Web-Based Systems


1. The Next Big Thing: Adaptive Web-Based Systems


 (2004). The Next Big Thing: Adaptive Web-Based Systems. . 5(1). Article No. .


The article defends the position that personalization, and in particular automatic personalization or adaptation, is the key to reach the goal of offering each individual user (or user group) the information they need. During a discussion there was debate about whether the user should always have access and control over the entire (hypertextual) information space. There were different views on whether the “right” to all the information is best guaranteed by offering tools that reduce the information space the user perceives so that the user can actually find and reach the information, or by offering unfiltered access to an ocean of information in which everything is available but in which perhaps nothing can be found.


The article argues in favor of adaptation but at the same time point out flaws in the way adaptive hypermedia has been used until now. The paper then proposes a new, modular adaptive hypermedia architecture that should lead to adaptive Web-based systems as the “Next Big Thing” indeed. In this manner, different applications can collaborate in creating and updating a user model. Shared user model servers are not just needed for adaptive Web sites, but are also the key to enabling the development of ambient intelligence. Sharing user models can of course cause a “big brother” problem. Legislation is already in place to protect users’ privacy by placing legal limits on the kind of user modeling and sharing of user models that is allowed. The paper briefly reviews the legal issues of user modeling and adaptation in order to provide not just a future outlook based on “wild imagination” but based on a realistic vision of what will not only become technically possible but also of what will be “acceptable”.


2.  Self-Adapting Web-Based Systems: Towards Universal Accessibility


 (1997). Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology.  Also available at .


            This article discusses the employment of self-adaptation techniques in World Wide Web-based interactive systems, as a tool for ensuring their universal accessibility.  The paper initially elaborates on the underpinnings of universal accessibility and their relevance to Web applications and services.  Then it provides a contextual definition of self-adapting systems and an account of how self-adaptation relates to accessibility.  Self-adaptation is termed to denote those variations of system-controlled-adaptation capable systems (., 1993) that are able to implement adaptations themselves, irrespective of the policy they employ in ensuring user control over them.  Subsequently, different adaptation approaches that may be employed on the Web are presented, as well as their potential correlation to accessibility solutions.  These are the accessibility through adaptation in user interface level and in content level.  Finally, the application of some of the proposed approaches in the development of Web-based information systems is presented.


            The paper concluded that the importance of iteration of the capability of any interactive system to adapt any specific aspect of interaction, or information, does not necessarily imply the necessity, or, for that matter, the usefulness of doing so.


3.  Adaptive Hypermedia and Collaborative Web-based Systems (AHCW’04)


International Conference on Web Engineering. Adaptive Hypermedia and Collaborative Web-Based Systems. Munich, Germany. July 30, 2004. 


            The article is concern on the exchange and dissemination of information that sometimes does not seamlessly fit to the users’ actual needs.  It supports the personalization of the information presented to the users.  This paper tends to increase the functionality of the internet for each user to access the most appropriate information according to his/her needs, as well as the presentation of information in its most suitable way for its comprehension.


            The paper strongly suggested a need of formalisms, languages, mechanisms, methodologies and systems that both support the description of adaptive websites and facilitate this task, by performing it, in some cases, semi-automatically or even under no supervision.  It also encourages collaboration and cooperation activities that help users acquire and improve personal skills such as working in team, making ideas explicit, arguing and interacting with others.


4.  Web-Based Management: Beyond the Browser


; Business Communications Review, Vol. 28, April 1998.


            The study focused on the advantages that Web-based Systems offered in the area of managing information.  It had been enumerated as the (a) ease of access; (b) platform independence; and (c) ease of use.  The second key feature of Web-based management (i.e. b) is crucial for flexible access since few companies are likely to install an X-terminal (which is higher-cost) in the network manager’s house.  Products can be developed in less time and at lower cost which then leads to the Web’s third main advantage: ease of use.


            The paper also cited the advantages of today’s Web-based Wide Area Network (WAN) Management.  However, the system’s ease of access has also a potential negative aspect: security – access might be getting a little too easily available with some firms allowing access to a corporate network from the internet.  Due to this issue, firewalls seem to be the only answer to security threat.


            Web-based systems, as stated in the article, serve the dual purpose of giving network administrators quicker, easier access to information and providing that information to end users.  Finally, Web-based systems can make network managers’ lives easier by facilitating software updates. 


5.  Considerations for Developing Constructivist Web-Based Learning


; International Journal of Instructional Media, , 2004.


