Journal of information technology case and application research, Jul 3, 2021
ABSTRACT One of the immediate consequences of Covid-19 is that educational institutions all over ... more ABSTRACT One of the immediate consequences of Covid-19 is that educational institutions all over the world had to make a rapid transition from frontal classroom learning to distance learning. The present study focuses on higher education and examines the implications of the transition from in-class learning to learning via the Zoom platform in an academic institute of engineering. Specifically, we focus on how the transition affected interpersonal communication. We examined the manifestation of the four media richness theory (MRT) dimensions as reported in the subjective evaluations of the lecturers and students. We gathered information from various formal and informal oral and textual sources and found that shifting away from in-class learning was detrimental to all four dimensions of interpersonal communication. Using Te’eni’s cognitive-affective model of communication, we examined whether successful educators used communication strategies to overcome potential harm to the learning process. We found a diverse use of six communication strategies to maintain mutual understanding and positive emotions. We recommend that educators apply these communicational strategies to compensate for the forced distance from the richest media, thus promoting a high level of effective learning in cognitive and affective terms.
Journal of information technology case and application research, Apr 3, 2021
ABSTRACT Due to Covid-19, the higher education system in Israel faced rapid changes. Among these ... more ABSTRACT Due to Covid-19, the higher education system in Israel faced rapid changes. Among these was the immediate shift to online exams. In this paper, we endeavor to scrutinize the different approaches to online-testing that diverge, converge, and complement each other on varying dimensions. The main questions we would like to address are how online exams were implemented on a large scale in Israel, the pros and cons of each form of implementation, and what factors characterized these exams. Data was gathered from various sources, including both interviews with faculty and students, online exam observations, e-mails and procedures, and informal queries and discussions on various online platforms such as faculty WhatsApp groups. Our findings suggest dimensions for scaling online exams and demonstrate that each of the academic institutions we examined focused on one dimension of the solution, neglecting to address the other dimensions. The main contributions of this study are a simple guide to educators including 10 easily-applied recommendations on how to better administer on-line exams, an assessment of the implementation of the chosen procedures, and our highlighting of specific key issues that have yet to be addressed. Further research is needed, specifically to gather longitudinal data, so that our conclusions may be validated and generalized.
Computer-mediated collaboration, a rapidly expanding form of work, introduces unique opportunitie... more Computer-mediated collaboration, a rapidly expanding form of work, introduces unique opportunities but problems as well. One of these problems is the higher risk of misunderstandings. Current communication theories suggest that misunderstanding may be reduced by contextualization, i.e., providing contextual information to explain a core message. However, we hypothesize that contextualization is beneficial in some situations but not in others. Treating contextualization as a form of adaptive behavior, we propose a model for understanding its contingent impact on performance in collaborative tasks. We explain the motivation for contextualization and argue that it can be predicted by the extent to which the perspectives of the collaborators are different or shared: A difference of perspectives between collaborators motivates them to contextualize to increase mutual understanding (MU) and thereby increase performance. Computer support should also motivate communicators to contextualize by making it easier for them to do so. A controlled experiment tests these relationships in a collaborative machine-assembly task performed by dyads. We manipulate the collaborators’ perspectives and the level of computer support, and we measure contextualization behavior, MU, and performance. Results show that contextualization is effective only for dyads with different perspectives and may be detrimental when perspectives are similar.
This study involves e-learning skills via educational software, compared to instruction via educa... more This study involves e-learning skills via educational software, compared to instruction via educational software with the mediation of an instructor. In the last two decades, the role of the teacher-lecturer has changed, from teaching to guidance and instruction. The technological tools have changed the nature of the learning space and the manner in which the teacher interacts with his students. Educational software is a collection of digital pages, packaged as a learning unit, and is a common tool for delivering self-instruction in academia on a range of issues. This is despite the fact that the effectiveness of this tool in academia has not yet been tested. In addition, the educational software is a technological tool but it is not being updated regularly, therefore the development of the topics in educational software is low. The key motif of technological advancement is to enable constant updates, and therefore, the effectiveness of this learning tool, which has the potential of...
Lecture notes in business information processing, 2016
We apply a pedagogic approach named learning from errors (LFE) to the area of relational database... more We apply a pedagogic approach named learning from errors (LFE) to the area of relational database modeling. Database modeling is a complex cognitive process characterized by a high level of element interactivity. Finding an appropriate pedagogy to teach database modeling is a challenge for information systems educators. One of the challenges that practitioners meet is the need to help database students shift between different levels of abstraction. We metaphorically treat the LFE approach as a bridge over the gulf of abstraction levels. Errors have a powerful potential in education, to encourage students to move to a deeper processing level of the course material. We use Rasmussen’s three levels of human performance model to explain and demonstrate the promising potential of the LFE approach in database modeling.
Journal of information technology case and application research, Jul 3, 2021
ABSTRACT One of the immediate consequences of Covid-19 is that educational institutions all over ... more ABSTRACT One of the immediate consequences of Covid-19 is that educational institutions all over the world had to make a rapid transition from frontal classroom learning to distance learning. The present study focuses on higher education and examines the implications of the transition from in-class learning to learning via the Zoom platform in an academic institute of engineering. Specifically, we focus on how the transition affected interpersonal communication. We examined the manifestation of the four media richness theory (MRT) dimensions as reported in the subjective evaluations of the lecturers and students. We gathered information from various formal and informal oral and textual sources and found that shifting away from in-class learning was detrimental to all four dimensions of interpersonal communication. Using Te’eni’s cognitive-affective model of communication, we examined whether successful educators used communication strategies to overcome potential harm to the learning process. We found a diverse use of six communication strategies to maintain mutual understanding and positive emotions. We recommend that educators apply these communicational strategies to compensate for the forced distance from the richest media, thus promoting a high level of effective learning in cognitive and affective terms.
