The emergence of artificial intelligence has triggered enthusiasm and promise of boundless opportunities as much as uncertainty about its limits. The contributions to this volume explore the limits of AI, describe the necessary conditions for its functionality, reveal its attendant technical and social problems, and present some existing and potential solutions. At the same time, the contributors highlight the societal and attending economic hopes and fears, utopias and dystopias that are associated with the current and future development of artificial intelligence.

Contents page:

Editorial

Contents page

Preface

• Learning Algorithms

: What is Artificial Intelligence Really Capable of?

• Transgressing the Boundaries

: Towards a Rigorous Understanding of Deep Learning and Its (Non )Robustness

• Limits and Prospects of Ethics in the Context of Law and Society by the Example of Accident Algorithms of Autonomous Driving

• Limits and Prospects of Big Data and Small Data Approaches in AI Applications

• Artificial Intelligence and/as Risk

• When You Can’t Have What You Want

: Measuring Users’ Ethical Concerns about Interacting with AI Assistants Using MEESTAR

• Man-Machines

: Gynoids, Fembots, and Body AI in Contemporary Cinematic Narratives

• Trends in Explainable Artificial Intelligence for Non-Experts

• Machine Dreaming

• Let’s Fool That Stupid AI

: Adversarial Attacks against Text Processing AI

Authors

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This textbook aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the field of auditing information systems (IS) for degree-level students. The book covers the latest IS auditing standards and ethical principles and uses case studies to illustrate their application. Critical topics such as IT governance, risk management, IS controls frameworks and standards, and planning and conducting IS audits are discussed. The textbook examines general and application controls and newer technologies such as cloud computing, blockchain, internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI). It also covers IS audit findings and report writing. 

Auditing Information Systems: A Practical Approach is designed to help students navigate the complexities of IS governance, risk management, and control evaluation effectively. 

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Excel is one of the top-used business applications across virtually any industry. It’s much more than graphed paper; the programing in this application streamlines and solves complicated business problems. It has data management abilities, meaning you can store a database of customer information and perform analysis to gather important data about your business like sales data, popular items, etc. 

Understanding how to properly use Excel is a highly employable skill and can lead to opportunities for promotion. It helps you lead in resolving challenging issues and share the most important information.

This textbook provides practice instructions to understand how to use Excel. Take your time to use this text to practice and rework skills in Excel to quickly learn how to use the program. It will take practice and effort, but as you learn Excel, you will see benefits throughout your life.

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Overview: 

This textbook is meant to accompany a course on Business Computer Information Systems. it covers the history and contemporary state of affairs, and goes in depth on Microsoft Excel uses and functions.

Table of Contents:

Concepts Chapter 1 - Thriving in a Technology-Rich World

• 1.1 Tech Is Everywhere

• 1.2 The Five Forces Of Competition

• 1.3 Netflix: Tech and Timing

Concepts Chapter 2 - Business Ethics & Civility

• 2.1 Being a Professional of Integrity

• 2.2 Ethics and Profitability

• 2.3 Civility Matters

Concepts Chapter 3 - Computers: Faster, Cheaper, Everywhere

• 3.1 Influential Figures

• 3.2 Key Computer Components

• 3.3 Beyond Moore’s Law

Concepts Chapter 4 - Information Systems to Enhance Business

• 4.1 Business Process (Re)Design

• 4.2 Costs Beyond the Price Tag

• 4.3 Where Does The Data Come From?

