department of informatics research interests 2014 · 1 overview of research interest in department...
TRANSCRIPT
1
Department of Informatics
Research Interests 2014
2
Contents
1 Overview of Research interest in Department of Informatics .......................................... 3
1.1 Prof Nicola J Bidwell ............................................................................................... 3
1.2 Dr Neil Croft ............................................................................................................ 4
1.3 Prof Carina de Villiers ............................................................................................. 5
1.4 Prof Helene Gelderblom.......................................................................................... 6
1.5 Dr Martina Jordaan ................................................................................................. 7
1.6 Prof Neels Kruger ................................................................................................... 8
1.7 Prof Awie Leonard ................................................................................................ 10
1.8 Prof Machdel Matthee ........................................................................................... 11
1.9 Mrs Tendani Mawela ............................................................................................. 12
1.10 Dr Rennie Naidoo ................................................................................................. 13
1.11 Dr Nixon Ochara ................................................................................................... 14
1.12 Mr Henk Pretorius ................................................................................................. 15
1.13 Mr Jaco Pretorius .................................................................................................. 16
1.14 Mrs Tania Prinsloo ................................................................................................ 17
1.15 Mrs Riana Steyn ................................................................................................... 18
1.16 Prof Ian Strydom ................................................................................................... 19
1.17 Dr Hossana Twinomurinzi ..................................................................................... 20
1.18 Prof Alta van der Merwe........................................................................................ 21
1.19 Mr Phil van Deventer ............................................................................................ 22
1.20 Mrs Lizette Weilbach ............................................................................................. 23
3
1 Overview of Research interest in Department of Informatics
1.1 Prof Nicola J Bidwell Position: Associate Professor Informatics Office: IT Building 5-78 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: URL:
Research Keywords:
HCI, Interaction Design, Mobile interactions, Social media, Co-present interactions, Oral users, Rural settings, Postcolonial computing, Traditional governance systems, Sustainable HCI
Domain: Rural and/or Impoverished settings/users Description: My research fields are Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Interaction Design.
I am most motivated by “3rd
Paradigm” HCI because it accounts for the complexity of socio-technical systems and does not separate mind, from body and context. Thus, I usually apply situated, ethnographic and participatory methods and take a critical design perspective. I can teach students the required skills (e.g. ethnography, video analysis) and guide students to frame their projects in various literatures (e.g. Postcolonial computing, Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW)). Since 2003 my research has focused on designing interactions with technologies for rural settings, Indigenous and African cultural contexts and impoverished people. However, I am also interested in technologies that support rural education; rural-to-urban migrants; co-operative SMEs; and, environmental sustainability. Most of my research at the moment concentrates on interacting with mobile services and devices; however, I have also researched interactions with 3D simulations and game environments.
Projects & Topics
I can support a range of projects connected to our collaboration with Meraka Institute‟s ICT for rural education. Although not directly involved in the Mosaic project, I can support students seeking to research in it (see Prof Alta‟s page). Other specific topics of interest to me, that can be shaped to intersect with student interest:
Indigenous Knowledge
Constructs of self, personhood and identity
Co-present interactions with mobile devices
Oral users, or people who live in communities where traditions favour talking
How walking shapes interactions with technology and other people
Constructs of time in engagement, design and development
Translating understandings into design
Environmental, oral and aural rhythms
Engaging with rural African users in order to understand their priorities, values and practices in designing new platforms for social media
4
1.2 Dr Neil Croft Position: Senior Lecturer Office: IT Building 5-101 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124203367 URL:
Research Keywords:
Mobile, Security, Privacy, Next generation networks, M-commerce, Integration
Domain: Mobile Description: Neil Croft obtained his PhD (IT) in mobile technologies from the University of
Pretoria in 2011. His research interests lie in anything mobile related including SMS, USSD, NFC, RFID, Mobile APPS, Mobile Sites, Mobile Analytics, Handset detection to name a few, specifically where security and privacy is concerned. He studied under the guidance of Professor Martin Oliver first at RAU (now University of Johannesburg) before continuing on to the University of Pretoria. Some of his academic highlights include a 6 month student exchange to the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada and a presentation on SMS security to the industry heads of the Japanese network - DoCoMo at their Munich based head-quarters. He has presented papers around the world (Greece, Italy, Germany, Mauritius and Canada) and at local telecommunication conferences (Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the Drakensberg). Although mobile devices have added to our anti anti-social behaviour its far reaching benefits of having access to information and people is unequalled by any other mass media before it. It's interesting to note that more people own a mobile phone than own a toothbrush and more people look at their phones first thing in the morning before looking at their spouse. Yes these claims have been verified! Mobile is the new gold-rush. Outside of academic life he enjoys breeding race horses and racing pigeons, a good book and fishing in the Transkei.
