The basic ides behind evaluation is 8 simple one: An object is produced and then subjected to trials of its I~trformance. Observing the trials revesJs things about the character of the object, and reasoning about those observations leads tO stJ=tements about the "value" of the object, a collection of such statements bein.3 &n "evaluation." An evaluation thus dlf fe~ from a description, a critiq...

A programming technique captures some common code pattern. Programming techniques have been applied in a wide range of programming contexts with some success. Here we discuss a language for describing techniques in a formal way. This allows a precise deenition of techniques and is a prerequisite for a consistent treatment across a programming environment.

The research described in this paper investigates the problems and issues faced by companies implementing Product Data Management (PDM) systems. The aim is to produce guidelines to help managers implement PDM to gain maximum competitive advantage. A pilot study, which illustrates the key factors necessary for the successful implementation of a PDM system, was carried out and this was followed w...

User participation in IS development has become an established practice perceived to improve both the development process and its outcomes. Recently, however, Markus and Mao (2004) have highlighted the need to revisit user participation in light of the changing IS development environment. A survey of New Zealand organisations with 200 or more full-time employees was undertaken in order to obtai...

All students of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) attend undergraduate and postgraduate courses at a distance. The lack of a live academic community is reported by many as a drawback in their studies. Systematic exploitation of new communication and collaboration technologies is desirable in the HOU but cannot be imposed universally as the average student’s IT competence level is relatively lo...

Many teachers experience serious problems when teaching object orientation to beginners or professionals. Many of these problems could be overcome or reduced through the use of more appropriate tools. In this paper, we introduce BlueJ, an integrated development environment designed for teaching object orientation, and discuss how the use of this tool can change the approach to teaching.

Societies in semi-arid areas in developing regions are amongst those most vulnerable to climate variability and potentially most vulnerable to climate change. The vulnerability to climate variability emerges from a combination of the level of availability of natural resources and the human dependency on these resources. In semi-arid regions, the limited availability of water and the low reliabi...

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China has performed under its new inter-governmental Fiscal System (so called “tax-sharing system”) for about seven years since 1994. The main contents of the system are the reallocation of governmental responsibilities and sharing of taxes between the central and provincial level. Theoretically, one of the main purposes is to realize equalization of public service all over the country. In fact...