Research Students at SIM

On this page you can learn more about our multi-cultural cohort of research students who are completing degrees via thesis or dissertation, such as the PhD, MCA by thesis, and MA by thesis. You can also read about our recent graduates here.

 Allan Sylvester

In Trimester 1, 2012, Allen will be teaching two courses at SIM: INFO 325 Telecommunications in Business; and MMIM 580 Special Topic: Telecommunications and Information Management.

Contact Details:

• Office: RH 524
• Phone: 04 463 6813
• Email: address

Online and multi-channel service quality in the New Zealand public sector

Service delivery systems (SDS) frequently cross traditional internal and external organisational boundaries and span the line of visibility.The information systems underpinning these SDS's are typically envisioned, designed, and delivered by managers, analysts and designers who are part of a complex organisational social context. Addressing why and how these managers, designers, and implementers build SDS's in the way they do is at the centre of this investigation. The potential exists to identify new mechanisms that will allow them to understand how their personal learning and the learning of the wider organisation in which they operate can be focused to bring about SDS projects that deliver improved service quality capacity to the organisation

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Beverley Hope & Professor Miriam Lips

Allan started in radio and moved to using electronics in technical innovation for disability support equipment using microprocessors and early PC's in unconventional ways. He then moved into own business delivering IT support and service as commercial networks and the use of the Internet proliferated, eventually specialising into systems lifecycle management, infrastructure deployment, and forensic IT. Allan began studying information systems as a professional development exercise, completing undergraduate and first-class honours degrees in Information Systems and e-Commerce, which developed into an enthusiasm for teaching and research. He was awarded the Vice-Chancellors Strategic PhD Scholarship in 2005, and is currently working as consultant and project manager delivering a next generation education collaborative network using Web 2.0 technologies called The Wellington Loop.

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 Haibo Yang

The adoption of cloud computing PaaS (Platform as a Service) and its impact on the management and practice of information system development

System Development has always been the "heart and soul" of both IS research and practice. The recent rapid growth of 'cloud computing' has meant that many new computer applications are being developed to run as cloud-based services. PaaS is a type of cloud-based service which offers IS developers an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), satisfying all their Software Development Life Cycle requirements (designing, developing, testing, implementing, monitoring, etc.). PaaS not only reduces environment administration efforts (which takes up to 30 percent of developers' working time), thereby helping them to stay focused on creative development activities; but more importantly, it provides a unified environment allowing developers to simultaneously execute their tasks which in the past had to be done sequentially at separated places. Furthermore, PaaS providers have also attempted to reduce the entry barriers for system development by enabling non-programmers to create business applications. The advent of PaaS is expected to challenge traditional IS development practices, lead to new development approaches and raise fresh management issues.

Haibo's research questions include:

• What are the factors influencing the adoption of Cloud Computing PaaS in information system development projects?
• How does PaaS change the practice and management of IS development?
• In what ways does PaaS enable End-User Application Development?

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Professor Sid Huff & Dr Mary Tate

Haibo holds a Bachelor in Computer Science (South Central University, China) and a BCA Honours in Information Systems (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand). As a Microsoft and IBM certified professional, Haibo has experience as a software developer and database administrator in both China and New Zealand. He also has taught courses in System Development, Database Management, and Electronic Commerce. Haibo began his doctoral study at SIM as a Victoria PhD Scholarship recipient in September 2009.

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 Van Le

Design by example for real databases: New algorithms and an evaluation of their impact

Databases provide the backbone for many facets of daily life in contemporary society, and are an indispensable part in important systems in business and government sectors. There is no doubt that developing well-designed databases is essential for the systems, but producing such databases for real-world is not a simple task. This research relates to develop a useful tool for database designers who aim to overcome poorly-designed databases. The nature of tool is to produce Armstrong relations from arbitrary classes of data dependency. Armstrong relations are studied due to their specific characteristics which satisfy data dependencies implied by a given set of data dependencies and violate all other dependencies. Therefore, they form an instance of the design-by-example methodology: the example relation exhibits precisely those data dependencies that the current design perceives as meaningful for the application domain.

This research addresses the following perspectives:

1. What are the properties of Armstrong databases for classes of functional and inclusion dependencies over incomplete databases?
2. How useful are Armstrong databases for the acquisition of classes of functional and inclusion dependencies over incomplete databases?

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr David Mason and Dr Flavio Ferrarotti and Associate Professor Sebastian Link (HRA)

Van's initial background is a Bachelor of Mathematics and Informatics (Vietnam) with first class honours. Then she converted to Information Technology, receiving a Master's Degree in Computer Science. She is continuing her interests through being a full-time PhD student in SIM since February 2010 as a Vietnamese Government scholarship holder. Van has taught for more than ten years, and also has experience as a Technical Support Engineers for Internet Services and Media Industry.

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 Kevin Carillo

Participation in Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) communities: An individual learning perspective

Since the beginnings of free software at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in the early nineties, the FLOSS principles and development methodology have gained considerable attention in the software industry. The number of FLOSS developers has been exponentially increasing and everyday new organisations rely on or take part in FLOSS projects. The overall FLOSS philosophy has also pervaded multiple areas such as education, academic research, culture, or even governments in which organisations now directly or indirectly rely on the creation, access, use, and/or modification of digital goods. It has been acknowledged that one of the main motivations for individuals to participate in FLOSS projects was to improve programming skills, as well as to participate in intellectually challenging tasks. More organisations have encouraged their employees to participate in FLOSS projects, and more academics have promoted the use of an overall FLOSS-based teaching strategy in both IT and engineering cycles. Before taking a step further in supporting the spread of the FLOSS philosophy in various fields including education, it is important to first investigate the particular aspects and mechanisms within FLOSS practices which trigger the development of skills and overall individual learning.

