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by Kwong Chak Chung, Wong Buen Fung Gabriel. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1981. / Bibliography: leaves 74-76.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the educational experiences with computers of nine female international graduate students at Ball State University. Their experiences with computers before they came to the United States, their current use of computers during their study at Ball State University, challenges faced related to the use of computers during their graduate study in the United States, and the support received from the university to help them overcome these barriers were described. Descriptions of ways computers supplemented and enriched the experiences of female international graduate students in the completion of their graduate work at Ball State University were reported.Participants of the present study were nine female international graduate students from Ball State University. They were identified through cooperation with the Center For International Programs, which provided a list of names and e-mail addresses of female international graduate students who were enrolled in graduate studies at Ball State University. Nine female international graduate students were selected from the list.The researcher interviewed each participant for two hours on one occasion. Following each interview participants were asked to complete a brief questionnaire to identify age, country of origin, academic program, and length of time spent in the United States.The following conclusions were established based upon this research study: (1) most participants did not use computer applications on a daily basis during their undergraduate study in their native countries; (2) all participants used computer applications on a daily basis during their study at BSU; (3) some participants faced two important academic adjustments at the same time, the adjustment to the English language and the adjustment to the use of computer; (4) most participants received support from friends regarding the use of computers; (5) most participants faced problems regarding their typing skills; (6) using the library web site was a challenge for most participants; (7) all participants believed that the use of computers enriched their experiences during their study at BSU; and (7) all participants used the Self-Learning Theory to improve their computer skills. / Department of Educational Studies

This study identified determinants existing within the academic environment of professional education faculty that influence the development and implementation of an information technology system to support their professional endeavors. Such a system would encourage these faculty to integrate technology into their curriculum and, consequently, produce teacher graduates who could employ information technology effectively in teaching. This study used a field survey research design with a mailed questionnaire. Both institutional and personal demographic factors were examined. The population exhibited a high level of homogeneity. This study indicated that ease of use, reliable operation, and capability to integrate technology into their personal work style were the most important concerns of faculty members. These factors reduce the emotional and intellectual costs of using technology.

Information Systems play a vital and dominating role in business today by enabling as well as supporting business objectives and goals. As a result, the alignment of Information Systems strategy and business strategy has become a core concept in many organisations. The question that naturally arises is whether this is also true for Higher Education institutions in developing countries. This study examined the alignment of institutional and Information Systems strategy and its impact on Academic Computing divisions within Higher Education. It set out to determine if there was a link between the vision and mission of Information Systems and institutional vision and mission. This was achieved by critically evaluating current Information Systems strategy in relation to the institutional strategy and by determining the effectiveness of the current Information Systems strategy in the area of Academic Computing. In order to fulfil the objectives of the study, questionnaires were sent to a population of 22 Information and Communication Technology directors/managers at 22 universities in South Africa. In-depth interviews were conducted with senior Information and Communication Technology directors from two universities that reflected strong alignment between Information Systems Strategy and institutional strategy. Both universities also possessed strong and effective Information Systems strategy in the Academic Computing component. It was evident that alignment was the key to their effective Information Systems strategy. The overall findings of the study show that there is a strong link between the vision and mission of the Information Systems and institutional mission and vision. The Information Systems strategy in place was effective for the various institutions; however, it was not effective in the area of Academic Computing in most institutions. The need for a more enhanced Information Systems strategy in Academic Computing was acknowledged. Institutions should emulate leading universities in South Africa and first-world countries in respect of continuously adjusting and evaluating alignment between Information Systems and institutional strategy. An enhanced Information Systems strategy in Academic Computing is also required. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

The demand for systems i·ntegration has become more and more significant in higher education as institutions want systems that provide coherent information with data that is up to date and not redundant and can seamlessly support the end user experience. Institutions have become more reliant on information systems to support both administrative functions and those involved in teaching, learning and research, but because each department supports a diverse array of computing platforms and applications, it becomes very difficult to integrate these systems. SOA is classified as an innovative approach to integrating existing systems involving the use of independent services that can be accessed without knowledge of the underlying platform implementation. Unfortunately, the SOA initiative will not be success if it is not understood and used correctly by various applications and systems throughout the organisation. SOA introduces complexity and challenges in systems integration, acceptance, governance, data, development planning, security and external opportunities. If an organisation does not embrace or enable change in each of these areas, it is not ready for the adoption of SOA. This research investigates the systems integration challenge in selected South African universities and explores factors for SOA adoption. The framework for the adoption of SOA comprises seven factors, of which Systems Integration is the most significant and represents an efficient starting point for institutions considering SOA adoption. Acceptance, Governance, Data, Development Planning, Security and External Opportunities are other factors of SOA adoption that require careful and thorough consideration before an institution can successfully adopt SOA. The results of this research emphasise the importance of being able to embrace change and innovation and modify strategies in order to reflect the constant changes required for the adoption of SOA. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

The study was undertaken: (a) to categorize the contents of educational computing articles using a taxonomy developed by Knezek, Rachlin, and Scannell (1988), (b) to examine the trends in educational computing subject matter addressed in community/junior college journals between 1977 and 1991, and (c) to identify and analyze specific characteristics of contributing authors and their employing institutions which might explain writing and publication biases.