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Describes the development of a tool, FACT (Formative Automated Computer Testing), to formatively assess information technology skills of college students in the United Kingdom. Topics include word processing competency; tests designed by tutors and delivered via a network; and results of an evaluation that showed students preferred automated testing as compared to traditional written tests. (Author/LRW)

With the rapid development of wireless networks and mobile technologies and the increasing adoption of mobile learning, the need for "anywhere, anytime and any device" access to information becomes more evident. This has influenced the design of learning objects. The small but developing literature on vodcasting indicates its potential as an effective learning resource for use in education. This paper explores the use of vodcasting in terms of accessibility and, through a specific use case, investigates the adaptations required for existing learning objects delivered as vodcasts (videos downloaded to an MP3 player). The case study is examined in the context of a larger research initiative which aims to contribute to the requirements specification for the development of an adaptable learning object authoring tool, and suggests a learning object adaptation service which allows for flexibility and personalisation to learners' needs and preferences. Detailing the theoretical aims, design, implementation and evaluation of the project, the paper supports the argument for the educational use and value of vodcasting, but also highlights potential limitations and problem areas. (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.)

As networked learning becomes familiar at all levels and in all sectors of education, cross-fertilisation of innovative methods can usefully inform the lifelong learning agenda. Development of the pedagogical architectures and social processes, which afford learning, is a major challenge for educators as they strive to address the varied needs of a wide range of learners. One area in which this challenge is taken very seriously is that of trade unions, where recent large-scale projects have aimed to address many of these issues at a European level. This paper describes one such project, which targeted not only online courses, but also the wider political potential of virtual communities of practice. By analysing findings in relation to Wenger's learning architecture, the paper investigates further the relationships between communities of practice and communities of learners in the trade union context. The findings suggest that a focus on these relationships rather than on the technologies that support them should inform future developments. (Contains 2 notes.)

During the last decade, the focus of innovation and research in the field of computers and education has shifted from stand-alone to networked computers. The rapidly growing educational use of networked computers raises questions about which approaches to research can tell us most about improving educational impact. A key aim of this paper is to stimulate discussion about such research approaches by presenting a methodological case study of the use "project logic" evaluation methods. The paper draws on our formative evaluation of what is currently the largest learning technology development programme in UK tertiary education. Originally called the Distributed National Electronic Resource (DNER) and more recently re-named the Information Environment (IE), this development is intended to create a managed environment for accessing quality-assured information resources on the Internet (DNER, 2002). These resources are intended for a variety of purposes in tertiary education, including research. However, our focus has been on the use, or likely use, of these resources for teaching and learning--something that was the intended focus of a substantial number of projects funded under the DNER/IE umbrella. The paper illustrates a method for helping project teams articulate their implicit theories about learning and change, which we argue are important in predicting and improving educational impact.

Audio-visual advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have given rise to innovative new ways to teach and learn. However, so far teaching and learning processes have been technologically driven as opposed to pedagogically led. This paper identifies the development of a pedagogical model and its application for teaching, studying and learning with 3D virtual reality technologies. This is in the context of design and technology education, where it has been devised for the support of innovation education. This work promotes an understanding of the implications of virtual learning technologies in education for teachers, learners and educational decision-makers. Furthermore, it can be shown that when pedagogical considerations are given weight in the development of such technology-based learning services, improvements arise for all stakeholders.

Drawing on the experiences of a novel collaborative project between sociologists and computer scientists, this paper identifies a set of challenges for fieldwork that are generated by this "wild interdisciplinarity. Public Access Wi-Fi Service" was a project funded by an 'in-the-wild' research programme, involving the study of digital technologies within a marginalised community, with the goal of addressing digital exclusion. We argue that similar forms of research, in which social scientists are involved in the deployment of experimental technologies within real world settings, are becoming increasingly prevalent. The fieldwork for the project was highly problematic, with the result that few users of the system were successfully enrolled. We analyse why this was the case, identifying three sets of issues which emerge in the juxtaposition of interdisciplinary collaboration and wild setting. We conclude with a set of recommendations for projects involving technologists and social scientists.