The implications of this research project should:

1. Help FLOSS communities in understanding and supporting the practices which enhance programming as well as other project-related skills
2. Demonstrate to organisations that encouraging employees to participate in FLOSS projects fosters creativity and innovation
3. Provide practical guidelines to educational institutions in justifying the overall success of the use of a FLOSS-based teaching methodology, and encourage its spread in universities

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Professor Sid Huff and Senior Lecturer Brenda Chawner

Kevin holds a Master's Degree in software engineering and applied mathematics (ENSEEIHT, Toulouse, France) and a Master of Science in Business Administration, option Management Information Systems (John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada). He worked as a university lecturer in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and India where he taught courses such as business statistics, management information systems, electronic commerce, or enterprise resource planning systems to undergraduate and MBA students. His research interests include Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) communities and practices, as well as the application of the FLOSS philosophy to the production and distribution of digital information-based products. Kevin began his doctoral study at SIM as a Victoria PhD Scholarship recipient in June 2010.

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 Namali Surwaweera

Information infrastructure and e-learning in Sri Lanka: Implementation and associated factors

Information is the key resource in the socio-economic development and technological advancement of a nation. In Sri Lanka, there is a lack of well trained information managers and their responsibilities have increased tremendously with the country's growing need to implement more robust information infrastructure. There is a high demand for e-learning in Information Management (IM) for students and learners among professional associations, government departments, authorities, statutory institutions, companies, etc. because Sri Lanka faces a number of issues, including:

• difficulty in travelling between the centre and peripheries for students and learners;
• lack of time; space and programmes leading to employment;
• difficulty in accessing and sharing training resources among library institutions;
• lack of knowledge, skills and experiences in implementing e-learning in IM among training staff;
• lack of well trained human resources in IM;
• lack of knowledge and research on the implementation of e-learning in IM among library institutions in Sri Lanka.

Therefore the proposed study is guided by the research questions:

1. Why an effective implementation of e-learning is necessary, as perceived by Library and Information Science teachers and lecturers in Sri Lanka?
2. What are the needs for e-learning in IM to students and learners among library institutions and other organisations in Sri Lanka?
3. What are the key components and associated factors in the implementation of e-learning in IM among library institutions and other organisations in Sri Lanka?
4. How does this implementation support the library institutions and other organisations in meeting the needs of e-learning in IM?

This research would have a direct impact on the development of IM education in Sri Lanka, which is being seriously affected by the lack of trained personnel in the field.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Chern Li Liew and Dr Jocelyn Cranefield

Namali is from Sri Lanka, where she worked as a Lecturer of the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kelaniya. having completed her MSSc degree in Library and Information Science at the same university in 2009. She is a facilitator of the Course on Library Automation (COLA) conducted by the Sri Lanka Library Association, has participated in several national and international workshops, and contributed several research papers at National and International conferences. Namali is a member of SLLA and is also member of International Association of Computer Science and Information Technology (IACSIT), Singapore. She is a recipient of the Nordin bin Mohamed Memorial PhD scholarship in Information Management.

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 Edgar Pacheco

The transition to tertiary education and visual impairment: The role of online CoPs

In recent years the number of students with disabilities attending tertiary education in developed countries has steadily increased. Similarly, there has been a growing awareness about the need for inclusive policies targeting disadvantage group in society. Students with disabilities, who obtain a tertiary degree, increase their chances for an independent life and personal development. However, in contrast with non-disabled students, the transition to tertiary education for student with disabilities is, at best, more stressful and, thus, difficult. In practice, there are a number of factors that these students need to be aware of and face when they start their higher education journey. How young students experience transition has implications not only in their academic outcomes but also in their decisions of persistence and/or departure from the tertiary setting. The implementation of transition services for students with disabilities in the tertiary environment represents a significant step forward but there is still a lack of research that could assist educators and policy makers in the improvement of their transition programs. More importantly, research remains to be done from the perspective and needs of students with disabilities and taking account of the contribution that other disciplines such as IS can provide to the study of the transition process. Considering the huge knowledge gap mentioned above, this research project centers on young students with visual impairments who make the transition to tertiary education. Its purpose is to understand how these students deal with the transition process through the support of Internet tools, specifically online communities of practice (CoPs).

This study will provide valuable information about the needs of visually impaired students during their transition to tertiary education and the way they share experiences, knowledge and undertake collaborative practices to "soften" the effects of the transition and to become integrated in the life of the tertiary environment.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Professor Miriam Lips & Professor Pak Yoong

Hailing from Peru, Edgar is an experienced journalist and has received a number of prizes for his work. Interested in complementing his professional experience with further postgraduate studies, Edgar moved to New Zealand and in 2008 he completed a BA(Hons) in Public Policy at Victoria. As a Postgraduate student, Edgar became interested in government use of ICT, policy development and their implication for citizens, especially marginalised groups in society. In 2010, he started working in his PhD research project, which currently focuses on disability, inclusion, tertiary education policy and ICT. Edgar's research centers on the Internet and online communities as potential tools supporting the engagement of disadvantaged groups in both the community and the wider society.

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 Ahmed Shuhaiber

Factors influencing customer trust in B2C mobile payment: A cultural study of the United Arab of Emirates

We have entered a new "all mobile" era, in which mobile phones assist humans in many fields and applications. Utilising mobile devices in the business and commerce fields leads to the concept of mobile commerce (m-commerce), which has been deployed by businesses for more than a decade. One of the main components for conducting an m-commerce transaction is payment for goods, services and bills with a wireless mobile device (e.g. cellular phones, smart-phones, palmtops, handhelds and PDAs). Customers conduct an m-payment when they trust it, which means having a belief and confidence in, as well as reliance on m-payment drivers and applications. Literature shows that there is lack of customer trust in m-payment caused by the mobile technology, the mobile vendor, the mobile transaction, the mobile payment, the merchant, the bank (if there is one involved), the telecommunication company, or finally the customer him/herself. Trust is a major obstacle in mobile commerce adoption and development, despite its potential. One key issue related to trust is culture, and what little research previously done suggests trust, and its antecedents, changed across cultures.

This research aims to find out the factors that influence customer trust in m-payment at the customer level, and how culture influences this trust, in the Emirates. The objective of this research is to develop a conceptual model. The research methodology would be mixed of qualitative and quantitative methods. Focus groups and questionnaire surveys would be conducted and administered to a sample of Emirati customers. The resulting data will be used to test both measurement and structural aspects of the research model, adjust and validate it.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Associate Professor Hans Lehmann & Senior Lecturer Tony Hooper

Ahmed is from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (one of the Arabic Countries). He gained his Master's degree in MIS at the Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences in 2005 (with Excellent grade), and a Bachelor in Computer Science at Applied Science University in 2003. He has lectured for four years in Information Systems, Electronic Commerce, Databases, programming languages (C++, VB) and the statistical package (SPSS) at Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan. Ahmed's interest lies in wireless electronic commerce, and this has led him into researching initiatives undertaken surrounding mobile payments.

