published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991.

Graduate

Research emphasises that effective and efficient end-user training is a vital component of the successful utilization of computer technology and that individual differences (e.g., learning styles, cognitive reasoning schemata) may effect the outcomes of end-user training. This study investigates the relationships between end users' Motivational Intent to use computer technology and individual differences. End users' Motivational Intent to use computer technology is significantly different for between-subjects grouped according to their level of anxiety (i.e., positive, neutral, negative). The empirical results indicate that end users' scholastic ability is an important predictor of the incremental change over time to end users' Motivational Intent to use computer technology. End users' learning styles impact the incremental change over time to end users' Motivational Intent to use computer technology. The results suggest that the tailoring of end-user training methods, techniques and materials to accomodate individual differences may be beneficial and worthwhile. / x, 99 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Alabama, 1991. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-117).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Alabama, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-117).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-202). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Spreadsheets are arguably the most widely used programming language in use today, yet spreadsheets commonly contain errors. Research shows that regardless of the experience of the end user, an alarming number of spreadsheets contain errors (91% in recent field audits). Most spreadsheets are created by end users with little or no programming experience. Unfortunately, software engineering research has largely ignored these users. In an attempt to reduce this high error rate, our research is aimed at bringing the benefits of software engineering to end users without requiring that they first learn software engineering principles. One mechanism for creating error-free programs is assertions. An assertion is a program property that always holds. It provides a way to attach more of the specification to the program. We have developed an assertion tool for spreadsheet languages that extends Microsoft Excel's validation scheme and includes capabilities such as assertion propagation. This work describes an empirical study done to assess how well end users understand and use the information provided by the assertion tool as they perform maintenance tasks. The study also provides information about end users' testing behavior. / Graduation date: 2002

Traditionally, research into end-user programming has focused on how to make programming more accessible to end users. However, few researchers have considered providing end users with devices to help improve the reliability of the programs they create. To help improve the reliability of spreadsheets created by end users, we are working to allow users to communicate the purpose and other underlying information about their spreadsheets using a form of requirement specifications we call "guards." Guards were initially designed for individual cells but, for large spreadsheets, with replicated/shared formulas across groups of rows or columns, guards can only be practical if users can enter them across these groups of rows or columns. The problem is, this introduces many-to-many relationships, at the intersection of rows and columns with guards. It is not clear how the system should reason and communicate about many-to-many relationships in a way that will make sense to end users. In this thesis, we present the human-centric design rationale for our approach to how the system should reason about such many-to-many relationships. The design decisions are presented with their reasons gleaned from two design-time models--Cognitive Dimensions and Attention Investment--and from the users themselves in a small think-aloud study. / Graduation date: 2003

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2006. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-55). Also available on the World Wide Web.