Projects & Topics Looking for students interesting in mobile related projects.
5
1.3 Prof Carina de Villiers Position: Professor Office: IT Building 5-71 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124203798
Research Keywords:
IS and Education / Training, Use of ICT in Education / Training, ICT4D, Collaborative learning, e-Learning
Domain: Developing countries, Education, Teaching, Training Description: My main research area focuses on the teaching of Information Systems. I have
extended the research done for my DCom, to develop a new technique for the application of co-operative learning in the IS classroom. During the research period I have also realised that we are working with a diverse population in our tertiary institutions in South Africa and that normal methods of group work do not always apply to our students. Another aspect that came to the fore is the use of different theories in pure IS research that can be applied in research on the teaching of Information Systems. This resulted in a number of publications. The most important are briefly summarised as follow:
Teaching IS soft skills to a diverse student population: Case studies using JAD and Co-operative learning techniques
Using actor-network theory to study a classroom situation: An example from the IS classroom
Handling diversity in group work in the Information Systems classroom The second area of research covers research methodologies and methods applicable to Information Systems research. I am continuously exploring this research field, because I feel it is important in order to properly supervise postgraduate students. The following important paper was published:
The Applicability of Grounded Theory as Research Methodology in studies on the use of Methodologies in IS Practices
With the advent of Web2.0 technologies, I have worked with postgraduate students and produced a number of conference papers on the use of these technologies in the classroom. The third area of research that I am moving my research on teaching to is ICT for development. I have participated in the workshop for the AIS Special Interest Group for Global Development (where I am the co-chair for Africa) since 2008. The papers presented there explored the use of computer-based teaching in South African mines and the ICT labour market in South Africa. A student also recently looked at the use of mobile information about government services in rural areas.
Projects: e-Skills project
The University of Pretoria hosts the Gauteng CoLab and we focus our research on the Creative Industries (music, animation, film, drama, etc) and how ICT can enable them, as well as e-Entrepreneurship and mobile application development. Part of this project is the establishment of smart community centres in rural areas, which opens up a number of research opportunities.
6
1.4 Prof Helene Gelderblom Position: Associate Professor Office: IT Building 5-76 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124203352
Research Keywords:
Human-computer interaction; Child-computer interaction; Designing with and for special user groups; Interaction design; e-Learning
Domain: Human-computer interaction (HCI) Description: I work primarily in the fields of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and ICT in
Education with my main research focus being the design of technology and interfaces for special user groups. Besides e-Learning and Open Distance Learning (ODL) research, designing educational technology for children and adults has been my primary interest for the past eight years. I have also investigated aspects of design for the elderly and the economically disadvantaged. Specific research topics that interest me are: child-computer interaction, participatory design, the use of eye tracking in design and evaluation, and any psychological aspect of HCI.
Projects: Cross-age tutoring through social networks
In this project a group of researchers and postgraduate students are investigating social networking as a platform for a cross-age tutoring system in the South African context. In the system, teenagers from privileged environments will provide homework and test preparation support to lower grade children from disadvantaged communities. The focus will be on mathematics and reading support. The system is designed through cooperative inquiry with children to ensure that it will appeal to users it is intended for. Initially the system will be deployed within a restricted environment with a small group of tutors and tutees, so as to ensure that it is safe for children to use – especially on the tutee side – before we deploy it more widely. External collaborators (one from the University of Maryland’s HCI lab and one from the University of Baltimore) with experience in the design and development of social networking tools for use by younger children are involved in the project as advisors. Currently two PhD students are involved in the project but there is scope for much more postgraduate involvement.