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 Marta Vos

New Zealand government use of Radio Frequency Identification: Opportunities and barriers

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has predominantly been used in the supply chain for such tasks as tracking containers, boxes and individual items. RFID also has numerous other applications including environmental monitoring, anti-counterfeiting, toll road tags, bus smart cards etc.

This study will focus on the use of RFID in the New Zealand government, investigating both its application and whether or not the use of RFID facilitates trust and collaboration within and across organisational boundaries. The aim is to identify barriers to the use of RFID, as well as opportunities for the use of RFID to make the business of Government more effective and efficient.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Professor Rowena Cullen and Dr Jocelyn Cranefield

After completing a BSc with Honours (first class), Marta worked for a variety of Government organisations, and lived in Australia for three years. On her return she worked for Inland Revenue for eight years as a business analyst and team leader, specialising in data and risk analysis. After completing her Masters in Information Management (with distinction), Marta lived in the US for three years where she worked as the Information Manager for the Canadian Embassy. Marta is the holder of a GS1 Scholarship.

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 Nicole Gaston

Contextualising information behaviour: the example of Laos

Research in cognitive psychology, education, and sociology support the theory that individual cognitive processes are contextually variable, and predominantly socially determined. These contextually variable cognitive processes include the ways in which an individual interacts with information; however, little scholarly enquiry has occurred thus far into the exploration of the contextual nature of information behaviour, or the development of a process for contextualising human information behaviour models. This lack of scholarly enquiry into the contextual nature of information behaviour results in a lack of understanding of the iterative and interdependent nature of an individual's context and his or her basic human needs, which are often resolved through information practices. As basic needs are resolved, more advanced needs can be addressed. Underpinning this continuous cycle of basic needs and everyday information practices lies the deeper cognitive environment of the individual, which is embedded within the individual's context, influenced by a myriad of factors, including the unique social, cultural, economic, political, physical environment, as well as the individual's experiences, personal values, and role.

Although contextualised understandings of information behaviour may contribute to the relevance of human information behaviour models in developing countries, extant models have thus far been developed and applied primarily from Western perspectives and without consideration for contextual variation.

This research will explore how contextual factors influence everyday information behaviour of individuals in Laos, in an attempt to develop a procedure for contextualising information behaviour that may be applied in other contexts.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Dan Dorner & Dr David Johnstone

Originally from Chicago, Nicole's professional background in Library and Information Science has given her opportunity to work and study in a number of different environments. She completed a BA in French from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2003, and from 2003-2005 lived in a small village in West Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin. That experience sparked her interest in culture, development, critical thinking and information literacy. She completed her MLIS degree at McGill University in Montreal in 2008, then spent a year working with the Central Library staff of the National University of Laos. Nicole was awarded a Victoria International PhD Scholarship to study in Wellington in 2010. In her free time, she enjoys drinking tea, cycling, and the culinary arts.

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 Saidatul Ismail

Factors affecting the implementation of information literacy education in Malaysian primary schools

Information literacy (IL) is seen as one of the 21st century survival skills. It focuses on specific individual skills and outcomes such as critical thinking skills, research skills and information skills. The concept of IL originates from a Western perspective. This concept of IL has spread widely, and IL programmes have appeared in many countries in formal settings such as schools and higher education institutions, workplaces, and community and continuing education programmes. Though the Malaysian government claims that IL has been implemented in the country's education system, anecdotal evidence suggests that the extent of IL education (ILE) is uneven across schools.

The purpose of the proposed study is to identify and understand the factors that are affecting the implementation of ILE in the context of primary schools in Malaysia. Exploratory qualitative research within an interpretive philosophy will be used to do a contextual and inductive study of ILE. A preliminary model of factors affecting ILE implementation will be used to guide the proposed research, which will be modified if needed based on the findings of the study.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors:  Dr Dan Dorner & Dr Gillian Oliver

Saidatul is currently on study leave from her position as Senior Lecturer in MARA University of Technology Malaysia (UiTM). She was a Fellow of Academic Quality Assurance of UiTM (2008-2009) and an internal consultant for UiTM academic quality assurance. Saidatul was also actively involved as training coordinator for the development of school resource centre with the Educational Technology Division (ETD) of the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, and was awarded with the Ministry of Higher Education's scholarship to pursue her PhD. Her research interests are: information literacy, critical thinking skills, information sources and services in social science, and library and information science.

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 Hung Van Do

A contextual model for developing digital library education for Vietnamese library and information management practitioners

The need for digital library education (DLE) has increased significantly in the last two decades. During this time more information in libraries has become available only in digital form and many libraries have begun to create their own digital collections of important cultural heritage resources. Educating staff to establish and manage digital libraries has become a critical issue especially in developing countries such as Vietnam, where education programmes in library and information management (LIM) have lagged behind their counterparts in developed countries. The main objectives of this study are to identify and understand the factors affecting the development of DLE for LIM practitioners in Vietnam, and to use those factors as a foundation for establishing a contextual model that will help guide library practitioners and DLE providers in designing, implementing and facilitating DLE programmes.

This research will address the following research questions:

• What are the contextual factors affecting DLE for LIM practitioners in Vietnam?
• How do the factors affect DLE for LIM practitioners in Vietnam?
• What are the DLE needs of LIM organisations and practitioners in Vietnam?
• What are the main DLE priorities for LIM organisations and practitioners in Vietnam?

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Dan Dorner & Dr Philip Calvert

Hung was a lecturer of Faculty of Library and Information Science in Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam for six years. He also worked for four years as a consultant in a Department of Digital library development in a CMC corporation (an IT company in Vietnam). Hung has a Vietnamese Government Scholarship, and his qualifications include an MA in Library study, Hanoi University of Culture; BA in Library and Information Science, VNU; and a BS in Information Technology, VNU.