Discussion of the relationship between users, librarians, and vendors as it has been influenced by electronic databases and communications networks highlights experiences at Aston University (United Kingdom). Topics addressed include mediated searching; direct user access to databases; impacts on staff; user demand; costs; CD-ROM networks; electronic journals; and future possibilities. (Contains three references.) (LRW)

Discussion of the use of microcomputers in secondary schools in the United Kingdom focuses on classroom use versus separate computer laboratories. Group dynamics among students working at computers are discussed; teachers' attitudes are considered; single microcomputers versus computer networks are examined; and case studies from geography classes are briefly reported. (19 references) (LRW)

Most UK universities can trace their current management information systems back to significant investments made in the 1990s, largely fuelled by concerns about the millenium bug and a change from character interfaces to graphical user interfaces following the introduction of the personal computer. It was during this period that institutions also moved away from predominantly in-house developed systems to supplier-led solutions. In essence, two models emerged: (1) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP); and (2) "Best of Breed". The former is a model where an organisation's systems are sourced from one supplier and all aspects are theoretically fully integrated "out of the box". On the other hand, "Best of Breed" approaches are those where institutions select separate systems for each area of functionality according to individual specifications. Whether an ERP or Best of Breed, a university's administrative IT structure typically comprises three core systems: (1) student records; (2) finance; and (3) human resources, as well as a range of other specialist systems supporting the estate, facilities, residences, alumni, planning etc. Each individual system provides a multitude of functions. In this article, the author argues that disaggregation of systems into their component elements is essential to understanding opportunities and enabling efficiencies with new modes of service delivery such as shared services. The author presents examples that demonstrate how technological solutions may be adopted to enable new approaches to managing higher education institutions. A possible four-stage model of how to transition towards different service provision is also offered. The author closes the paper with some final reflections. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)

This article argues that the use of the network metaphor can link together various different aspects of research into the use of advanced learning technologies based on computer networks. The idea of networked learning has become commonplace as an alternative to e-learning that stresses the interaction of learners, tutors and resources through networks. The arguments put in this article are firstly that learning technology needs to take account of the wider debate about networks and secondly that research in this field needs to address the theoretical and practical issues raised by advances in the field of networks. A third point is that the idea of the network acts as a powerful metaphor even if we are able to discount any particular theory generated in its support. The network metaphor can act as a unifying concept allowing us to bring together apparently disparate elements of the field. Networks are an important issue in the study of learning using advanced technologies and they speak to some of the central issues in learning theory such as virtual communities and communities of practice.

An administrator of the United Kingdom's Open University and two cofounders of Western Governors University participate in a panel discussion of higher education in a global marketplace, the potential for new networked delivery strategies, the future of selective, conventional institutions and the traditional student experience, the influence of the corporate sector on higher education, and technology-use issues. (MSE)

Outlines key issues identified by the United Kingdom Office for Library Networking in developing a national policy and strategy for library and information networking, including awareness; resource organization; relationships and representation; standards; development of network tools; cooperation; national library role; rights of information creators, publishers, and users; education and training; and European Commission policy. (EA)

Examines how information technology (IT) might be exploited to promote rural development. Considers how IT impacts on the rural periphery. Implies that using IT for rural development may lead to greater decentralization. Describes the Nordic telecottage experiments in which 65 centers for telecommunications were established. (KS)

Describes Project Jupiter, which was developed to promote the United Kingdom's Joint Academic Network (JANET) to its member libraries. Library uses of JANET are described, including online catalogs, commercial services, and electronic mail; the convergence of local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) is discussed; and future possibilities are considered. (11 references) (LRW)

This special issue contains four papers selected from the 26th UK Performance Engineering Workshop (UKPEW), which was held during 8–9 July 2010 in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Warwick. UKPEW is the leading UK forum for the presentation of work relating to all aspects of performance modelling and the analysis of computer and telecommunication systems. This year's selected papers demonstrate the variety of topics on offer at UKPEW: performance issues in cloud computing, energy-aware routing in packet networks, source location privacy and multi-hop ad hoc networks for wireless networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the development of a financial computing laboratory at the University of Lancaster (United Kingdom) and outlines the ways in which online financial information has been integrated into teaching and research. Highlights include hardware used; computer networks; commercial databases used in the financial sector; and teaching and research applications. (12 references) (LRW)