7
1.5 Dr Martina Jordaan Position: Senior Lecturer Office: IT Building 5 - 82.3 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 012-4203187
Research Keywords:
Service learning, Blended learning, E-Service learning, Community Engagement
Domain: Education, Teaching, Training, Community engagement Description: I am responsible for the compulsory undergraduate module, Community-Based
Project (service learning) of the EBIT faculty. Yearly more than 1700 students are involved in 600 different projects. To manage this huge amount of students I use the Learning Management System of the University. Many students also do various E-service learning projects. E-service-learning occurs when the instructional component, the service component, or both are conducted online.
Projects: I can support students seeking to research - Various aspects of service learning - Community engagement - Sustainability of community engagement projects - Campus-community partnerships - E-service learning - Use of blended learning methods for teaching
8
1.6 Prof Neels Kruger Position: Associate Professor - Informatics Office: IT Building 5-67 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 012 420 5322
Research Keywords:
ICT Management, ICT Strategy, Master Systems Planning, Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP), ICT Business Plan, ICT Governance, ICT Policy and Planning, ICT Auditing , Information Management, Knowledge Management
Domain: Organisations
Description: My main research area is the development of a Holistic Through Life Approach to ICT Management. This is inclusive of the structuring of People, Processes and Technology within the organisation‟s Micro and Micro environments. Emphases are thus placed on ICT Strategy formulation, Master Systems Planning, Governance, Policy formulation, Architecture, Infrastructure and organisational structure. In focusing on the evolution of strategy, I developed a generic model incorporating knowledge management strategy formulation within business strategy formulation was developed. This model, used by numerous organisations supply a holistic “bird‟s eye view” of the interdependency between strategic management and strategic knowledge management.
9
Projects & Interests:
Current projects include the following areas:
Development of an ICT Master Plan and an ICT Concept of Operations for a Large Medical Administration Company. As a strategic advisor my duties include:• Formulation of ICT strategic and master plans, policies, programs, and schedules to accomplish corporate goals and objectives.• Providing guidelines regarding “best practice” strategic and operational governance processes (governance and auditing principles as prescribed in King III, ISO, COBIT, ITIL and TOGAF frameworks).• Advising on how to formulate ICT strategic and operational plans to achieve business goals by fostering innovation, prioritizing ICT initiatives, and coordinating the evaluation, deployment, and management of current and future IT systems across the organization.• Advising on the development and maintenance of an appropriate ICT organizational structure that supports the needs of the company.• Providing input into the establishment of ICT departmental goals, objectives, and operating procedures.• Advising with regards to identifying opportunities for the appropriate and cost-effective investment of financial resources in ICT systems and resources, including staffing, sourcing, purchasing, and in-house development.
Development of a Knowledge Management Maturity Model. To expand my research beyond purely theoretical and/or academic value, I formulated a knowledge management maturity questionnaire to aid practitioners and strategists to successfully assess knowledge management maturity. What sets this questionnaire apart from other Knowledge Management maturity questionnaires is that it not only assesses Information and Communications Technology and Information Management, but also focuses on the ability of organizations to identify and institutionalize Knowledge Management principles. The questionnaire is specifically appealing in the sense that it sheds light on the readiness or maturity of organizations to institutionalise KM. The KM maturity questionnaire is presently used by a number of government departments, major banks and medical institutes including the Occupational Medicine Institute of Edinburgh - UK.
10
1.7 Prof Awie Leonard Position: Associate Professor Office: Room 5-74; IT Building E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (012) 420-3375
Research Keywords:
Project Management; service management; end user computing; relationship Management; end users; Project Teams; Projects, social relationships, social networks, communication; Cloud Computing; Outsourcing; IT-Business Alignment; ITIL; COBIT; Organisational Issues
Domain: IT Management; Information Systems in the Organisation Description: IT management is the discipline whereby all of the information technology
resources of a firm are managed in accordance with its needs and priorities. These resources may include tangible investments like computer hardware, software, data, networks and data centre facilities, as well as the staff who are hired to maintain them. Managing this responsibility within a company entails many of the basic management functions, like budgeting, staffing, change management, and organizing and controlling, as well as those aspects mentioned above in terms of keywords. The central aim of IT management is to generate value through the use of technology. To achieve this, business strategies and technology must be aligned. IT Management is different from management information systems. The latter refers to management methods tied to the automation or support of human decision making. IT Management refers to IT related management activities in organizations. MIS is focused mainly on the business aspect, with strong input into the technology phase of the business/organization. A primary focus of IT management is the value creation made possible by technology. This requires the alignment of technology and business strategies. While the value creation for an organization involves a network of relationships between internal and external environments, technology plays an important role in improving the overall value chain of an organization. However, this increase requires business and technology management to work as a creative, synergistic, and collaborative team instead of a purely mechanistic span of control. Historically, one set of resources was dedicated to one particular computing technology, business application or line of business, and managed in a silo-like fashion. These resources supported a single set of requirements and processes, and couldn‟t easily be optimized or reconfigured to support actual demand.[5] This led technology providers to build out and complement their product-centric infrastructure and management offerings with Converged Infrastructure environments that converge servers, storage, networking, security, management and facilities. The efficiencies of having this type of integrated and automated management environment allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with simpler manageability and maintenance, and enables IT to adjust IT resources (such as servers, storage and networking quicker to meet unpredictable business demand.