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 Eric Boamah

Towards effective management and preservation of digital cultural heritage resources: An exploration of contextual factors in Ghana

History and traditions are considered an important part of any country, because these uniquely identify the citizens as a distinct group of people. Put together, these traditions, history, activities and the evidences they provide, form the country's national heritage as well as its memory for the future. Hence, there is the need for nations to develop and co-ordinate actions to effectively manage and preserve such cultural heritage resources. In the modern world cultural heritage institutions, particularly in developed countries, are seeking ways to create national digital memories for the future of the citizenry. However, the fast developing technologies and their concomitant technological obsolescence put the future memories at risk. The challenge is even overbearing in developing countries that lack adequate resources and technology for effective digital resources management and preservation. As a developing country, Ghana appears ready to face the challenges of effective digital resources management, with a programme and policies on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Accelerated Development. But Ghana does not appear to be effective in managing or preserving digital cultural heritage resources and we do not understand what is hindering progress or what might enable it.

The purpose of the proposed study is to use qualitative methods to explore and understand the various contextual factors that can influence the effective management and preservation of digital cultural heritage resources in Ghana. A preliminary model of factors will be developed based on the theoretical framework and refined by data collected from fieldwork to assist Ghanaians in understanding the various contextual factors that can enable or hinder the effective digital heritage information management and the establishment of a national digital memory for the country.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Dan Dorner & Dr Gillian Oliver

Eric has worked as a teacher and a librarian, and obtained his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Information Studies from the University of Ghana in 2005. He won the European Commission Erasmus Mundus Scholarship in 2007 to study International Masters in Digital Library Learning (DILL), and obtained his Master of Arts (MA) in 2009. That same year he won the Vice Chancellor's Strategic Research Scholarship to do his PhD study in the broader area of Digital Preservation and Cultural Heritage at Victoria. Eric's research interest is in International and Cross-Cultural IT Issues with specific interest in IT policies and strategies, implementation practices, and other factors influencing ICT in developing countries. He has published and presented at the International Conference on Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, held in Greece in 2009.

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 Nicole Braun

Cybersecurity awareness and practice: Factors influencing users behaviours relating to awareness of threats and use of safeguards

Cybersecurity covers numerous areas of research; however, one of the most important aspects of cybersecurity relates to the people involved. Since individuals are one of the most unpredictable factors involved in ensuring safety and security online, the present research focuses on the factors that cause people to make security-based decisions, especially those decisions not to engage in safe practices when online. Home users are particularly susceptible to the threats of viruses, worms, Trojans, and other types of malware since they may not have the same knowledge of policies and protections that organisational users may have.

The goal of this research is to examine the factors that cause people to make safe or unsafe decisions about their Internet and computer use, focusing especially on the impact of perceived severity and perceived susceptibility in relation to cybersecurity threats. The research will be primarily qualitative, focusing on the perceptions of individual users in relation to their cybersecurity.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Val Hooper & Dr Dan Dorner

Originally from Chicago, Nicole completed her BCA and LLB at VUW. After completing her legal professional studies in 2006 and being admitted as a barrister and solicitor, she returned to VUW to complete her Honours degree in Information Systems where she began her studies into cybersecurity, an area which combined both her legal and technological interests. Based on her Honours research, she decided to continue studies into internet security and individual behaviours.

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 Jeremy McKissack

Measurement and assessment of information security: An organisational perspective

Information security is an ongoing challenge for many organisations, particularly within the health, finance, and government sectors. Organisations are facing the dual challenges of countering increased threats from cyber crime and meeting ever more prescriptive compliance requirements from government and industry regulators. The response to this challenge generally takes the form of increased spending on information security technology and services. The problem for those making this investment is to know whether the security spending is properly targeted, effectual and, ultimately, whether the organisation is becoming more secure.

Even with effective governance in place it is often difficult for an organisation to answer three simple questions:

1. Are we making progress in the area of information security?
2. Are we more secure than other comparable organisations?
3. Are we secure enough to meet compliance requirements and mitigate risks to an acceptable level?

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Val Hooper & Dr Beverley Hope

The purpose of this research is to establish a model for the assessment of information security that will help answer these questions. The research examines existing practices in information security management through the lens of institutional and systems theory. It is hoped that the resulting organisational perspective will help create an assessment method that meets the needs of all stakeholders. This method will tested within a number of large organisations across several industries.

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 Hugo Gong

e-Campaigning: An empirical study of the utilisation of ICT for political election campaigning in New Zealand

Ever since Bill Clinton and his campaign team, in his first US presidential election, unveiled a new form of election campaigning, characterised by the utilisation of ICT, predominantly the Internet, it has eventuated in a global phenomenon. This form of election campaigning in the meanwhile has also attracted growing attention from political scientists and is generally referred to as e-Campaigning in the literature.

After nearly a decade of speculating the potential impacts of the utilisation of e-Campaigning on different levels, the current research agenda focuses on exploring and understanding the utilisation of e-Campaigning by campaign teams within the same election or across elections. The findings so far have pointed out five notable lacunae in the e-Campaigning research. First, the current understanding of the utilisation of e-Campaigning is still largely limited. Second, discrepancies have emerged apropos the utilisation of e-Campaigning within the same election and across elections. Third, the emerging discrepancies of e-Campaigning utilisation remain largely unexplained. Fourth, little research attention has been paid to the phenomenon of e-Campaigning by IS scholars despite the claim that the core of the IS discipline is concerned with technologies and the people who utilise or are affected by the technologies. Last, little research interest has been made to the phenomenon in the New Zealand context.

In response to those notable gaps in knowledge, this empirical inquiry, with a multidisciplinary approach, seeks to explore the following questions:

• How do campaign teams utilise ICT for election campaigning in New Zealand? And
• What are the factors that influence campaign teams' utilisation of e-Campaigning and why?