Purpose — This paper aims to provide an overview of the published literature and current use of social software by libraries primarily in the UK and USA. Design/methodology/approach — The paper's approach is a literature review and desk research. Findings — Libraries are experimenting considerably in this area and many Web 2.0 applications have been developed by libraries and librarians over the past few years. These tools offer the potential to enhance library services. Research limitations/implications — The area is one of rapid change, so the findings will date quickly. Practical implications — An overview of which technologies are being used most widely and might offer the most potential for library staff considering experimenting in this area. Originality/value of paper — Web 2.0 is an area with which many library staff need to become familiar quickly. This paper provides a useful overview of the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cybercrime is recognized as one of the top threats to UK economic security. On a daily basis, the computer networks of businesses suffer security breaches. A less explored dimension of this problem is cybercrimes committed by insiders. This paper provides a criminological analysis of corporate insider victimization. It begins by presenting reviews of insider criminal threats and routine activities theory as applied to cybercrime. Analysis of the nationally representative Cardiff University UK Business Cybercrime Survey then informs statistical models that predict the likelihood of businesses suffering insider cyber victimization, using routine activities and guardianship measures as predictors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of packet switching technology in Great Britain. It suggests that the technology can be attributed to Paul Baran of RAND Corp. who proposed it in the context of a digital communication network for military purpose. It cites the role of Leonard Kleinrock in the development of ARPA through the application of queuing theory with the aim of predicting performance of its design.

