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The majority of visually impaired blind and deafblind people retain some degree of residual vision. Software called Dynamic Pattern System (DPS) was developed to utilize this residual vision by generating a range of different patterns, colors and shapes unique to each individual’s residual vision – called a pattern set. This pattern set can then be mapped to printable alphanumeric characters. Limited trials with the visually impaired suggested DPS may have value. This paper is a more detailed evaluation of DPS undertaken by a normally sighted person using low vision simulators that mimic different visual handicap conditions.

Internetworking is the enabling of communication between networks. Much of the configuration of internetworking devices is performed via remote access using a secure telnet. Cisco is a major provider of such devices. The Cisco Network Academy Program (CNAP ) is a worldwide educational program me delivering a range of courses in internetworking. A group of potential internetworking students are those with low vision. Many people classified as blind retain some residual vision. Dynamic Pattern System (DPS) enables the detection of combinations of large coloured areas on a screen known as a pattern to represent text characters. Such patterns can be based upon the student’s remaining visual capacities. Sequences of patterns delivered at a set rate and can represent words, sentences or signs. DPS has the potential to enable students classified as blind to have hands -on experiences in networking and internetworking using combinations of patterns to represent both internetwork device configuration information and network topology diagrams.

People with some residual vision though still classified as blind may be able to read on screen patterns presented via a computer program whereby such a pattern can represent a textual character and a presentation of sequences of such patterns can represent words. These patterns can be adjusted to utilize the user’s remaining vision capacity. Previous research has shown that volunteers who where legally classified as blind could read simple sentences via such a system. This system is known as the Dynamic Pattern System (DPS) and is a test bed for research. Although this research involved a single pattern represented a single character the DPS system can also use a pattern to represent a word, or conversely, a sequence of patterns to represent a character. A modified DPS could become a ‘front-end’ to conventional IT applications software converting conventional text to and from DPS patterns. The original research into DPS was carried out using mainly blind and not deaf-blind volunteers yet DPS may have more application to the deaf-blind due to the wide availability of screen readers. Enhancing access to electronic media and communications for the blind and deaf-blind users has the potential to result in better quality of life outcomes and potentially enhance workforce participation. The DPS could possibly help, via enhanced equipment provision to increase equity of access for blind or blind-deaf to enable them to more readily access and interact with information. As such the DPS provides a possibility to transforming user’s lives via technology. This could assist in the retention of employees and to more fully align to antidiscrimination requirements.

Computer networks are vital to the running of modern organisations. Network managers are often concerned with the running of data centres. This paper provides an overview of some of the more important issues in managing modern computer networks and data centres and the problems faced in undertaking this task. It would be impossible to provide a complete list which, due to the fluid nature of this industry, would become outdated very quickly. It is important that network managers have an awareness of modern Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements, training and skills. There is also a need for network managers to plan for backup of staff, equipment, premises and for disaster recover. Furthermore, network managers need to be aware of the need for effective network design and up-to-date documentation procedures and implementation.

The need for energy conservation has been topical for many years and has gained importance with global warming scenarios and the increasing cost of energy. This paper examines energy consumption of common home IT devices such as routers, voice boxes, PCs and printers with respect to minimising standby power. Another problem of concern in energy usage as related to IT activity is the increasing electrical power consumption levels of data centres, along with data centre cooling problems and the attempts to enhance their energy efficiency. These scenarios illustrate small amounts of energy consumption used by vast numbers of device compared with relatively much smaller number of data centres using large numbers of devices can both result in large energy usage. These scenarios further areas where there is a trend to increased energy consumption of IT devices in the 21st century and where it is possible to reduce this trend.

In response to real and perceived short-comings in the quality and productivity of software engineering practices and projects, professionally-endorsed graduate and post-graduate curriculum guides have been developed to meet technical developments and evolving industry demands. Each of these curriculum guidelines identifies better software project management skills as critical for all graduating students, but they provide little guidance on how to achieve this. One possible way is to use a serious game - a game designed to teach and educate players about some of the dynamic complexities of the field in a safe and inexpensive environment. This paper presents the results of a qualitative research project that used a simple game of a software project to see if and how games could contribute to better software project management education. Initial results suggest that suitably-designed games are able to teach software engineering and project management concepts at higher-order Bloom taxonomy levels.

Internetworking enables communication between networks and forms the foundation of the Internet. Internetworking teaching is typically conducted in a traditional face-to-face classroom, but nowadays it can be conducted online. Online learning environments have many advantages that include allowing remote students’ access to not only curriculum but also lecturers and other enrolled students. However, unlike some other disciplines, teaching internetworking courses online is problematic because students need to be given access to internetworking equipment. It is technically possible to provide remote access to online students in order to compensate for the lack of direct physical equipment access, which normally is offered to traditional students. However the standard method of remote access only provides students with a limited text based method of configuring internetworking devices. Internetwork simulators are of value but they cannot provide students experience working with real devices. A pedagogically rich, interactive on-line learning environment using low-cost, assistive multi-media based technologies was therefore developed. This paper presents details of the platform and results of its deployment from an Australian university to a small group of students in Thailand. .