Journal of information technology case and application research, Apr 3, 2021
ABSTRACT Due to Covid-19, the higher education system in Israel faced rapid changes. Among these ... more ABSTRACT Due to Covid-19, the higher education system in Israel faced rapid changes. Among these was the immediate shift to online exams. In this paper, we endeavor to scrutinize the different approaches to online-testing that diverge, converge, and complement each other on varying dimensions. The main questions we would like to address are how online exams were implemented on a large scale in Israel, the pros and cons of each form of implementation, and what factors characterized these exams. Data was gathered from various sources, including both interviews with faculty and students, online exam observations, e-mails and procedures, and informal queries and discussions on various online platforms such as faculty WhatsApp groups. Our findings suggest dimensions for scaling online exams and demonstrate that each of the academic institutions we examined focused on one dimension of the solution, neglecting to address the other dimensions. The main contributions of this study are a simple guide to educators including 10 easily-applied recommendations on how to better administer on-line exams, an assessment of the implementation of the chosen procedures, and our highlighting of specific key issues that have yet to be addressed. Further research is needed, specifically to gather longitudinal data, so that our conclusions may be validated and generalized.
Computer-mediated collaboration, a rapidly expanding form of work, introduces unique opportunitie... more Computer-mediated collaboration, a rapidly expanding form of work, introduces unique opportunities but problems as well. One of these problems is the higher risk of misunderstandings. Current communication theories suggest that misunderstanding may be reduced by contextualization, i.e., providing contextual information to explain a core message. However, we hypothesize that contextualization is beneficial in some situations but not in others. Treating contextualization as a form of adaptive behavior, we propose a model for understanding its contingent impact on performance in collaborative tasks. We explain the motivation for contextualization and argue that it can be predicted by the extent to which the perspectives of the collaborators are different or shared: A difference of perspectives between collaborators motivates them to contextualize to increase mutual understanding (MU) and thereby increase performance. Computer support should also motivate communicators to contextualize by making it easier for them to do so. A controlled experiment tests these relationships in a collaborative machine-assembly task performed by dyads. We manipulate the collaborators’ perspectives and the level of computer support, and we measure contextualization behavior, MU, and performance. Results show that contextualization is effective only for dyads with different perspectives and may be detrimental when perspectives are similar.
This study involves e-learning skills via educational software, compared to instruction via educa... more This study involves e-learning skills via educational software, compared to instruction via educational software with the mediation of an instructor. In the last two decades, the role of the teacher-lecturer has changed, from teaching to guidance and instruction. The technological tools have changed the nature of the learning space and the manner in which the teacher interacts with his students. Educational software is a collection of digital pages, packaged as a learning unit, and is a common tool for delivering self-instruction in academia on a range of issues. This is despite the fact that the effectiveness of this tool in academia has not yet been tested. In addition, the educational software is a technological tool but it is not being updated regularly, therefore the development of the topics in educational software is low. The key motif of technological advancement is to enable constant updates, and therefore, the effectiveness of this learning tool, which has the potential of...
Lecture notes in business information processing, 2016
We apply a pedagogic approach named learning from errors (LFE) to the area of relational database... more We apply a pedagogic approach named learning from errors (LFE) to the area of relational database modeling. Database modeling is a complex cognitive process characterized by a high level of element interactivity. Finding an appropriate pedagogy to teach database modeling is a challenge for information systems educators. One of the challenges that practitioners meet is the need to help database students shift between different levels of abstraction. We metaphorically treat the LFE approach as a bridge over the gulf of abstraction levels. Errors have a powerful potential in education, to encourage students to move to a deeper processing level of the course material. We use Rasmussen’s three levels of human performance model to explain and demonstrate the promising potential of the LFE approach in database modeling.
The purpose of the International Conference on Computer-Human Interaction
Research and Applicatio... more The purpose of the International Conference on Computer-Human Interaction Research and Applications (CHIRA) is to bring together professionals, academics and students who are interested in the advancement of research and practical applications of human-technology & human-computer interaction. Five parallel tracks will be held, covering different aspects of Computer-Human Interaction, including Interaction Design, Human Factors, Entertainment, Cognition, Perception, User-Friendly Software and Systems, Pervasive Technologies and Interactive Devices. Papers describing original work on advanced methods, prototypes, systems, tools and techniques as well as general survey papers indicating future directions are encouraged. Accepted papers will be presented at the conference by one of the authors and published in the Proceedings of CHIRA, which will be placed on at least one Digital Library and sent for indexation by the major international indexes.
Uploads
Papers by Adi Katz
Research and Applications (CHIRA) is to bring together professionals, academics
and students who are interested in the advancement of research and practical
applications of human-technology & human-computer interaction. Five parallel
tracks will be held, covering different aspects of Computer-Human Interaction,
including Interaction Design, Human Factors, Entertainment, Cognition, Perception,
User-Friendly Software and Systems, Pervasive Technologies and Interactive
Devices.
Papers describing original work on advanced methods, prototypes, systems, tools
and techniques as well as general survey papers indicating future directions are
encouraged. Accepted papers will be presented at the conference by one of the
authors and published in the Proceedings of CHIRA, which will be placed on at least
one Digital Library and sent for indexation by the major international indexes.