11
1.8 Prof Machdel Matthee Position: Associate professor Office: IT Building 5-58 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 012 420 3365
Research Keywords:
Mobile learning, e-learning, consequence research, Internet studies, critical thinking
Domain: Developing context, educational settings, everyday use contexts Description: The influence of technology on the life worlds of people – this is very broad but
my focus is currently on learning environments. More specifically, the past few years mobile technology – mobile learning. This is in line with my own experience as lecturer as well as my PhD studies which focused on the use of technology in the teaching of mathematics. I am also interested in the way IT and the Internet influence the lives of people, organisations and society.
Projects & Topics I am currently involved with a company who created an e-book platform where teachers can push content to the textbook – like links, notes, graphs, more exercises and students can make notes etc . At several schools using this platform is replacing text books. It appears to be a disruptive technology and some of my students are looking at the influence of this new technology on the broader organisational environment of the school– on how the different expectations of stakeholders create tensions or new ways of doing things. This project provides ample research opportunity: HCI, influence of way of working, way of learning, way of interacting, parent-school relationship, new technology requirements, the influence on the triangle, teacher, student, and curriculum and so on. Usually I approach subjects of interest from interpretive lens but will consider quantitative studies – especially for shorter studies eg honours.
12
1.9 Mrs Tendani Mawela Position: Lecturer - Informatics Office: IT Building 5-102 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124203372
Research Keywords:
Electronic Government (e-Government), e-Participation, Transformational Government, ICT for Development (ICT4D), ICT Adoption, Social Media, Mobile Government (m-Government)
Domain: Organisations / Government
Description: My research is across various aspects of e-Government including:
The use of Information and communication technologies as a tool to achieve better government.
The use of information and communication technologies in all facets of the operations of a government organization.
The continuous optimization of service delivery, constituency participation and governance by transforming internal and external relationships through technology, the Internet and new media.
Projects & Interests:
My current interests include the following areas: Digital interactions between a government and citizens (G2C), government and businesses/Commerce (G2B), government and employees (G2E), and also between government and governments /agencies (G2G). I am also interested in issues surrounding women representation in the ICT industry.
13
1.10 Dr Rennie Naidoo Position: Senior Lecturer Informatics Office: IT Building 5-71
E-mail: [email protected] Telephone:
Research Keywords:
Users, Use, Design, Decision-making, Ethics, Identity, Moral Disengagement, critical discourse, socio-technical, Green IT, IT Projects
Domain: Social media, electronic services, games, groups, firms, healthcare
Theories: Actor-network theory, structuration theory, discourse analysis, technology acceptance model, user satisfaction theory, socio-cognitive theory, social identity theory and social representations theory.
Description: My research fields are broadly in ICT and its influence in shaping society. I am interested in a sociological and socio-cognitive analysis of IT design and use. I am especially interested in the “predictably irrational” reasons why users use systems and designers design them.