Concepts Chapter 5: The Net, The Web, & The Digital Divide

• 5.1 The Internet

• 5.2 The Web

• 5.3 The Last Mile: The Digital Divide

End of Chapter Quiz

Concepts Chapter 6 - Databases

• 6.1 Data, Information, and Knowledge

• 6.2 Data Warehouses and Data Marts

• 6.3 The Business Intelligence Toolkit

Excel Chapter 1 – Fundamental Skills

• 1.1 Overview of Microsoft Excel

• 1.2 Entering, Editing, and Managing Data

• 1.3 Formatting and Data Analysis

1.4 Chapter Practice

1.5 Chapter Assessment

Excel Chapter 2 – Formulas, Functions, Cell References

• 2.1 Formulas

• 2.2 Creating & Auditing Complex Formulas

• 2.3 Mathematical & Statistical Functions

• 2.4 Sorting Data

2.5 Chapter Practice

2.6 Chapter Assessment

Excel Chapter 3 – Building More Complex Formulas

• 3.1 More Ways to Use Formulas and Functions

• 3.2 The IF Function

• 3.3 The VLOOKUP Function

• 3.4 Conditional Formatting

3.5 Chapter Practice

3.6 Chapter Assessment

Excel Chapter 4 – Presenting Data with Charts

• 4.1.A: Choosing a Chart Type: Line Charts

• 4.1.B: Choosing a Chart Type: Column Charts

• 4.1.C: Choosing a Chart Type: Pie Chart

• 4.1.D: Choosing a Chart Type: Stacked Column Chart

• 4.2 Formatting Charts

• 4.3 The Beauty of Data Visualization

4.4 Chapter Practice: U.S. EIA Crude Oil Imports

4.5 Chapter Assessment

Excel Chapter 5 – Excel Tables

• 5.1 Table Basics

• 5.2 Filtering & Slicers

• 5.3 Subtotals & Grand Totals

5.4 - Practice 1: YouTube Top 30

5.4 - Practice 2: Tourism Data

5.4 - Practice 3: Airfare Data

5.4 - Practice 4: Audible Data

5.5 Chapter Assessment

Excel Chapter 6: PivotTables & PivotCharts

• 6.1 Creating PivotTables

• 6.2 Sort & Filter PivotTable Data

• 6.3 PivotCharts

6.4 College Scorecard Chapter Assessment

6.5.A: Chapter Practice 1: EIA Imports Data

6.5.B Chapter Practice 2: CFPB Complaint Data

6.5.D Chapter Practice 4: Taxpayer Returns Data Analysis

6.5 Fashion Data Practice

CFPB H5P

Excel Chapter 7 – Multiple Sheet Files

• 7.1 Multiple Sheet Basics

• 7.2 Formulas with 3-D References

• 7.3 Templates

7.4 Chapter Practice

7.5 Chapter Assessment

Excel Chapter 8: Advanced Logic & Conditional Functions

• 8.1 The IF Function (Refresher)

• 8.2 Nested IF Functions

• 8.3 NESTING AND, OR, NOT FUNCTIONS INSIDE AN IF FUNCTION

• 8.4 Conditional Functions

8.5 Chapter Assessment

Excel Chapter 9: Functions for Personal Finance

• 9.1 The PMT (Payment) Function for Loans

• 9.2 The PMT (Payment) Function for Leases

• 9.3 Creating a Budget Summary Worksheet

9.4 Chapter Practice

9.5 Chapter Assessment

Excel Chapter 10: Integrating Microsoft Office Suite Applications

• 10.1 Cleaning And Restructuring Data In Excel

• 10.2 Mail Merge

• 10.3 Integrating Excel® with Word® and PowerPoint®

Data File

10.4 Chapter Practice

Appendix

MIS Terms Concepts

Excel Definitions and Terms

============================================================================================

Social media, digital devices, and networked communication systems have entered our collective bloodstream. This e-book touches upon the human experience of contemporary trends that affect how we perceive ourselves, others, and society.

Table of contents:

Introduction – Why study digital and social media?

Chapter 1 - A Historical Perspective

Chapter 2 – What is a Social Network?

Chapter 3 – Metadata, Tracking, and the User's Experience

Chapter 4 – The Ethical Challenges of Online Behavioral Targeting (OBT)

Chapter 5 - Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Chapter 6 – Facial Recognition

Chapter 7 – Digital Activism

Chapter 8 - Deepfakes, Hate Speech, Anonymity, and Free Speech

Chapter 10 – Socially Constructed Knowledge: Q & A Networks and Wikis

About the Author – Steve Covello

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This book is written for the typical computer user: someone who uses computers for day-to-day activities (browsing the web, sending/receiving email, etc.) and is interested in delving a bit deeper into some of the current technology concepts and terminology.