            This article discusses the relationship of Web-based systems into the facilitation of learning.  According to  &  (2000), Web-based system possesses five characteristics generally.  These are (1) the multimedia environment; (2) integrate various kinds of information and construct information bases; (3) support interactive communication; (4) support networks to access information; and (5) provide a cross-platform environment.  These factors directly aid in making learning easy. 


             (1997) stated that a Web-based learning course could be designed to address all students’ learning styles by incorporating a variety of multimedia.  In Web-based systems, several search engines that are integrated with the Web can quickly and easily access information.  Interaction in Web learning is not just to select simple menus or to click objects on the screen. Instead, the interaction should involve complex activities by the learners (, 1999).  (1997) also stated that learners in Web-based environments could interact with each other, with instructors, and on-line resources by Internet tools, hyperlinks, browsers, and authoring programs.   (1997) noted that a Web-based system went beyond static Web pages and page linking, by creating truly interactive networks with information exchange between users and servers.  In a cross-platform environment, Web systems can be executed independently on various computer operating systems. 


            Technology supported instruction has been traditionally more suitable to step-by-step development processes but the paper studies considerations for such statement.  There are five considerations to be exact.  These are pedagogy, instructional structure, interaction, technology, and learners’ characteristics.  In Web-based learning, to sum up the article, the problem is that when instructional programs add the complexity needed for the design of instructional purposes, it becomes itself increasingly complex to use (, 1998).


6.  Sp Issue: Computational Intelligence in Web-Based Education


Guest Editors: , Greece; ; , New Zealand; , Canada.


            The article addresses special issue on the perspective of another important category of technologies, collectively known as computational intelligence (or Soft Computing).  This computational intelligence raises a number of challenges and important questions to support the increasing intelligence of educational applications.  The articles in this special issue cover a whole range of interesting and important topics. , , , and  present an in depth tutorial for Computational Intelligence (CI) technologies for web-based education (i.e., Neural Networks, Fuzzy Logic, Genetic Algorithms) [., & . (2000)].  and  present a general framework for building concept-based digital course libraries. The framework is based on the idea of using a conceptual structure that represents subject domain ontology for classification of the course library content. 


            The paper generalizes two overlapping aspects of web-based education; the content transmission (to deliver instruction), and support for communication between teachers and learners, or among learners.


Discussion


            The six articles on Web-based systems have no difference or contrasting ideas but instead it is a flow order from the first item up to the last.  Web-based systems in all the articles developed as with regards to its nature and uses. 


            The Next Big Thing talked about the personalization or adaptation in reaching the goal of offering user(s) the information they needed.  This is then directly supported by the third article – Adaptive Hypermedia and Collaborative Web-Based Systems which showed concern on the proper dissemination and exchange of information that would exactly fit to the users’ actual needs.  Both articles offered and proposed approaches for the development of Web-based information systems also to increase the functionality of the internet for each user to access the appropriate information according to each needs. 


            The second article on Self-Adapting Web-based Systems discussed the self-adaptation techniques for universal accessibility.  Although the fourth article on Web-based Management: Beyond the Browser uttered the advantages of Web-based systems in managing information, it found imperfection on the part of the first advantage – ease of access.  This closely relates the two articles about accessibility.  The fourth article is concern on the emergent threat of security since Web-based systems are getting a little too easy to access that proliferate unlawful access.  Nevertheless, such concern had already found a solution to this apprehension – firewalls.


            The next and last two articles focused on the application of Web-based systems.  This would be now what is called the representation of how much Web-based systems can do for mankind.  The fifth article dealt with the association of Web-based systems to the facilitation of learning.  With such, it had found five environments that Web-based systems possess for the comfort of learning.  It had mentioned the quick and easy access to several search engines in gaining information from the Web.  Interactions in Web learning would then be more of just clicking menus but instead involve complex activities by learners. 


            Even though Web-based systems have been found to have huge impact to smooth the progress of learning, there were still considerations stated that have to be tackled in checking its importance in such areas of consideration.  Moreover, the article had also established a setback in Web-based learning.  With its increasing instructional programs adding up to the complexity needed for the design of instructional purposes, it becomes itself more complex to use. 


The sixth and final article dealt with the special issue on Web-based system – Computational Intelligence.  In the article, this computational intelligence raises challenges and important questions to support its mounting importance in the field of education.  It had been fairly evident that in the two overlapping aspects of web-based education (content transmission and support for communication), traditional education had been replaced by an increasing number of technologies important for web-based education.  Such application range initially as simple to sophisticated intelligent web-based systems that ensure personalization of the learning process, rich interaction between the application and the learners, as well as effective collaboration among the learners. 


 


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