Projects & Topics
I can support students seeking to research: :
Moral disengagement in IT designs and use
The contradictory discourses shaping ITs
Group relations (conflict) and social media
Decision-making in IT projects
Personal Identity (who am I), Social Identity and IT use
Ethical issues in IS
Mobile devices as fashion statements (symbolic use)
Making sense (sensemaking) of ICTs
Socio-technical aspects of design and use
Green IT or greenwashing
14
1.11 Dr Nixon Ochara Position: Senior Lecturer Office: E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124203798
Research Keywords:
National Information Infrastructures; E-business Adoption
Domain: Description: My core areas of research relate to issues affecting the development of national
information infrastructures (NII) in Developing Countries from both an organizational and societal aspects. I divide the issues affecting the NII research that I am engaged in into three thematic areas: the first theme relate to how adoption of various technologies affect the development of a NII. The second thematic area relates to the applications and the inter-organizational information systems that drive them, specifically e-government and e-commerce, which depend on a NII for their conceptualization. Lastly, the third theme focuses my research on assessing the nature of stakeholder participation in the development of the interorganizational information systems that rely on NII. Given these three categorizations of my focus on NII research, my research is often defined as inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary because of the range of theories I draw on in for the different thematic areas.
15
1.12 Mr Henk Pretorius Position: Lecturer Office: IT Building: Office 5-63 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 012 4203368
Research Keywords: Governance, Business Process Management, Gender in ICT, Mobile, Crime
prevention Domain: Governance and Technology; Gender and ICT Description: Interested in how various technologies (e.g. mobile, BPMs, apps, etc.) can
further governance in various areas and on various levels (to prevent crime). I am also interested in Gender and ICT.
Projects: Cross-age tutoring through social networks
Open to suggestions
16
1.13 Mr Jaco Pretorius Position: Lecturer Office: IT Building 5-57 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124204189
Research Keywords:
Database Design, System Analysis and Design; Data Warehousing, BI, Knowledge Management.
Domain: Informatics (Organizations, IT and humans), Geography (Interaction between humans, environment and Work Systems)
Description: My main research area is Systems Analysis and Design with specific interest in data, information and knowledge management, process management (specifically Work Processes) and modelling. I am involved in studies where students focus on the use of work systems in the environment (from a people, technology and organization perspective). I am also interested in how space and time impact on IS, the human and organizations especially with regard to the BI environment in Data Warehousing.
Projects:
17
1.14 Mrs Tania Prinsloo Position: Lecturer - Informatics Office: IT Building 5-98 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124205855
Research Keywords:
ICT for Development, ICT for Agriculture, livestock traceability, rural and communal farming, impact assessment, use of technology in farming, mixed method research
Domain: Agriculture and Development
Description: My main research area is within ICT for Agriculture, focusing mainly on livestock and the traceability of meat from Southern Africa to the rest of the world. I am particularly interested in the discovery of the impact of new technologies on rural farmers to determine if they are included or excluded from new technology trends. I am also generally interested in impact assessment studies, looking at all the role players from an actor-network theory perspective as well as from an institutional perspective. Rural development also plays a strong role. Lastly, I focus on a mixed-method research approach, with a substantial portion of qualitative as well as quantitative analysis.
Projects & Interests:
My current interests include the following areas:
The implementation of livestock traceability systems in Swaziland and Namibia, looking specifically at the exportation of beef
Impact assessment studies of communal farmers
Southern African rural development
Ways of being more efficient in farming with the use of technology
Traceability
Future studies in ICT for Agriculture, specifically South Africa, including technology use in communal and commercial farming
Projects include:
Visits to Swaziland and Namibia to monitor the use of the new traceability systems
Gathering data from communal farmers by means of personal interviews, questionnaires and case studies
Investigation into South African Citrus farms
18
1.15 Mrs Riana Steyn Position: Lecturer Office: IT Building 5-66 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124203341
Research Keywords:
Entrepreneurship, teaching, e-skills, SMEs, teaching information systems
Domain: Organizations, Education Description: My main research area is specifically focused on entrepreneurs and how the
entrepreneurs can use technology to assist in enhancing their business. My PhD studies focus on entrepreneurs and an entrepreneurial model which is used to train entrepreneurs but technology was never incorporated. I am focusing on the inclusion of technology on this model to expand the model. I am also a passionate teacher and thus I also do some research on teaching practices and new ways of teaching the next generation of students.