Table of Contents:

Accessibility Statement

For Students: How to Access and Use this Textbook

About BCcampus Open Education

Introduction

1. Software Updates and Patches

2. Malware and Viruses

3. Geolocation

4. Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

5. Searching the Web

6. Analyzing Web Content

7. Crowdsourcing Online Reviews

8. Privacy & Online Presence

9. Email

10. Cloud Computing

11. Staying Organized

12. User-ID / Password Management

13. Wi-Fi Networks

14. Home Networks

15. Backup & Restore

16. File & Printer Sharing

17. Remote Access & VPNs

18. Bluetooth

Versioning History

==========================================================================================

All African countries need better and more jobs for their growing populations. "Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs" shows that broader use of productivity-enhancing, digital technologies by enterprises and households is imperative to generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. At the same time, it can support not only countries’ short-term objective of postpandemic economic recovery but also their vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. These outcomes are not automatic, however. Mobile internet availability has increased throughout the continent in recent years, but Africa’s uptake gap is the highest in the world. Areas with at least 3G mobile internet service now cover 84 percent of Africa’s population, but only 22 percent uses such services. And the average African business lags in the use of smartphones and computers as well as more sophisticated digital technologies that catalyze further productivity gains. Two issues explain the usage gap: affordability of these new technologies and willingness to use them. For the 40 percent of Africans below the extreme poverty line, mobile data plans alone would cost one-third of their incomes—in addition to the price of access devices, apps, and electricity. Data plans for small- and medium-size businesses are also more expensive than in other regions. Moreover, shortcomings in the quality of internet services—and in the supply of attractive, skills-appropriate apps that promote entrepreneurship and raise earnings—dampen people’s willingness to use them. 

For those countries already using these technologies, the development payoffs are significant. New empirical studies for this report add to the rapidly growing evidence that mobile internet availability directly raises enterprise productivity, increases jobs, and reduces poverty throughout Africa. To realize these and other benefits more widely, Africa’s countries must implement complementary and mutually reinforcing policies to strengthen both consumers’ ability to pay and willingness to use digital technologies. These interventions must prioritize productive use to generate large numbers of inclusive jobs in a region poised to benefit from a massive, youthful workforce—one projected to become the world’s largest by the end of this century.

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This book received the 2018 AECT Outstanding Book Award!

"What is this field?" "Where have we come from as a discipline, and where are we going?" "What do I want to study?" These and other questions are typical for new students in the field of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. This textbook is designed to help answer these questions and provide the quickest route to understanding the history and current trends in the field. After surveying classic theories and writings, as well as more recent applications of theory and practice, students will be better prepared to chart their own course and careers within the discipline. This book is designed to support foundations courses common in departments, as well as seminars on current trends and issues.

For a detailed Contents Page, go to https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations 

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Governments across the world make thousands of personnel management decisions, procure millions of goods and services, and execute billions of processes each day. They are data rich.  And yet, there is little systematic practice to-date which capitalizes on this data to make public administrations work better. This means that governments are missing out on data insights to save billions in procurement expenditures, recruit better talent into government, and identify sources of corruption, to name just a few.

The Government Analytics Handbook seeks to change that. It presents frontier evidence and practitioner insights on how to leverage data to make governments work better. Covering a range of microdata sources—such as administrative data and public servant surveys—as well as tools and resources for undertaking the analytics, it transforms the ability of governments to take a data-informed approach to diagnose and improve how public organizations work.

Main Messages:

Firms are capitalizing on innovations in data science at an unprecedented scale to improve their internal operations, but many governments are lacking behind. This book introduces government analytics – how governments can repurpose their data and records to diagnose public administration and boost public sector productivity.

A wealth of approaches and data sources are available to governments for analytics to identify evidence-based improvements. Many of these approaches rely on data that governments already collect as part of their day-to-day operations.

Government analytics can be undertaken with at least three types of data: 

• administrative data from government entities (such as procurement data); 

• surveys of public servants; and 

• external assessments (such as household surveys or anthropological assessments).

Which data source is appropriate for analytics depends on what aspect of public administration an organization is seeking to diagnose and improve. Some data sources are better suited to assessing inputs into public administration, such as payroll data assessing the costs of different personnel. Some data sources are better suited to assessing the processes, practices, and cultures that convert inputs into outputs, such as surveys of public servants assessing perceptions of management in government. And some data sources are better suited to assessing the outputs and outcomes of public administration, such as citizen satisfaction surveys.

Frontier government analytics integrates different data sources and makes insights accessible to managers across government organizations. For instance, dashboards integrating data sources and updating in real time can provide managers with insights into staffing issues, quality of management, task completion rates and case productivity, among many. Comparative data can allow benchmarking with other government organizations, or where appropriate, other countries. The result is a transformational change, with managers integrating analytic insights with their tacit understanding of their organization to drive continuous public administration improvement.

