Assisted Instruction, or other modes of course delivery. This includes negative as well as positive impacts on processes and outcomes, for teaching staff as well as students.
3. Innovative software to support ALN or "computer-supported collaborative learning" in an anytime/anywhere format, which has actually been used and evaluated in one or more courses.
4. Innovative pedagogy using collaborative learning for aln's in new ways (with some empirical evaluation reported to assess its effectiveness)

Minitrack Chairs

Collaborative Engineering Of Processes And Systems

The minitrack on "Collaborative engineering of processes and systems" focuses on:

1. Collaborative approaches to model organizations as systems in order to gain insight into their structure, processes, and performance.
2. The (collaborative) application of this knowledge in engineering more effective organizations and information systems to provide value-added support for organizational evolution.
3. Approaches to model and design collaborative work processes and systems.

Thus, papers are welcome that contain original ideas on systematic modeling, analysis, design and implementation of organizational structures and processes. The scope may be anywhere from the process level (micro) via business components and their coordination (meso) to the corporate or inter-organizational level (macro). In summary, the specific topics of interest for this minitrack fall into the following categories:

1. Approaches
   • joint modeling sessions
   • group communication, facilitation and coordination
   • analyst and stakeholder interaction and roles
   • assessment and measurement of system performance and effectiveness
   • theories and guidelines for organizational design and development
   
   
2. Modeling techniques
   • (dynamic) enterprise and process modeling
   • object-oriented modeling of organizations
   • diagramming techniques to capture time-related aspects
   • evaluation of various modeling methods used in organizational systems development
   • simulation/animation models
   • incorporation of external factors and influences
   • building flexibility and longevity into models
   • implications of choice of modeling technique
   
   
3. Supporting tools
   • interactive modeling workbenches and CASE tools
   • modeling support for (stakeholder) groups
   • simulation/animation tools
   • automated tools for model validation and consistency checking
   • use of design tools applied in organizational contexts
   • end-user development tools
   
   
4. Special application areas
   • gaming
   • (dynamic) models for decision support
   • (dynamic) models as training instruments
   • administrative logistics and project management
   • workflow management
   • production and transport chain logistics
   
   
5. Implementation issues
   • transferring models for design into actual implementations
   • change management
   • implementation success factors
   • coping with resistance to organizational change
   • impact on job content and quality of working life
   • stakeholder roles and responsibilities

Minitrack Chairs

Collaboration Technology - Theory and Methodology

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to:

• Innovative conceptual development and analysis of the characteristics of collaboration technologies, contextual characteristics of technology use, and descriptions of the process of the use of collaboration technology;
• Critical analysis and contrasts of existing theoretical frameworks and their relevance and value in guiding research and application of collaboration technologies;
• Applications of existing information technology theories to new contexts of technology use and revisitations (or modifications) of the assumptions, logic, and constructs of these existing theories;
• In depth analysis of a relatively well understood social, behavioral, economic, political, or physical phenomenon to explore and explicate the phenomenon of technology supported collaborative work;
• Synthesis or meta-analysis of patterns of relationships observed in studies of collaboration technology uses and its impacts on individuals, groups, organization, or societies and cultures;
• Development of new or critical reviews of known techniques, tools, and methods used in conducting research with collaborative technologies; and uses of innovative analytical methods to study the use and impacts of group support technologies;
• And other related topics.

Minitrack Chairs

Community Supported Platforms

The convergence of information and communication technology results in an ubiquitous interactive information carrier. As a consequence new forms of communication, co-operation and doing business are emerging. One of the new paradigms are virtual communities. Enabled by the new medium agents (individuals, computers, organizational units) are going to form organizations, discussion groups and other types of communities in cyberspace. We define communities as Multi-Agent Systems, whose agents share a common language, common values and interests and co-operate and communicate in an organized way, i.e. playing different roles and following a given protocol. Most of the Internet communities emerged in a more or less self-organizing way. Many have become a serious economic factor in the digital economy. This provokes the demand for their organized stimulation and creation and the development of methods and tools for the construction of platforms for their support. A basic feature of such systems is the combined support for the management of content and communicating agents. Community-supporting platforms comprise technologies as chats, technologies for content management, for on-line discussions, search engines, profile management systems, electronic market platforms and many others. The topic of information systems and platforms for their support is not addressed in a systematic, generic manner.