Projects: E-skills: I worked on the project in 2012 as part of my PhD studies
19
1.16 Prof Ian Strydom Position: Associate Professor Office: IT Building 5-94
E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 012 4204276
Research Keywords: Business and IT Strategy, Governance , Business Intelligence, Project
management, Service Management, Digital Enterprise Domain: ICT in Organisations
Description: My main research area is Strategy and Governance – ensuring ICT
spending delivers value and supports strategic objectives. Governance includes Risk management and ensuring service delivery. Business Intelligence in support of Executive and strategic decision making in organisations. Digital Enterprise as a business mechanism and means to harness ICT and as an additional business model. Risk management as a corporate responsibility in business environments where technology becomes a primary support feature, including Business Continuity and DR. I am interested in new technology which impacts on the way organisations do business and how to manage these in an agile business environment.
Projects & Interests: My current interests include the following areas:
Existing and emerging Governance issues, staying in step with the challenges brought about by new and emerging ICT developments.
Risk management with special reference to impact from developments such as cloud computing in all its varying forms. The impact of agile business environments on stability of ICT support. General ICT security issues as part of risk containment.
BI with reference to Big Data and how to capitalise on information as a corporate asset.
Digital Enterprise as a business mechanism and the influence of emerging mobile technologies on E-Business
Corporate- and ICT governance as an on-going management responsibility with special reference to the roles of the CXO (C-suite Officers)
Project management for ICT projects and emerging alternative PM processes for Software Engineering.
20
1.17 Dr Hossana Twinomurinzi Position: Senior Lecturer - Informatics Office: IT Building 5-100 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124205422
Research Keywords:
ICT for Development, E-government, Mobile apps, Creativity, Creative industries, E-entrepreneurship, e-collaboration
Domain: Organisations, Society and Government
Description: My main research interest is development. I am fundamentally interested in understanding the emancipatory role of ICT in developing contexts. Everything other research interest is an avenue for development – e-government, creativity, e-collaboration and data analytics - these are all means to a development end. My desire is to make a positive difference particularly in Africa using ICT as a means, a tool, a platform and as a product. Creativity and innovation are my passion, and my research is therefore quite purposive in seeking to find how ICT can bring about positive effects.
Projects & Interests:
My current interests include the following areas:
ICT for development – Africa has the highest growth of mobile penetration in the world and is expected to exceed 100% within the next 5 years. What does this mean for Africa and development? While literature previously assumed ICT can lead to development, we find that ICT has not necessarily led to development and might have in fact created deeper gaps. What therefore is the new role of ICT in development?
E-government and M-government – with the proliferation of ICT, especially mobile phones, most people have instant access to information. The traditional models of e-government are not perfectly suited for such a networked economy as it exists today. I am therefore interested in finding ways in which e-government can be transitioned to m-government while improving service delivery.
Creative industries – The concept of creative industries is about industries that have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property. App development is considered a field of the creative industries. Creativity is increasingly being touted as the trailblazer of the next economy, a creative economy. ICT provides a platform from which people in the creative industries can collaborate and for their creative work to be exposed, promoted and distributed. How can ICTs be leveraged in order to bring about development in Africa?
21
1.18 Prof Alta van der Merwe Position: HOD Informatics Office: IT Building 5-78 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124203798 URL: www.altavandermerwe.com
Research Keywords:
Enterprise Architecture, Database Design, Design, Requirements, Processes and IS issues in organizations; New trends; Supervision and research in IS;
Domain: Organizations, Education Description: My main research area is within Enterprise Architecture with specific interest in
data management, process management, modelling and adoption aspects. I therefore am involved in studies where students focus on the design of environments but also aim to understand the use of technology in that environment (from a people, technology and organization perspective). I am also interested in technology impact in society and on organizations and am involved in projects where there is a focus on the unique use of mobile technology, crowd sourcing and cloud computing in a specific environment. My last research focus area is related to research and design topics where I am interested in the supervision process and the different research approaches used by researchers.
Projects: MOSAIC:
The Mosaic project is Mobile empowerment based on mobile technologies allows the development and implementation of new business models and new business opportunities targeting micro enterprises and their customers in developing Countries like South Africa. The goal of MOSAIC 2B is to develop and test a new framework that uses cloud-based applications, innovative low-cost internet delivery mechanisms (delay tolerant networks and opportunistic communications) and affordable mobile technologies to unlock new mobile business opportunities, especially in rural villages. A Consortium of European and South African partners builds upon the use case of mobile digital cinemas to run real life experiments demonstrating and evaluating the technological and economic viability of according innovations. In essence MOSAIC 2B delivers a combination of mobile digital cinemas for edutainment (educational content and entertainment), mobile business and consumer services as well as visual analytics and interactive tools to obtain real-time knowledge of on-going processes, to support decision making, and to increase business opportunities.