Governments can advance government analytics by creating government analytics units at the center of government and within each major organization. Centralized units enable economies of scale in analytics, a common data architecture and government-wide benchmarking. Units within organizations can complement central analytics by helping interpret analytics for their organization, and adapting analytics tools to particular organizational needs.

Reviews:

"This pioneering handbook shows how microdata can be used to give ... granular and real insights into how states work."

- Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University, author of State-Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century

"The most comprehensive work on practically building government administration I have ever seen."

- Francisco Gaetani, Special Secretary for State Transformation, Government of Brazil 

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This book introduces students to the concept of information systems, the components of information systems, their application to business, and the impacts of their use on business and society. This book is written as an introductory text, meant for those with little or no experience with computers or information systems.

While sometimes the descriptions can get a bit technical, every effort has been made to convey the information essential to understanding a topic while not getting overly focused in detailed terminology. The text is organized into thirteen chapters, and then divided into sub-chapters by concept or topic (See below).

Notes: 

• This edition provides a Canadian context and examples.

• This book is an adaptation of a book originally developed in 2014 by Dr. David Bourgeois as part of the Open Textbook Challenge funded by the Saylor Foundation and updated in 2019.

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgements

About this Book

Changes from Previous Edition

Chapter 1: Information Systems

• 1.1. Chapter Introduction

• 1.2. Information Systems

• 1.3. Information Systems Components

• 1.4. The Role of Information Systems

• 1.5. Technology in Professions

• 1.6. People and Information Systems

• 1.7. Information Systems in an Organization

• [...]

Chapter 2: Technology Enabled Strategy

• 2.1. Chapter Introduction

• 2.2. Digital Business Landscape

• 2.3. Technology Enabled Strategy

• 2.4. Competitive Advantage

• 2.5. Competitive Strategy

• 2.6. The Value Chain

• 2.7. Porter's Five Forces

• 2.8. The Danger of Relying on Technology

• [...]

Chapter 2: Technology Enabled Strategy

• 2.1. Chapter Introduction

• 2.2. Digital Business Landscape

• 2.3. Technology Enabled Strategy

• 2.4. Competitive Advantage

• 2.5. Competitive Strategy

• 2.6. The Value Chain

• 2.7. Porter's Five Forces

• 2.8. The Danger of Relying on Technology

• [...]

Chapter 3: Hardware

• 3.1. Chapter Introduction

• 3.2. Digital Devices

• 3.3. Personal Computer Tour

• 3.4. Processing Data

• 3.5. Storing Data

• 3.6. Computer Speed factors

• 3.7. Input and Output Devices

• 3.8. Trends in Personal Computing

• 3.9. PC Commoditization and E-Waste

• [...]

Chapter 4: Software

• 4.1. Chapter Introduction

• 4.2. Operating Systems

• 4.3. Application Software

• 4.4. Desktop and Enterprise Software

• 4.5. Mobile Software

• 4.6. Obtaining Software

• 4.7. Open Source Software

• [...]

Chapter 5: Data

• 5.1. Chapter Introduction

• 5.2. Big Data

• 5.3. Databases

• 5.4. Database Models

• 5.5. Data Hierarchy

• 5.6. Designing a Database

• 5.7. Why Databases?

• 5.8. Database Manipulation

• [...]

Chapter 6: Networks

• 6.1. Chapter Introduction

• 6.2. Communications Process

• 6.3. Networks

• 6.4. The Internet

• 6.5. A Packet's Journey

• 6.6. The Growth of High Speed Internet

• 6.7. Wireless Networking

• 6.8. Organizational Networking

• 6.9. Businesses Applications

• [...]

Chapter 7: Systems Development

• 7.1. Chapter Introduction

• 7.2. Systems Development

• 7.3. Systems Development Life Cycle

• 7.4. Other Development Methods

• 7.5. Feasibility

• 7.6. Design

• 7.7. Building a Mobile App

• 7.8. Programming

• 7.9. Build vs. Buy

• 7.10. Implementation and Maintenance

• [...]

Chapter 8: Security

• 8.1. Chapter Introduction

• 8.2. Cybercrime

• 8.3. The Information Security Triad

• 8.4. Tools for Security

• 8.5. Prevention

• 8.6. Detection and Security Policies

• 8.7. Information Security

• [...]

