Blogs, which began as a way to easily post one's thoughts online in print, have evolved to include multimedia capabilities. A blog is not limited to text--audio and video can be incorporated. A video blog (commonly called a vlog) is a blog that uses video in its posts. People who create vlogs are vloggers, and the worldwide community of vlogs and…

Discusses conceptual frameworks for the designing process, including conclusion-oriented design and decision-oriented design; describes the systemic quality cube of design that incorporates process, product, efficiency, and effectiveness and considers total, global, and systemic quality; and discusses present applications, including computerized…

An approach to the design of flexible text-based management systems for archives includes tiers for repository, software, and user management systems. Each tier has four layers--objective, program, result, and interface. Traps awaiting software development companies involve the market, competition, operations, and finance. (10 references) (MES)

The point is made that systems thinking should be combined with dialectical thinking and constructivist thinking for effective systems design and systems change. To establish a context, a set of assertions on "How the World Works" in regard to systems design and systems change in education is laid out, as value assumptions undergirding…

Outlines the ETHICS methodology for workplace system design. This structured approach includes recognizing needs, setting objectives, choosing strategies, and evaluating results. Through user involvement, effective communication, and informed choice, ETHICS seeks to achieve greater realization of the advantages of new work systems. (JKP)

Discusses the issues influencing the design, implementation, and promotion of the Towers Perrin in-house text retrieval system. The discussion of factors influencing system design includes the organizational culture, the existing computer and communications network, and the availability of text retrieval software. Suggestions for in-house systems…

Describes a microcomputer-based microfilm management system that has been developed in a medium-sized manufacturing firm's library in Hong Kong. The system configuration is explained, a design and selection plan for a microfilm format is discussed, a selection plan for hardware is described, and an indexing system is explained. (nine references)…

This ERIC Digest examines some of the trends and issues in academic information systems design and describes the policies of several universities that are taking creative advantage of these systems as educational tools. The current emphasis on microcomputers in campus information networks instead of terminals connected to a mainframe computer is…

Describes the theoretical framework of a research project aimed at exploring the new potentials for instructional systems offered by videodisc technology and artificial intelligence. A prototype of an intelligent tutoring system, "Earth," is described, and types of interactions in instructional systems are discussed as they relate to the…

This concept paper begins by arguing that Integrated Performance Support Systems (IPSS) are an imperative for boosting productivity in the workplace and gaining competitive advantage in the marketplace. It then presents the framework for an IPSS solution to meet the challenges of the 1990s. Discussion of the implementation of an IPSS solution…

The rapid adoption of graphic user interface (GUI), as indicated by Microsoft's Windows95 and the Internet's increased use of graphics, is threatening information technology opportunities for people with disabilities. Recent legislation requires that schools provide access to computers and information technology, and producers of Mosaic are…

Focusing on the need for information systems that provide faculty, staff, and students with open access to all necessary information resources, this paper begins by discussing the issues involved in developing such systems. A review of the traditional environment looks at the traditional centralized resources versus the current trend toward…

Argues that there is a fundamental gap between the knowledge that the information systems development community values and that which cultural analysis yields. Suggests that developers, rather than trying to explain social behavior and knowledge with rules, should be concerned with the production of contesting rules and what the production tells…

Four articles respond to the Bader and Nyce position that it is unlikely cultural analysis will become a routine tool for information systems developers with these arguments: ethnographic work can aid software development; the problem lies with inappropriate application of social science methods; the problem is technique, not fundamentals; and…

Instructors should be concerned with how to incorporate the World Wide Web into an information systems (IS) curriculum organized across three areas of knowledge: information technology, organizational and management concepts, and theory and development of systems. The Web fits broadly into the information technology component. For the Web to be…