Enterprise Architecture and Enterprise Engineering (EA and EE)
The EA and EE project focuses on aspects related to the use and adoption of EA and EE techniques in organizations. This project currently involves students focusing on topics such as:
The nature of EA
Adoption and use of EA in specific domains, e.g. Telecommunication domain
Human factors in EA adoption;
A pattern language for EA Management;
EA Skills sets
Role clarification of the Enterprise Architect in organizations;
22
1.19 Mr Phil van Deventer Position: Lecturer - Informatics Office: IT Building 5-97 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 0124205219
Research Keywords:
Unstructured Data Analytics, Text Analysis, Data Visualisation, Enterprise Architecture, Data Science, Knowledge Systems, Data Organisation And Retrieval, Information Organisation And Retrieval, Data Management, Information Management, Knowledge Management
Domain: Organisations
Description: My main research area is Knowledge Representation - What do we know, Why do we know, When do we know, Where do we know, How do we know. As such, most of my ideas and research revolves around Knowledge as a construct and how it is represented, presented, applied, collected and leveraged in different construct. For example, I believe that Enterprise Architecture is a type of Knowledge Representation. I am generally interested in any type of analytics that accesses Knowledge in its varying and intricate permutations and forms – from the individual to society at large.
Projects & Interests:
My current interests include the following areas:
Enterprise Architecture (EA) – I view EA from the viewpoint that EA is a type of Knowledge Representation that combines several domains of business, technology, people, infrastructure and market forces to change the Enterprise from one state to another. In this instance I am interested in how these forces moulds and shape the nature of the Enterprise influencing all its potential future states. For example; How does all the aforementioned forces mould and shape the systematic migration and change of the organism known as the Enterprise?
Unstructured Analytics – I believe that all types of data, scenarios and situations present a pattern of some sort. If one can identify the pattern, no matter how abstract the source, one can obtain an understanding (limited however it may be) regarding the data, scenarios and situation being presented. For example; one of the major concerns in big data and behavioural economic is how does one leverage value out of large scale unstructured sources of data?
Text Analysis – The symbolic representations of text has always intrigued me. The meaning and relationships between text and textual symbols. How these symbols are processed cognitively, neurobiologically and programmatically.
23
1.20 Mrs Lizette Weilbach Position: Senior lecturer Office: IT Building, Room 5-69 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (012) 420 3376
Research Keywords:
Business Analysis/Requirements analysis; IT change management; Soft/Social issues of IS implementation; IS Education; Mobile Learning
Domain: Organisations; Government; Education and Training Description of Research Interests:
My first research interest boils around the development and implementation of Information Systems. I am specifically interested in business analysis and the way in which requirements are gathered and transformed into systems functionality. As the implementation of IS brings about change in an organisation, IT change management also forms part of my research interest. In this regard I‟m specifically interested in understanding and „managing‟ the soft human issues, such as technological frames of reference, culture and organisational politics, which form part of the social context within which IS are implemented. The research that I‟ve done for my PhD thus also focusses on IS implementation with a very specific emphasis on the social context within which it is implemented. The thesis describes a case study in which a Government department moved from a proprietary software (PS) package to an Open Source Software (OSS) Package. Institutional theory was used as a theoretical lens to enhance the understanding of the change that took place during the process of implementation. My second research interest is nestled in the passion I have for the teaching of IS. I‟m interested in new and different ways and platforms which could be used to better teach IS to both students and people from the IT industry. With mobile learning becoming a bus word in IS education, this area has become one of my latest interests, as it opens up so much more learning opportunities to both individuals and groups of learners. In this regard I‟m interested in the social context of mobile learning; how the mobile platform could be used to leverage educational opportunities; and what changes or potential threats this new „type‟ of learning has brought to both the educator and the learner.
Projects & Topics: I can support students wanting to do research on:
Business and Systems Analysis
The social/soft issues of IS implementation
IS Change Management
IS and Education
The social/soft issues of mobile learning