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Professor Miriam Lips & Dr Mary Tate

Originally from China, Hugo's research investigates political actors' e-Campaigning during elections. His primary supervisor is Professor Miriam Lips, who is also the Chair in e-Government at Victoria University of Wellington. Hugo started his PhD degree in 2008 after being awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Strategic Research Scholarship. Prior to his PhD study, he worked in a global IT consulting firm after graduating from Victoria University of Wellington with a First Class BCA(Hons) in Information Systems, and a BCA in Information Systems and Electronic Commerce. Hugo's research interest currently lies in e-Democracy -- the use of ICTs by political actors in the democratic process

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 Rashidah Bolhassan

Organizational knowledge sharing on preservation management of traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) amongst cultural institutions in Sarawak, Malaysia

While preservation is essential in the aspiration of perpetual access to information, the GLAM's (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) sector focus of preservation management is more on the tangible documentary or artefacts heritage. Increasingly, there is a change towards preservation to include the intangible aspect of the tangibles. Preservation management of traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) has to be holistic, encompassing the cultural significance of a heritage object, which should not be separated from the preservation of traditions, oral history, community and identity. Among institutions responsible for indigenous cultural resources in Sarawak there are currently no common protocols or models for the identification, collection, documentation, preservation and appropriate dissemination of the Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions of Sarawak's indigenous people. An effective framework is essential to ensure the consistent, legal and ethical handling of the cultural resources involved and to facilitate consultation with the relevant communities, for whom the resources may be sensitive, sacred or restricted to certain groups. Does a Knowledge Management-based framework offer a practical and transparent method of ensuring the effective handling of Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions?

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Dan Dorner & Dr Jocelyn Cranefield

Rashidah is currently on study leave from her position as CEO of Sarawak State Library, Malaysia, which she has held since 2003. She was Chair, Council of State Public Library Directors, Malaysia (2006-2008), and has been an active member of the State Information Technology and Resources Council, and the Librarians Association in Malaysia. Rashidah's main research interests include 'Digital libraries and mobile accessibility to help reduce information marginalisaton, especially in rural areas', and 'Intangible heritage preservation'. She has an EMBA from Ohio University, having gained her Master in Library Science from Syracuse University, NY.

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  Matthew Lewellen

Knowledge interpretation and organizational context as influencers of employees' intention to contribute to electronic recordkeeping systems

Records have been at the foundation of civilisation since ancient times. Indeed, the word archive (Greek: archeion) describes the keystone of an arch. Metaphorically, the ancient Greeks considered the archive (and its records) as the keystone in the arch of government. In modern times, the importance of trustworthy records to the smooth running of society has grown, not diminished -- consider Enron and Worldcom. The majority of documents are now created electronically; however, an electronic document is not a trustworthy electronic record until it is under appropriate management to guard the key characteristics of its recordness, namely: authenticity, reliability, integrity, and usability.

With the Public Records Act 2005 now in force, this management is also a legislative imperative. Currently, only Electronic Document and Records Management Systems (EDRMS) are capable of capturing and maintaining the required metadata to make an electronic document into an electronic record. Given the detailed contextual knowledge required, the current technology also requires end users (not records managers) to be willing to lodge their documents, emails, and reports into the EDRMS. If they lack the intention to use the EDRMS, then their creations will not fall under formal management and will be lost.

The goal of this research is to determine what factors influence an employee's decision to use (or not) an EDRMS.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Val Hooper and Dr Gillian Oliver

After receiving a BA from Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy in 1991, Matthew went on to complete an MBA in 1994 from Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management (Beta Gamma Sigma honors society). Matthew moved to New Zealand in 1997 to take the role of Knowledge Management Service Line leader for Ernst & Young NZ's Management Consulting practice. From 1999, he has served variously as an independent consultant/contractor, business analyst, and IT Project/Programme manager in and around the New Zealand public sector. It was while serving in the role of EDRMS Programme Manager for a New Zealand public department that Matthew observed real and unexpected EDRMS adoption/usage challenges that ultimately led to his current topic of research.

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 Nishanie Pereira

Effective use of ICTs in voluntary sector organisations: Supporting the third act

Life after retirement from full-time work is known as the third act of an individual. Because of improvements in medicine and environmental factors, the third act has now become longer, increasing the percentage of older people in many countries. Population ageing is evident in New Zealand, and one implication is the need for increased support and services for older people who live within the community. Voluntary sector organisations primarily cater to those that are either beyond the reach of state services or are unable to afford services offered by the commercial sector. Voluntary sector organisations now use information technology in their management of service provision, but they face many issues: lack of ICT staff, lack of ICT skills, and lack of funding for ICT. These issues act as barriers for effective use in technology adoption. While some research has addressed issue in the adoption of ICT, few research studies report on the post adoption stage in voluntary sector organisations. The post adoption stage includes how organisations use ICTs for information gathering, dissemination and storage, and how organisations overcome the barriers.

The proposed study is guided by the central research question: how can voluntary sector organisations make effective use of ICTs to support service provision for older people living within the community? Using a modification of the Lamb and Kling's social actor mode, adapted to the context of voluntary sector, the research project aims to explore how effective use is influenced by factors that are investigated under four key dimensions: affiliations, environment, identities and technology. Employing a case research method, it will study four voluntary sector organisations that provide services for community dwelling older people.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Professor Rowena Cullen & Dr Janet Toland

Nishanie holds a MBA from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. In addition to her previous experience in the apparel and telecommunication industry she has also been a consultant in healthcare information systems and a lecturer. Nishanie currently tutors in Strategic Information Systems Management.

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 Jamal Al Salmi

Electronic theses and dissertations programmes in the Gulf States: Needs-based analyses and assessment of current practices.

Jamal's research topic requires him to concurrently look into:

• the current practice of ETD programmes in other countries; and
• the current practice of technology in terms of ETD programmes in Arabic Gulf Countries.

Jamal aims to obtain an extensive overview of ETD programmes through studying those already implemented in other countries including those in developing countries.

A primary focus of his study will delve into the issues and difficulties in implementing such programmes, and he will then examine current technological practices in the Arabic Gulf countries in this area.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr Chern Li Liew & Dr Brenda Chawner

Jamal is from the Sultanate of Oman (one of the Arabic Gulf Countries), where he lectured in Information Technology, Information Networks, and the use of computers in libraries at the Sultan Qaboos University, Department of Library and Information Science. After obtaining a Bachelor in Library and Information Science at Sultan Qaboos University in 2001, he completed his Master in Information Management in Australia in 2004 (Curtin University of Technology). Jamal's interest lies in electronic publishing and this has motivated him into researching initiatives undertaken surrounding Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs).