Abstract. Abstract. Since the late 1980s, interfirm (computer) networks have been diffusing very rapidly. They have not only been adopted by firms across the whole spectrum of sectors; the applications based on such networks have also been extended from routine transactions to strategically more important processes. Using recent evidence gathered from six in-depth cases studies in the UK and a telephone-based survey, this paper will illustrate how the development of interfirm networks has facilitated the emergence of new interfirm collaboration in strategic areas. The empirical evidence has been drawn from the retailing, motor manufacturing and electronics industries. To conclude, the paper will highlight several key issues that have emerged from the study, identify three layers of barriers to the development of interfirm networks, and outline a future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional Dung networks depict arguments as atomic and study the relationships of attack between them. This can be generalised in two ways. One is to consider various forms of attack, support, feedback, etc. Another is to add content to nodes and put there not just atomic arguments but more structure, e.g. proofs in some logic or simply just formulas from a richer language. This paper offers to use temporal and modal language formulas to represent arguments in the nodes of a network. The suitable semantics for such networks is Kripke semantics. We also introduce a new key concept of usability of an argument. This is the beginning of a continuing research for adding contents to the nodes of an argumentation network. This research will allow us to address notions like ‘what does it exactly mean for a node to attack another’ or ‘what does it mean for a network to be consistent’ or ‘can we give proper proof rules to manipulate networks’, and more. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a research team's experience using a virtual steering group to manage a research project. The main research project was concerned with the evaluation and development of interprofessional working among health and social care staff across primary and secondary care in the United Kingdom, with a focus on older people receiving intermediate care. Intermediate care is a service aimed at preventing unnecessary hospital admission; supporting early discharge from hospital; and reducing or delaying the need for residential care in the community. Intermediate care covers multi-agency and interprofessional working across the continuum of care. We examine one aspect—the use of a virtual steering group, which is an innovative approach aimed at facilitating user and carer participation in the research in a supportive and less intimidating way. The research team includes academics, practitioners, older people and carers, and representatives from the voluntary sector—all are equal members. The team believes it is important to actively involve clients and their carers in the development and direction of research because they can provide a unique perspective ensuring that the research addresses issues of importance to them as service users. We examine and discuss the importance of preparation, support, and training to meaningfully engage in the virtual steering group and the direction of this research. The paper concludes by making recommendations about this model of involving service users in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides insights from the UK’s pioneering boutique hotel chain, Hotel du Vin (HduV) to explore the dynamics of self-forming innovation networks within the service sector. In particular, it focuses on HduV’s diaspora of spin-off and follow-on enterprises, examining the nature of innovation and creativity, and the significant role of human mobility in knowledge transfer and in the dynamic reconfiguration of such networks. Through the use of participative’ research methods and ‘close dialogue’, it provides a contribution to understanding processes of innovation in an under-researched industry—utilizing the concept of ‘diasporas’ to encapsulate the temporality and spatiality of those processes. In particular, it explores the various re-uses and re-combinations of the organizational processes and value propositions that defined the innovatory nature of the original chain, showing how those re-combinations were critical to the entrepreneurial nature of the diasporic network which developed around HduV [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The question of how to price access to the copper network during the period of transition to fibre has attracted much attention, both from regulators and in reports prepared by consultants (notably Plum Consulting and WIK Consult) acting for different groups of operators. Our paper considers three regulatory objectives - the two familiar ones of efficient cost recovery and efficient entry, and an additional one of efficient migration to fibre. It examines a range of possible pricing principles including the LRIC, HCA and CCA approaches, and mixed HCA/CCA approaches observed in France and the UK. These are simulated using a data set for the copper local loop in France, prepared by the regulator, ARCEP. Recognising that the number of instruments available to the regulator is less than the number of objectives, the paper proposes an approach which ensures nearly exact cost recovery, and which takes separate account of the obsolescent copper and of the continuing value of the trenches and ducts which contain it. Where full cost recovery allows it, the price of access to the physical works should be lowered to encourage the transition to fibre. The simulations show that the access prices associated with the proposed approach are lower than those derived from CCA and LRIC methods for pricing copper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the sustainability of e-cluster applications used within the context of e-procurement in order to analyse business models and identify factors important for viability of 'digital proximity' e-marketplaces. Survey-based functionality value analysis was used to examine development and operational costs, while workshops identified preferences of potential e-cluster members. The study identified two business models - subscription and pay-per-use. Analysis indicated that the pay-per-use model had more variable cashflow but had the potential for higher cost benefit particularly when aggregated procurement is adopted. The findings suggest that e-cluster management organisations have to be strategic in their deployment. The findings also suggested that e-cluster members preferred to pay for e-cluster sustainability through subscriptions rather than through advertising. In addition, the study indicated a lack of consensus with regards to the value attached to various functionalities of e-clusters and the sourcing of initial funding for the development of the e-cluster application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) exchanges sequence data on a daily basis across its three member organizations in the USA, UK and Japan. This paper studies how this sequence database in MySQL can best take advantage of the increased transfer bandwidth of a Grid-optimized data communication protocol. Within the context of the UK Government Project Grid-oriented Storage (GOS) and the EC Project EuroAsiaGrid, GOS File System (GOS-FS) has been developed in our lab, which melds distributed file system technology with high performance data transfer techniques to meet the needs of WAN/Grid-based virtual organizations. A real-world test shows that the INSDC sequence database backing up operation, mysqldump, over the GOS-FS protocol beats those over the classic NFS protocol by 6 times over the link between Cambridge and Tokyo. Best of all, the multi-streamed GOS-FS protocol remains fully compatible with existing IF infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussion of Internet governance has been shaped by three myths; that the market can decide, that the Internet is different to 'legacy' media, and that national governance is unimportant. This paper challenges these three myths through an examination of Internet governance in the UK in 2003/4 and argues that the Internet is a layered, not vertically integrated, medium of communication, that three modes of governance prevail--hierarchy, markets and networks (self-regulatory). The layers of the UK Internet are examined, their governance identified and evaluated and the conclusion drawn that network governance is a distinctive, but not universally present, characteristic of UK Internet governance and that contemporary, well functioning, arrangements may be unstable requiring stronger hierarchical governance in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the notion of clusters and clustering from the perspective of complex capital projects, drawing on two detailed case studies of long-term engineering projects. It suggests that conventional notions of clusters are often predicated on a high volume model of production and a stable environment for innovation. The case studies illustrate how the locus of innovation is shifting in response to changes in the nature of demand for major capital goods and the services associated with them. It is suggested this leads to greater dispersion in networks for innovation within complex capital projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), embarking on significant roles in the development of both undeveloped regions and developed economies of the world, especially in many European countries, have come to agenda with intense discussions in Turkey. Although forms and directions of these discussions have changed following of RDAs going into action, concerns about their vision and future roles are still up to date. In this study, place and importance of Turkey's RDAs, of which legal basis was formed in 2006 and establishment was completed all over the country in 2010, will be handled by presenting experience of regional development agencies of England. As England model has been generally tackled in the formation process of RDAs in Turkey, discussions have remained mostly theoretical in similarly entitled studies in the literature. There have also existed concrete practices in Turkey with the agencies' coming into operation. This paper aims to add the experience of these practices to the previously conducted theoretical studies in the same title and make contribution to studies to be carried out in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use the experience of the first 5 years of the UK Economic and Social Research Council’s National Centre for e-Social Science as a basis for reflecting upon the future development of the e-Social Science research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the announcement of one of the largest ever investments in electronic patient records (EPR) within the NHS by University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH). The stated aim is that, over three years, electronic systems will replace paper, and medical notes, test results and correspondence, including appointments, will be linked into a single computer-based EPR. EPR is undoubtedly the inevitable outcome of the National Strategic Programme for IT within the NHS (NPfIT) that was started following the publication of "Delivering 21st Century IT: Support for the NHS", in Great Britain.