Limited trials have been demonstrated that a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the visually handicapped called Dynamic Pattern System (DPS) can adaptively utilize residual vision by generating different patterns, colors and shapes. Low vision simulators, used by normally sighted, have allowed researchers to clearly identify visual impairments that can be helped by DPS. However, it is not uncommon for the visually handicapped to suffer from multiple conditions having a multiplicative degenerative effect on their sight. This paper demonstrates how DPS can be used to assist individuals with compound sight disorders.

Dedicated firewall devices are an essential component of all secure networks. Given the importance of these devices it is therefore imperative that they are operate according to the appropriate company security policies. Regardless of the sophistication of the security devices they must be managed by people with the associated scope for human error, particularly during their configuration. PIX firewalls are typically controlled by the text based Command Line Interface (CLI) which requires considerable expertise. Whilst a Graphical User Interface (GUI) is available it is not widely used. Alternative approaches have been employed, such as network management tools, but these are arguably also problematic. These problems are exacerbated by the need to manage the integration of many different technologies (firewalls, wireless devices etc). State Model Diagrams have been successfully used for modeling a wide variety of network technologies and associated protocols. The diagrams are modular and hierarchical thereby providing top down decomposition by means of leveling. For ease of use, hyperlinks may be used for navigation within the interface. This paper demonstrates how the state model technique meets the relevant criteria for a successful Security Human Computer Interface (HCI-S) and hence may be used to manage not only firewalls but also the integration of heterogeneous technologies within a secure environment. An evaluation by twenty experienced network administrators strongly supported this approach. Results to date indicate that the State Model Diagrams may offer a vendor independent, universally applicable interface that can be used for secure device integration and management.

Firewalls are essential aspects of all networks. However they are complex and if not correctly configured and managed may result in security breaches. The traditional text-based Command Line Interface is a powerful but difficult tool to use. It is inherently sequential requiring multiple commands. Web-based Graphical User interfaces are progressively being deployed such as the Cisco Security Device Manager. With features such as AutoSecure it is possible to automatically generate device configuration code. Furthermore firewall implementation is relatively simple with configuration code again being automatically generated. However, the code generated may well be substantial. Successful management of secure devices requires the network administrator to be able to understand how the different protocols are interacting in order to be able to successfully conduct fault diagnosis. This paper demonstrates how State Model Diagrams can be a useful management tool for firewall management.

Computer networks of today consist of a multitude of devices, technologies and protocols that each in themselves may impact the performance as experienced by the end user. A number of techniques exist to predict and/or model these variations, each with their own relative merit. Bandwidth-Nodes (B-Nodes) are one such technique that allows devices and/or technologies to be modelled as a single node or as a collection of nodes, each exhibiting their own performance characteristics. A simple formula is used to calculate the theoretical maximum bandwidth of a node which allows for efficiency decomposition. This incorporates device sub-optimal operation (eDi) and using empirically derived results, eDi for an individual process on a particular device can be calculated. This paper focuses on evaluating the impact the choice of device will have on network performance. By empirically evaluating Access Control Lists (ACLs) with a varying number of statements, as well as assessing different tunneling techniques, the specific device efficiencies for these can be calculated. Using this information, the anticipated performance of an ACL network given a technical specification can be easily and quickly determined.

Knowledge may be structured in a manner that may either handicap or improve learning outcomes. Knowledge construction is therefore an important aspect of the learning and assessment process. This paper is primarily concerned with structural knowledge (knowing how) of which there are numerous representations and mapping methods each with their associated strengths and weaknesses. This paper presents the novel application of parsimony analysis for organizing and defining structural knowledge within the field of computer science. Work to date has clearly demonstrated there are considerable potential pedagogical advantages to this approach.

Modern networks are complex systems made up of diverse devices such as routers, wireless access points, and firewalls running many interacting protocols. Networks can be managed by a range of command-line interface (CLI) tools and/or Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). While CLI tools are often preferred by network administrators, they do have some inherent disadvantages. Text based CLI outputs can be verbose. Furthermore the commands are sequential and it is therefore more difficult to navigate between different devices and protocols. GUIs assist but it can be problematic to concurrently display runtime data from multiple sources. In response to these problems State Model Diagrams (SMDs) were developed and implemented as a run-time network management tool.