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 Kay Sanderson

Digital heritage objects and the "arts of transmission": An examination of the materiality of digital heritage objects in galleries, libraries, archives, and museums

The "arts of transmission" is a Victorian translation of Francis Bacon's ars tradendi. The phrase describes the practices (including the technologies) of communication which determine the ways in which knowledge is passed on. The original Latin expression conveys a sense of tradition or "handing down to posterity". (Chandler, J., Davidson, A.I. & Johns, A (2004). Arts of transmission: An introduction, Critical Inquiry, 31(1))

This research will explore how document format, analogue practices, conceptual models, metadata, digital tools, and ideas about purpose interact to enable evidentiality to emerge from personal archives. It is underpinned by an emerging interdisciplinary discourse which argues that future technological development, the nature of knowledge, and even human cognition will be affected by the ways in which digital technologies are enacted today. Because personal archives are commonly found in organisational environments dominated by library and museum professionals, it explores the potential for interoperability by considering how evidentiality materialises when archives are described using RDA (Resource Description and Access), and the CIDOC-CRM (the Conceptual Reference Model of the International Council of Museum's Committee for Documentation) as well as ISAD(G) (General International Standard Archival Description) and the Australian Series System.

This research draws on both classic archives theory and records continuum theory. It will employ the philosophy and explanatory method of critical realism which predisposes the researcher to carefully explore the interface between objective reality and subjective or culturally determined knowledge about that reality.

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Supervisors: Dr Sydney Shep & Dr Dan Dorner

Kay's professional background is in archives and libraries.She has a wide knowledge of heritage collection practices in a range of different organisational environments: government archives, collecting archives and public library local history collections.In recent years she has taught archives and records management courses at The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand and Victoria University of Wellington. She has a MA from Auckland University and a DipLibr from Victoria. Kay holds a VUW PhD Scholarship.

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 Vizaad Ali

The role of information and communication technology in the "Sunny side of life": An e-commerce assessment model for the tourism sector of the Maldives

The increasing reliance on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by the tourism industry has become one of the major challenges faced by developing countries, especially the small island developing states (SIDS). Tourism is a significant area of business for many island nations like the Maldives. In this context, the success of the industry is closely associated with the efficient use and deployment of ICT applications in the industry. The proposed research will study the extent of utilisation of e-commerce and the issues that arise in its adoption and effective usage in the tourism industry of the Maldives. This research will develop an e-commerce assessment model that will help to further develop businesses in the tourism industry of Maldives. The research will be qualitative in nature, using a grounded theory approach together with case study research methodology to build theory. Data collection will primarily consist of interviews with organisations within, and related to, the tourism industry.

This research aims to contribute to both practitioners and academic communities: helping practitioners understand how to make better use of ICT in their business, and contributing to academic research by developing a sector or meso-level assessment model. Identifying the factors that affect the adoption and use of e-commerce, and studying how the organisations in the tourism sector of the Maldives further develop their businesses by utilising e-commerce, will help to fill a gap in our knowledge on effective use of ICT by the tourism industry of SIDS.

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Supervisors: Professor Rowena Cullen & Dr Janet Toland

Vizaad holds a BSc from Bangalore University, India and Master of Public Finance from the Graduate Institute of Policy Studies in Japan She is currently enrolled as a PhD student at the School of Information Management. Vizaad is also the holder of a New Zealand Development Scholarship.

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 Diane Strode

Coordination in agile software development projects

This research brings together two important facets of information systems development, agile software development methods and effective coordination. Agile methods overturn some of the traditional wisdom of software engineering projects. These methods use short iterative and incremental development processes, and employ unique combinations of development practices. In traditional software development, coordination is considered critically important to software project effectiveness. An unexplored aspect of these new methods is how they contribute to effective coordination of information systems development.

The purpose of this study is to examine how software projects are coordinated when producing complex software products using a team-based agile development approach in order to identify coordination strategies that contribute towards effective and flexible information systems development. The study will be carried out in software development organisations using a mixed method research approach involving case studies and survey methods.

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Supervisors: Professor Sid Huff & Associate Professor Sebastian Link

Diane has a BSc (Computer Science) from the University of Melbourne, Australia and a MIinfSc (Information Systems) with first class honours from Massey University, New Zealand. She began her study in 2008 and is currently enrolled as a fulltime PhD student in the School. Her interests include information systems development methodologies and techniques, the software development process, software support for software development teams, the differences between small and large systems development, and theoretical and practical models for describing iterative and incremental software development. Diane has experience as a software developer in a multinational company and has taught extensively in the areas of systems analysis and design, and computer programming, for a number of years in the tertiary sector in New Zealand.

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 Selenge Nergui

Understanding the effectiveness of cross-cultural video-mediated communication

In this globalising world, people are increasingly using advanced communication technologies such as videoconferencing to collaborate across geographical boundaries and time zones. This is a challenging task because cultural values, attitudes, and behaviors influence how a given group of people perceives, understands, interprets, and communicates information and knowledge. This study explores how cultural differences of participants, among other factors, affect their perceptions for the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication that occurs during videoconferences. The study identifies factors that influence the effectiveness of cross-cultural video-mediated communication. Knowing these factors will help practitioners to: 1) make efficient use of resources while designing and facilitating videoconferences; and 2) incorporate cultural factors in assessing the effectiveness of cross-cultural distance learning events.

The context of the study is the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN), which spans the world with more than 120 distance learning centers and facilitates communication for development through videoconferencing technology. Research data for this multiple-case cross-cultural study has been collected in six GDLN affiliates located in four countries: Australia, New Zealand, Russia and Selenge's home country -- Mongolia.

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Supervisors: Dr Brian Harmer & Senior Lecturer Alastair Smith

Selenge joined SIM in February 2006 after being awarded a New Zealand Development Scholarship by the New Zealand International Aid and Development agency. She graduated from the National University of Mongolia with a diploma in Marketing, completed her MBA at the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands, and worked as a consultant on various development projects in Mongolia before joining the Ulaanbaatar office of the World Bank in 2002. In this office, Selenge acted as a communications liaison between the World Bank and its counterparts in Mongolia's government, civil society and private sector organisations. She also coordinated the activities of the Mongolia Distance Learning Centre, part of the Global Development Learning Network.