This paper discusses the results of a comprehensive annual report prepared by the UK regulator, Ofcom, that examined how consumers are using electronic communications and media technology in Britain in 2006, and how these consumption patterns are shaping the next generation of services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with antiretroviral medication is an effective, evidence-based option for HIV prevention. In England, issues of cost-effectiveness and of responsibility for commissioning prevention services have so far led National Health Service (NHS) England to decide not to commission PrEP. Given the significant lag between the awareness of PrEP efficacy and the opportunity to obtain PrEP through traditional health care routes, many gay and other men who have sex with men (MSM) have turned to ‘DIY PrEP’, purchasing generic formulations of PrEP for themselves on the internet or via other alternative routes. However, there is very little research on DIY PrEP practices and no qualitative study with DIY PrEP users in the UK. A formative qualitative study was conducted in 2017 to inform the development of an intervention (PrEP Club) to support DIY PrEP users and improve the safety and experience of this prevention strategy. Focus groups were held with 20 MSM who are based in London and are obtaining PrEP through means other than clinical trials, to explore their accounts of sourcing and using PrEP and the experiential meanings of these. In this article, we report findings from this first, formative study and present the different practices involved in finding out about PrEP, buying it and ascertaining legitimacy of sellers and products. We reflect on the uncertainties participants described related to actually using PrEP, including deciding on drug dosing and monitoring their health. Finally, we present the results of the discussions participants had about the kind of support they had received, the help they would have liked, and their views on proposed interventions to support DIY PrEP users, such as PrEP Club. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the availability of sexually explicit media (SEM) on the Internet. Men who have sex with men (MSM) report near universal use of SEM. However, this widespread use of SEM among MSM may contribute to more condomless anal sex. To examine the association of viewing SEM on the Internet and the number of condomless anal sex encounters among MSM, in 2012, an online survey was conducted of 265 MSM from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington D.C. who reported viewing SEM online in the past 3 months. Analyses were performed using negative binomial regression. Nearly all men reported viewing SEM featuring anal sex with (91%) or without (92%) condoms in the past 3 months. Neither viewing more hours of SEM per week or compulsively viewing SEM were associated with more condomless anal sex encounters. Rather, viewing a greater proportion of SEM containing condomless anal sex was associated with engaging in more condomless anal encounters (IRR = 1.25), while viewing a greater proportion of SEM containing anal sex where condoms were used was associated with fewer condomless anal sex encounters (IRR = 0.62). MSM reported that viewing SEM caused changes in their sexual fantasies, desires, and behaviors. These findings provide important insights for health policy and the design of interventions addressing SEM and condomless sex among MSM. The findings suggest that condom use by SEM performers may benefit not only actor health, but also have health implications for SEM viewers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

#PhDChat is an online network of individuals that has its roots to a group of UK doctoral students who began using Twitter in 2010 to hold discussions. Since then, the network around #PhDchat has evolved and grown. In this study, we examine this network using a mixed methods analysis of the tweets that were labeled with the hashtag over a one-month period. Our goal is to understand the structure and characteristics of this network, to draw conclusions about who belongs to this network, and to explore what the network achieves for the users and as an entity of its own. We find that #PhDchat is a legitimate organizational structure situated around a core group of users that share resources, offer advice, and provide social and emotional support to each other. Core users are involved in other online networks related to higher education that use similar hashtags to congregate. #PhDchat demonstrates that (a) the network is in a continuous state of emergence and change, and (b) disparate users can come together with little central authority in order to create their own communal space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing prevalence of interconnected computer services and networks, both within and between the public and private sectors, fully justifies the classification of cyber-security as a tier one risk in the 2010 National Security Strategy. However, Pauline Neville-Jones and Mark Phillips argue that, two years on – and with the growing pervasiveness of cloud computing – the government needs to take the lead by securing its own systems and working more closely with industry, especially in areas critical to national security, to set out standards to which companies can adhere. Nor should this effort be limited to the UK; securing cyberspace requires a global solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of a large-scale monitoring system for a high-speed network leads to a number of challenges. These challenges are not purely technical but also socio-political and legal. The number of stakeholders in such monitoring activity is large including the network operators, the users, the equipment manufacturers and, of course, the monitoring researchers. The MASTS project (measurement at all scales in time and space) was created to instrument the high-speed JANET Lightpath network and has been extended to incorporate other paths supported by JANET(UK). Challenges the project has faced included: simple access to the network; legal issues involved in the storage and dissemination of the captured information, which may be personal; the volume of data captured and the rate at which these data appear at store. To this end, the MASTS system will have established four monitoring points each capturing packets on a high-speed link. Traffic header data will be continuously collected, anonymised, indexed, stored and made available to the research community. A legal framework for the capture and storage of network measurement data has been developed which allows the anonymised IP traces to be used for research purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]