I am pleased to present the 23(3)rd issue of the Journal of IT Case and Application Research (JITCAR). This is a second volume of the special online education issue co-edited by Shailendra Palvia and Vic Matta. This special issue is dedicated to analyzing the evolution of traditional in-class education toward blended, hybrid, flipped, synchronous online, asynchronous online, and combinations thereof, the pace of which has been accelerated by the pandemic Covid-19.
The contents of this issue are an editorial preface article by Shekhar Chandra and Shailendra Palvia; two research articles – the first being coauthored by Adi Katz and Sagit Kedem-Yemini, while the second is coauthored by Tripti Mahara, Lakshmi Shankar Iyer, Vic Matta, and Subburaj Alagarsamy; expert opinion report is written by Gaurav Bansal, and the book review is presented by Vijay Vemuri. Summary information on these items is as follows.
The editorial preface article, “online education next wave: peer to peer learning,” explains how the second generation of online learning (2.0) focuses on peer-to-peer learning will trump instructor-led education from the previous generation (i.e., online education 1.0). The article argues that peer-to-peer network-based knowledge exchange is the critical aspect of the second generation of online education. The article also highlights the need to foster creativity in students and suggests that a lack of such training might create productivity and social cohesion risks.
The first research article is titled “from classrooms to Zoom rooms: preserving effective communication in distance education.” The study examines the implications of the transition from in-class learning to e-learning via the Zoom platform. The authors gathered information from various formal and informal oral and textual sources. They found that shifting away from in-class learning was detrimental to all four dimensions of interpersonal communication. The study makes a case for six different communication strategies to maintain mutual understanding and positive emotions in an online Zoom class environment.
A second article is titled, “Effect of organizational culture during crises on the adoption of virtual classrooms: an extension of UTAUT model.” This study adds to our understanding of the impact of organizational culture during the obligatory adoption of a virtual classroom (VC) during the COVID pandemic. This research examines the role of organizational culture during crises (OCC) on the intetntion to adopt a virtual classroom using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. The results have implications for the higher education institutions planning for the smooth adoption of virtual classrooms by faculty when confronted by crises.
The Expert Opinion report narrates an interview with Sarah alt. Sarah Alt is the founder and CEO of the Ethical AI Consortium (EAIC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding and explaining ethical and responsible design, development, acquisition, and use of advanced algorithms, analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence. She shares her reflections on what she is concerned about how AI is being developed and used in our businesses without adequate governance and also shares he views on what management and employees can do to enhance AI governance in their organizations.
The book review report by Vijay Vemuri provides a critical analysis of the book titled New Dimensions of Information Warfare, authored By Roberto Di Pietro, Simone Raponi, Maurantonio Caprolu, and Stefano Cresci. The book was published in 2021 by Springer. The book is organized into three parts divided according to the targets of information warfare. Vijay suggests that the authors do a commendable job of expanding the scope of information security to include disorders brought about by social media. Vijay provides a concise review highlighting the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the book.
I hope you will enjoy reading all the items in this issue.
With best regards,
Sincerely