Configuring a secure network is of paramount importance to all organizations. Accordingly staff should be appropriately qualified and trained. The Cisco Network Academy Program (CNAP) recently introduced the Cisco Network Academy Associate (CCNA) Security course for college students, university students and practicing professionals. This course is designed to provide the skills and knowledge to design, configure and manage a secure network. One of the key technologies employed by this course is the Security Device Manager (SDM). However it has been demonstrated that there are significant limitations with SDM. This problem is exacerbated when courses are offered on-line to remotely located students. This paper demonstrates that these problems are addressed when students are provided with an integrated multimedia based platform incorporating SDM and also the State Model Diagram (SMD) method of device configuration and management.

The Cisco Network Academy Program (CNAP) is a global education program that offers a range of course suitable for high schools, college students and practicing professionals. The recently introduced Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Security course, builds upon the foundation Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) course, and is designed to provide core security concepts and the practical skills to design and configure a secure network. The CCNA Security course contextualizes network security and then provides instruction in a range of security technologies. This paper is a preliminary evaluation of the CCNA Security course and discusses its strengths and weaknesses.

A secure network is only as strong as its weakest link. It is recognized that the source of many security breaches are from users within an organization. User endpoints or hosts may be a variety of different devices such as laptops, IP phones and servers. All these user devices are connected via a switch fabric. This switch infrastructure must therefore be appropriately secured. There are standard techniques to provide protection against common attacks such as MAC spoofing, MAC table overflow etc. However, management of OSI layer 2 devices is typically text based using the Command Line Interface. The increasingly prevalent Security Device Manager graphical user interface can be used to configure and manage routers but, currently, cannot be used for securing switches. This paper presents details of using the State Model Diagram user interface for ensuring switches are securely configured.

Small Programmable Object Technology devices from Sun Microsystems (Sun SPOTs) are small wireless devices that can run Java programs. In the on-going research project described in this paper, Sun SPOTs have been used in conjunction with model-driven software development techniques to develop a tool that can be used to introduce new software developers to object-oriented programming in general and Java in particular in a new and interesting way. The tool, a graphical user interface application, allows users to quickly design, build, and deploy Java applications to the Sun SPOTs without using a conventional integrated development environment or low level commands. In this way new developers aren’t so overwhelmed by the wealth of technologies, commands, and possibilities offered by the current sophisticated Java development tools. However, the generated Java source code will be available as either an Eclipse or NetBeans project for those who would like to study it.

With the rapid growth of large enterprise networks, capacity and performance management issues are becoming increasingly important to both business organizations and the telecommunication industry. Capacity and performance management techniques and methods provide guidance on how to plan, justify and manage network resources. Inappropriate planning for capacity and performance may lead to wasted resources resulting in unnecessary cost, or lack of resources resulting in poor network performance or even the unavailability of IT services. Moreover, it is not uncommon for networks to be equipped with devices from different vendors which potentially add to complexity. Resource management may be assisted by using a network management framework. The OSI Network Management Model (NMM) is the standard model and provides a conceptual framework for organizing a diverse range of network resources. This paper is an analysis of the OSI NMM to evaluate its use within large enterprise networks focusing upon capacity and performance management.

State model diagrams (SMDs) have been successfully used as the pedagogical foundation of network technology curriculum. SMDs selectively integrate relevant output from network devices by means of tables. SMDs are modular and hierarchical, thereby providing top-down decomposition by means of levelling, allowing a complex network to be partitioned or structured into independent units of an amenable size so that the entire system can be more easily understood. An overview of the entire network or increasing levels of detail may be obtained while maintaining links and interfaces between the different levels. Furthermore, SMDs allow technical detail to be introduced in an integrated and controlled manner, thereby supporting student learning at both introductory and advanced levels. In effect, as students progress they do not have to learn a new conceptual model; rather they can build upon and extend their existing knowledge. This paper evaluates the use of SMDs for teaching network technology to international students whose first language is not English. This study was further extended to include an evaluation of SMDs, as a teaching tool, by Cisco academics within the Asia/Pacific region.

Advancing technologies, emergent software development approaches, and economic conditions influencing corporate budgets are creating new challenges for the Application Services manager [4]. In one of the studies [10], Enterprise Architecture (EA) was ranked near the top of the list of issues considered important by the chief information officers. Enterprise Architecture is a distinct and developing discipline in the Information Technology (IT) profession [15]. The alignment of an organisation’s information technology to its business strategies is a recurrent theme in IS research [6]. The increasing complexity of today’s business and IT environments makes it more difficult for organisations to design an Enterprise architecture that supports the company’s business objectives and enables the IT staff to deliver applications that align with business goals. Enterprise Architecture is about understanding all of the different elements that go to make up the Enterprise and how those elements interrelate. The Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996, better known as the Clinger-Cohen Act, refers to Enterprise architecture as "an integrated framework for evolving or maintaining existing information technology and acquiring new information technology to achieve the organization's strategic goals and information resources management goals" [5]. It can be a critical component of IT alignment that ensures that organization's goals are met, and that IT can scale with every new business demand. IT enterprise architecture can help with architectural process, but ultimately the IT-centric approach must give way to a business process-centric approach. An enterprise architecture that is organized around business process value chains provides a direct link between IT resources, corporate goals, and a process that generates products and satisfied customers.