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 Mohamed Kinaanath

The use of ICT and e-Education in developing higher education for Small Island Developing States (SIDS): The case of Maldives

This research will contribute to the higher education literature where higher education is vital to the development of Maldives. This study will provide an understanding of the issues faced in the higher education sector in utilising e-Education in Maldives and will play an important role in bridging the digital divide. The proper use of ICT tools within the higher education sector is of huge importance and this research will fill the gap. The purpose of this research would be

1. To conduct a study in the use of ICT in education (e-Education) for higher education and to explore the existing situation of ICT usage in the higher education sector of Maldives.
2. Design a relevant and workable e-Education model for higher education of Maldives. This model would enable improvement and expansion of the higher education sector which enables easy communication between islands and creates opportunities for students and relevant personnel.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Associate Professor Hans Lehmann & Dr Brian Harmer

Mohamed is from Republic of Maldives and holds a Masters degree in e-Commerce at Griffith University in Australia, achieving an average of distinction level. He received a "Griffith Award for Academic Excellence" in 2004, and in 2007 was awarded "Qasim Ibrahim of Academic Excellence (QIAE)". Mohamed's professional background is in the areas of ICT, e-Commerce and Education. He lectured at Maldives College of Higher Education (MCHE) for over eight years before arriving in New Zealand for his doctoral studies. Mohamed worked at United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the area of Information Technology for four years, and also worked in the President's Office in the Maldives for 10 years in the area of Information Technology. Despite the busy schedule in PhD studies, he takes time in tutoring for Information Systems and e-Commerce courses to improve his professional development.

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PhD Students (Provisional)

 Kai Chan

Data management and business intelligence in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) applications

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an emerging technology and its adoption will have the biggest impact in supply chain operations and retailing. The level of awareness is high; pilot tests have been conducted with big supply chain operators, starting from the time Wal-Mart mandated its top 100 suppliers to label their products with RFID in 2005. But now, six years later, it seems most of the supply chain operators and retailers are still biding their time and holding back. Why? As often reported in current RFID journals, one of the biggest challenges to RFID adoption is a lack of understanding about what data to collect and how to use it to re-engineer business processes and reduce costs or increase sales. As each tagged item is associated with a unique serial number, and tags can be read many times by one or more readers; the amount of data generated by RFID readers especially in the retail environment is massive, in terms of terabytes.

There are major benefits to be gained by aligning the use of RFID technology with an organisation's strategies and it is a huge challenge in terms of design, cleansing, exchange of data between internal systems (existing applications like financial systems) and external systems (with suppliers' stock inventory systems, in a supply chain). To reap the benefits on Return of Investment (ROI) of RFID adoption, the organisation has to put in place processes for quality data mining for relevant business intelligence to support business performances and strategies. Salient business intelligence thus generated can be used for accurate analysis on Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and for real time Dashboard reporting.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Dr David Mason and Dr Tiong-Thye Goh

Kai is from Sarawak, Malaysia. He has worked in the Information Technology sector in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and New Zealand for more than 20 years, holding diverse roles as IT consultant, IT manager, project manager, business analyst and programmer. He obtained his BSc from Victoria University of Wellington, and completed his Master of Information Management (MIM) in 2010. Kai completed a six-month research project in 2010 on "Perceived Barriers to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Adoption in Supply Chains and Retail Stores in New Zealand" and this leads to many interesting issues like data management, lack of RFID skills, integrating with other systems, data warehousing, security, privacy, etc. begging for clearer answers. Kai's PhD research interest is in RFID data management and business intelligence.

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 Mozhgan Memari

Discovery and enforcement of SQL table layouts

Ted Codd introduced the relational model of data at the beginning of the 1970s [1]. In 1981 he received the Turing award for "his fundamental and continuing contributions to the theory and practice of database management systems". In practice, commercial relational database management systems follow the industry standard for defining and querying data (SQL). SQL deviates from the relational model to provide means for efficient ways of data processing. As a consequence, there is a gap between database theory which has focused on the relational model, and database practice which is based on SQL.

Recently, a theoretical model has been proposed that accommodates SQL's features to handle duplicate and partial data [2]. This research will focus on two problems in SQL databases:

Firstly, the study will analyse how partial referential integrity can be enforced in relational database management systems. This is important as current commercial implementations of the SQL standard can only enforce simple referential integrity.

Secondly, algorithms to discover SQL table layouts from SQL database instances will be designed and implemented. These algorithms can be used for applications such as re-engineering purposes, query optimisation and the semantic sampling of existing databases.

[1] Codd, E. F. (1970). A relational model of data for large shared data banks. Communications of the ACM, 13(6), 377-387.
[2] Hartmann, S. & Link, S. (2010). When data dependencies over SQL tables meet the logics of paradox and S-3. Proceedings of the Twenty-Ninth ACM SIGMOD-SIGACT-SIGART Symposium on Principles of Database Systems, 317-326.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Associate Professor Sebastian Link and Dr Tiong-Thye Goh

Mozhgan obtained her bachelor in Electronic Engineering from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, and completed her Master in Information Technology Management at Alzahra University in Tehran as an honour student in 2006. She has more than six years practical work experience in IT management, including four years as an IT specialist in Iran's Petroleum Ministry, Central Training Department in NIORDC (National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company. Her research interests include applying Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence in e-Commerce, Data Mining, and Databases. Mozhgan was awarded a Victoria Doctoral Scholarship to study in Wellington in 2011.

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  Balsam Al-Dabbagh

Effect of ICT connectivity on individual productivity

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is increasing our levels of reachability and access. Through smart phones, tablets, laptops and enhanced infrastructures of mobile networks and Internet, we are more and better connected to our colleagues, family, friends, and information. Current research explores the impact of Information Technology on enterprise performance and also the interruptions that increased connectivity through technology places on our behaviours. However, there remains a scarcity in current literature about the effect of our connectivity to others through ICT on our accomplishment of tasks.

This research attempts to identify to what extent connectivity through ICT is correlated to individual productivity, and how much of that connectivity is actually allowing us to achieve our goals.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Associate Professor Hans Lehmann and Dr Eusebio Scornavacca

In 2008 Balsam completed the Bachelor of Information Technology with Honours at Victoria University of Wellington. Whilst studying, her achievements allowed her to be one of the few selected to participate in the Undergraduate Research Development Program at Victoria. Balsam was also awarded an internship at Xero, which later funded her Honours research on Mobile Accounting Information Systems. In 2009, she was one of the six selected to work for IBM New Zealand in Wellington, where she commenced a graduate career and excelled in the Project Management area. After nearly four years experience of testing, business analysis, business process change and project management in the IT and Finance industries, Balsam is now ready to commence her PhD in Information Systems. Outside of study she enjoys travel, indoor sports, graphic design and cuisine.