The minitrack wants to initiate a forum for the discussion in the field of community- supporting platforms and invites papers, which address the following topics:

• Classification of communities and specification of their requirements on technology, information systems and platforms for their support. -
• Typology and specifications of community supporting platforms and systems.
• Generic components (as for example search engines, avatars, communication protocols and standards) for community supporting platforms.
• Architectures of platforms for community support.
• Implementation and management strategies for community supporting platforms.

Minitrack Chairs

Computer Network Management

Data communication networks are now mission-critical in many organizations, yet startlingly, no structured academic community has formed to study and advance the art of managing and supporting networks. Because networks are now central to the survival of many organizations, network management must be defined and studied by IS academics. Computer Network management is the practice of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling computer hardware, software, people, and processes linked through a data communication system with the goal of improving the chances that the organization will survive and thrive.

Organizations rely upon computer networks to create and sustain strategic advantage, better serve their customers, improve communication and collaboration amongst employees and business partners, enhance business practices, improve the lives of the organization's members, and leverage scarce resources. At the same time, networks are inherently unstable as computers fail, operating systems and software crash, and network components malfunction. It is the job of the network manager to ensure that the services supplied by the network are available, and to make decisions concerning the current and future state of the network within the enterprise. Without effective network management, services may be unavailable when they are needed and organizational viability may be threatened. Yet, to date, no rigorous concerted effort is ongoing to learn how to effectively manage networks to increase the likelihood that organizations will survive and thrive. Rich, pragmatic practitioner literature exists focusing mostly on evaluations of hardware, software, technology, network management software, software licensing, and training issues. The modest academic literature that exists focuses solely on technical issues such as optimizing packet throughput and network analysis through simple network management protocol. There is almost no academic literature on wielding networks to create and sustain strategic advantage, improve operations, or support business tactics.

The design, implementation, operation, support, and overall management of networked computers are all components of Network Management. Studies of network design must begin by examining organizational mission goals and objectives and determine how they could be better attained with improved processes supported by networks. Then network designers must anticipate user needs for networks and establish system requirements. They must evaluate and adopt standards for hardware and software, and design and optimize network services to support the organization. Studies of implementation must examine issues connected with the distribution and installation of services associated with the network. Implementation of network services includes the wiring of the infrastructure as well as the distribution of services to customers. Issues surrounding the distribution and installation of hardware and software are a primary concern. Implementers must determine the implementation methods that are the least disruptive to the enterprise, while ensuring that all design criteria are met. Studies of operations must involve supporting the end-user in their interaction with the network and ensuring the reliable availability of network services. Network operations also includes gathering information to make strategic and tactical decisions about how and when to use or change networks to optimize business processes. Encompassing all of these are some basic management issues such as human resource management, budgeting and cost management, and of course, communicating well with others.

A number of management issues that are particularly important have yet to be studied by academics in the context of managing a network. How can an organization judge whether network services have become too expensive? Network managers are often inept when it comes time to prepare next year's budget. It would seem fairly easy to anticipate hardware failure rates and hardware and software upgrade costs, but many network managers can not see past next week. Human relation issues are a huge area for network management. It has become all too common for employees to come into an organization, receive thousands of dollars worth of training and then leave within six months for twice the pay. Network support personnel are very expensive and very scarce, so it is difficult to keep them in an organization once they are trained. How should management deal with this problem? Should management just not hire any new people, or not give them training, or double their pay every six months? There have to be solutions to these problems. Also, it is all too common for network management and support personnel to be despised by the rest of the organization. Communication issues are also extremely important in network management, yet they are also extremely lacking. How should management structures be organized to improve communications between network management, support personnel, and the end user?

Minitrack Chairs

Distributed Group Support Systems

• groupware
• desktop video-conferencing
• media choice
• distributed workgroups
• telework
• intranets and workflow management.

The methods used to study these topics have ranged from quantitative to qualitative; from field studies to theoretical descriptions; and from lab experiments to case studies.

In addition we will focus attention on organizational issues::

• supporting temporally and geographically distributed workgroups with emerging Web-based technologies
• managing and maintaining intranets
• organizing and controlling virtual project-teams and integrating distributed work across technological and organizational boundaries.

Minitrack Chairs

Group Support Systems

This minitrack will focus on the conceptual design, implementation, use, and evaluation of GDSS in both controlled and organizational settings. We are interested in a wide variety of research topics and research approaches, particularly those that are likely to promote discussion.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Conceptual/theory development papers that are well focused, logically argued, and have the potential to change current practice;
• Experimental papers that are theoretically motivated, yet whose findings have the potential to interest practitioners;
• Field studies that develop new insight that has the potential to change current practice or lead to new theories; and
• System design and development papers that move beyond the description of systems and their use to build new concepts for the design and use of future systems in organizational settings.