This thesis consists of a series of internationally published, peer reviewed, journal and conference research papers that analyse the educational and training needs of undergraduate Information Technology (IT) students within the area of Computer and Network Technology (CNT) Education. Research by Maj et al has found that accredited computing science curricula can fail to meet the expectations of employers in the field of CNT: “It was found that none of these students could perform first line maintenance on a Personal Computer (PC) to a professional standard with due regard to safety, both to themselves and the equipment. Neither could they install communication cards, cables and network operating system or manage a population of networked PCs to an acceptable commercial standard without further extensive training. It is noteworthy that none of the students interviewed had ever opened a PC. It is significant that all those interviewed for this study had successfully completed all the units on computer architecture and communication engineering" (Maj, Robbins, Shaw, & Duley, 1998). The students' curricula at that time lacked units in which they gained hands-on experience in modern PC hardware or networking skills. This was despite the fact that their computing science course was level one accredited, the highest accreditation level offered by the Australian Computer Society (ACS). The results of the initial survey in Western Australia led to the introduction of two new units within the Computing Science Degree at Edith Cowan University (ECU), Computer Installation & Maintenance (CIM) and Network Installation & Maintenance (NIM) (Maj, Fetherston, Charlesworth, & Robbins, 1998). Uniquely within an Australian university context these new syllabi require students to work on real equipment. Such experience excludes digital circuit investigation, which is still a recommended approach by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for computer architecture units (ACM, 200

At Edith Cowan University, a Computer Installation and Maintenance (CIM) unit was developed in response to employers’ expectations of computer science graduates and the students’ need to develop skills in this area. Previous studies have shown that these students typically lack sufficient physics and maths to properly support their learning in the CIM unit. As such, various practical workshop activities began to be trialed that were designed to improve the students’ physics and maths skills within a CIM context. These activities range from simple measurements of power plug DC voltages, to observing and measuring the period of clock pulses on an ISA bus and then calculating the frequency and bandwidth. Observations and measurements of the monitor synchronisation pulses also led to calculations. This approach is in line with the general philosophy of the CIM unit where both practical and theoretical exercises help to promote mutual reinforcement. Students are required to use a Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO) to make these observations and measurements. Although almost all students had never used a CRO, they were able to obtain meaningful results after some brief orientation tasks.

Universities are faced with the challenge of providing for the future professional software engineer (PSE) the same quality and intensity of educational experience they have traditionally provided in support of the other engineering disciplines. Computing curricula in Australia have tended to emphasize the scientific and computer engineering side, the hardware side, of computing but the advent of the PSE demands new approaches to curricular design involving new topics and a product-based, rather than theory-based, emphasis. Since the graduate PSE will tend to be industrially oriented, a large practical content will be desirable in the course. This, in turn, will nor only raise educational issues within academia but also challenge long-held industrial attitudes towards universities, their students and graduates. This paper discusses some of the difficulties industry and the universities face in meeting these challenges

Of the 37 universities in Australia offering undergraduate courses in computing, eleven offer courses in Software Engineering which are accredited by the Institute of Engineers, Australia and which may lead the graduate to membership of the Institute. In this way Australia has seized the initiative in the recognition of Software Engineers as professionals and the Institute has plausible claim to being the first national professional engineering body in the world to have accredited four-year undergraduate software engineering degrees as professional qualifications. Traditionally, undergraduate computer courses in Australia have fallen under one of three headings: Computer Science, Information Systems (or Information Technology) and Computer Systems Engineering. Software engineering, it is well known, fits none of these categories. Furthermore, it is long recognised that the education of practitioners in the emerging field of software engineering would require a different approach to that traditionally applied to computer science. Juggling the concurrent requirements of duration and content has required a reshaping of curricula. It is this curricular restructuring which attracted the attention of the authors who instituted a survey of the eleven universities involved in the education of potential professional Software Engineers which has produced graphical evidence confirming the distinct and individual nature of SE as a discipline and demonstrated the willingness of tertiary education institutions to respond to the needs of that discipline. This paper reports on moves in Australia towards the recognition of software engineering as a bona fide profession in its own right and presents the results of the survey showing the changes in curricular definition which have taken place as universities move to support the new discipline.