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 Suan Wong

An empirical analysis of improving learning using e-Learning systems by adopting Organic User Interface as an interaction style for University students

One of the components that often get neglected in the field of e-Learning is the interaction between the system and the users. Typically, instructional design and the creation of media elements are the main focus, while producing an effective user interface that enables a more fulfilling learning results are left to chance. Therefore this research aims to look at how a particular type of interface, i.e. an Organic User Interface, is able to provide an adaptive learning environment. Students learn in different styles and different pace and so there has to be an alternative to adapt to these differences in order to maximise learning.

The acts of acquiring knowledge or new skills are a natural process in all mankind; the world progresses and evolves as a result of application of the new found knowledge. Different people learn at different paces, depending on their learning styles and preferences. Today, the traditional classroom has been 'duplicated' into the Web Space or Computer Based Learning, where people can learn anywhere, anytime.

Currently e-Learning tools are easily available; however, besides the attractive elements on screen, the real goal seems to have been neglected. Real goal refers to when users are able to achieve the learning outcomes that were initially established in the most effective and efficient manner. Effectiveness is measured by a task completed in an optimum way; efficiency is measured through how fast a task takes to complete in a correct manner.

This research will have an impact on the effectiveness of e-Learning as a tool for University students to learn, where Organic User Interface is being adopted as the interaction style.

Please contact me to discuss any aspects of this research at address

Supervisors: Associate Professor Lalita Rajasingham and Dr Stephen Marshall

Suan is from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is currently on study leave from her role as the Head of School of Computing, University College of Technology & Innovation (UCTI). She has vast experience in teaching and has taught both in her home country and overseas. Besides teaching, Suan is the Manager, Student Affairs, where she works closely with the Student Council and aims to develop all-round abilities in students to complement their academic achievements. She holds a Master's Degree in Information Technology in Business from University of Lincolnshire, UK, and before the role at UCTI worked as an R&D Consultant with one of the franchised companies from US. Suan's research passion lies in Human Computer Interaction and how technology influences daily life, where she believes it is essential to incorporate human touch in technologies. Her current research focuses on improving learning via a more accessible user interface.

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 Dennis Ishumi

The crisis response capability of the IS function: The crisis preparedness perspective

Crisis management is the process by which an organisation attempts to identify possible adverse events that it may encounter, take safety measures to prevent the crises, or lessen the effects of a crisis in progress. A crisis is a specific, unanticipated, and non-routine event that generates high levels of uncertainty and jeopardizes high value priorities such as life, financial well-being, or physical infrastructures. Events that exhibit such kind of characteristics are on the rise in different parts of the worl, but little is found from the literature on methods and procedures that would facilitate organisations to prepare or assess their preparedness to counteract these events. This is also true for many information system functional groups, which in most organisations are regarded as the backbone of the productivity. The relevance of Information Systems (IS) in crises management can be substantiated based on two scenarios: first, IS may be the source of a crisis particularly when organisations experience system failures, system tampering or falsification of records. Two, an information system is an integral aspect of crisis response in terms of coordination, personnel and aid tracking, expertise identification, training, simulation, and infrastructure.

Therefore, the main objectives of this study are to identify and understand the factors that influence crisis preparedness at the organisational level, and to use those factors as a foundation for establishing a contextual model to assess the level of preparedness of the information systems functional group in the organisation.

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Supervisors: Dr Val Hooper and Professor Pak Yoong

Dennis has 13 years experience in teaching, project management, strategic planning, resource planning, desktop and network support, system design, and the operational leadership of all aspects of ICT. Before joining the PhD program at Victoria, he worked as the assistant lecturer at Ardhi University in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Dennis has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) majoring in electronic business management from the International University of Japan. His research interests lies in the evolution of mobile technologies in enhancing business operations, disaster and crisis management concepts, electronic business management and management of information systems.

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 Geetha Kanaparan

Use of e-learning technologies for learning programming collaboratively in higher educational institutions: A practical approach for adoption

The rapid development of computers and technology has encouraged universities and educational institutions to use e-learning as a medium to support and facilitate their teaching and learning process. This has propelled many initiatives and research into developing automated learning systems which is able to support the learning activities of students. E-learning supports many disciplines in education and training, and is widely used and acknowledged as an organisational learning tool which supports anytime, anywhere learning. Universities and educational institutions have fast embraced technology and have over the years used e-learning technologies to support classroom-based learning or even to conduct whole courses electronically. In this regard, many applications, either off-the-shelf or custom-made applications have been designed to enable support for part of or deliver whole courses electronically.

With the advancement of e-learning technologies, collaborative activities have also extended from a traditional classroom-based collaborative environment to a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. Herein, continuous advancement of e-learning technologies has propelled the CSCL environment. Collaborative learning using e-learning technologies has been practiced widely in many disciplines in organisations and educational institutions. Of interest, is the discipline concerning programming in the field of Information Technology.

With the evolution of e-learning technologies, many researchers have experimented with learning programming collaboratively using e-learning technologies. Researchers and academics have designed or experimented on a variety of applications and existing e-learning technologies to enable learning of programming collaboratively. However, the wide array of technologies used is not without its challenges. This research intends to explore how can e-learning technologies be used for learning programming collaboratively in higher educational institutions.

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Supervisors: Professor Rowena Cullen & Dr David Mason

Geetha holds a Masters degree in Information Technology with Business from the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside, UK and a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology and Business Information Systems with First Class Honours from Middlesex University, London. She has 15 years of teaching and supervisory experience in private higher educational institutions in Malaysia and specialises in the areas of software development methodologies, information systems management and programming languages. Geetha is currently on study leave from her position as Head of School of Postgraduate Studies in Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation (UCTI), Malaysia. Her research interests are in the areas of software development methodologies, e-learning, computer supported collaborative learning, and educational technology.

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