Empirical manuscripts motivated strictly by data collection and analysis, or design and development manuscripts that are purely descriptive, will have little chance of acceptance. Authors are expected to describe theoretical or conceptual issues that give meaning to data, or motivation for a particular system design. Papers should show how these concepts (i.e. prior theory and the current study or design) are relevant to our evolving understanding in this area. Finally, all papers should clearly answer the question "What's interesting here?"

Minitrack Chairs

Group Support Systems User Experiences

Groupware is one of the research areas that has benefited form the interaction of researches and practitioners at HICSS during the formal paper sessions, the informal "birds of a feather" gatherings and at the daily receptions to discuss "pros" and "cons" and to share insights and information. Over the years these researchers and practitioners have led the way in their organizations to dramatically improve productivity, organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

This minitrack focuses on user experiences from real organizations with real problems. The technological and process advances gained years of research and practical experiences will be shared by the authors and participants.

Minitrack Chair

Negotiation Support Systems Frameworks, Implementations and Evaluations

Topics of special interest include, but are not limited to:

• Distributed Negotiation (INTERNEG, internet MeetingWorks, NEGOTIATOR)
• Human and artificial negotiation agents environmental negotiation
• Intercultural negotiation
• Internet-based NSS
• Applications of NSS

Minitrack Chairs

Technology Supported Learning

As the Technology-Supported Learning (TSL) minitrack enters its sixth year, we are especially interested in papers that address the following topics for either facilities-based or distributed education programs:

• Innovative, theoretically-grounded course tools with demonstrable learning outcomes.
• Theoretically-grounded experiments that provide insight into the efficacy of TSL tools or techniques.
• Case studies or Action Research that investigates the effects of technology on learning
• Cases or qualitative accounts of TSL adoption/diffusion that identify cause and effect factors that contribute to the success or failure of diffusion across multiple courses, degree programs, or schools.
• Social, political, and ethical issues relating to TSL

1. TECHNOLOGIES
   • Just-in-time learning tools
   • Knowledge-sharing systems
   • Group Support Systems for learning
   • AI and computer-aided instruction
   • On-line tutorials
   • Hypermedia
   • Internet for learning
   • Technology for asynchronous course work
   • Other learning support tools
   
   
2. LEARNERS
   • The nature of learning and implications for technological intervention
   • Processes and techniques for successful use of automated learning
   • Philosophical analysis of the role of electronic tools in learning
   
   
3. FACULTY
   • Technology and the changing role of the instructor and student
   • Emerging skills required for teaching in technology-enhanced environments
   • Philosophical analysis of the role of technology to change learning processes
   
   
4. PEDAGOGY TRANSFORMATION / EVALUATION
   • Telelearning and teleteaching via distance learning technologies
   • Changing pedagogy for changing technology
   • Simulations and games
   • Methods and techniques for teaching with IT
   • New approaches to on-line tutorials
   • Comparisons of new tools and techniques to traditional methods, as well as comparisons of new techniques to one another
   • Descriptive and interpretivist field research that documents problems that may occur relating to technology-supported electronic learning
   
   
5. INSTITUTIONAL AND SOCIETAL CHANGE
   • Implications of learning support technologies on the workplace, institutions of learning, and society
   • The practice of knowledge management to accelerate organizational learning
   • Technology as an enabler of organizational learning

We welcome papers ranging from theoretical to empirical; from philosophical to practical. Theory papers supported by empirical data (experiment, case studies, surveys, etc.), and empirical papers supported by theory are more likely to be accepted than straight recitations of either theory or data collection. Systems development papers that focus on the lessons learned during the project will be preferred over simple descriptions of new technologies. Framework papers should include an exhaustive literature review and a clear explanation of how the new synthesis will help research or practice.

Minitrack Chairs

Roles and Issues of Computational Media in Learning Communities

Roles of digital media include (but are not limited to) support for:

• development of reasoning skills
• development of cooperative learning skills and processes
• students with varied learning styles
• communication within a learning community
• communication between the learning community and other communities

• Introducing digital media into the learning community
• Impact of digital tool design on cognitive and social activities in learning communities
• Implications of digital media for various sectors of a learning community
• New directions for digital media in learning communities

Minitrack Chairs