Chapter 9: Impacts of Information Systems

• 9.1. Chapter Introduction

• 9.2. Information Systems Ethics

• 9.3. Intellectual Property and Copyright

• 9.4. Patents and Trademarks

• 9.5. Privacy

• 9.6. Digital Divide

• 9.7. Other Social Impacts

• [...]

Chapter 10: E-Business

• 10.1. Chapter Introduction

• 10.2. Definitions

• 10.3. E-Commerce Advantages and Disadvantages

• 10.4. Online Strategy

• 10.5. Types of E-Commerce

• 10.6. E-Commerce Models

• 10.7. E-Commerce Technology

• 10.8. Blockchain and Bitcoin

• 10.9. Trends

• [...]

Chapter 11: Business Process Solutions

• 11.1. Chapter Introduction

• 11.2. Business Process

• 11.3. Business Process Management

• 11.4. Information Systems

• 11.5. Enterprise Resource Planning

• 11.6. Enterprise Systems

• [...]

Chapter 12: Decision Support

• 12.1. Chapter Introduction

• 12.2. Big Data

• 12.3. Managerial Decision Making

• 12.4. Decision Types

• 12.5. Decision Support Systems

• 12.6. Business Intelligence & Data Analytics

• 12.7. Data Analysis Projects

• 12.8. Analysis and Reporting Tools

• 12.9. Data Repositories

• [...]

Chapter 13: Emerging Technology

• 13.1. Introduction

• 13.2. AI Evolution

• 13.3. Machines, AI & Humans

• 13.4. Types of AI

• 13.5. Machine Learning and Deep Learning

• 13.6. Applications of AI

• 13.7. Extended Reality

• 13.8. Emerging Technology Trends

• 13.9.The Future: A Cautionary Approach?

• [...]

Appendices

• Appendix A: Video Resources

• Appendix B: Instructor Slide Decks

• Appendix C: Test Banks

Versioning History

References

==========================================================================================

Digital technologies old and new are not objects that can be packed inside a box. They are a seamless, indivisible combination of people, organizations, policies, economies, histories, cultures, knowledge, and material things that are continuously shaped and reshaped. Every one of us innovates-in-use our everyday technologies; we just do not always know it. We are shaped by the networked information tools in our midst, and we shape them and thereby shape others. 

While many of the chapters in this book can be approached as standalone explorations, as many around the world have done, its full potential comes when collaboratively taken as a journey through twelve sessions. Each session in this second, revised edition includes two thematically linked chapters, one more socially oriented and one more technically oriented. Sessions are brought together into three larger generative themes that are built from three decades of participatory design in and with community, and from the teaching of these concepts and practices in courses and workshops. 

Approached within a community of practice, learning outcomes include discovering ways to advance power, both power within and power with others; advancing our technical skills, but also and even more, our progressive community engagement skills, our critical sociotechnical skills, and our cognitive, information, and social-emotional skills; and progressing our culturally competent collective leadership through social justice storytelling within a framing of reciprocity. In so doing, this textbook seeks to address the call placed by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – to rapidly shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society.

Contents Page:

Introduction to the Book

Orange Unit: A Person-Centered Launch

• 1A: Information Systems

• 1B: Introduction to Electronic Circuits

• 2A: Critical Social + Technical Perspective

• 2B: Electronic Components in Series

• 3A: The Unknown Tech Innovators

• 3B: Computer Building Blocks

• 4A: Storytelling in the Information Sciences

• 4B: Meet the Microcomputer

• 4C: Getting Started with the Raspberry Pi

• 4D: Coding Electronics

• Orange Unit Review

Blue Unit: Computational Tinkering

• 1A: The Logic of Hardware and Programming

• 1B: Essential Coding Concepts

• 2A: The Methodological Landscape

• 2B: Make Music with Code

• 3A: Valued, Inclusive Information and Computing Technology Experiences

• 3B: Build Functions for Remixable Code

• 4A: Sharing Our Counterstories

• 4B: Raspberry Pi Counterstory Little Free Library

• Blue Unit Review

• REMIX: Ideating and Iterating Code: Scratch Example

Rainbow Unit: Networks Big and Small

• 1A: Programmable Electronics, Smart Technology, and the Internet of Things

• 1B: Connecting Our Electronic ‘Thing’ to a Wider World

• 2A: Digital Internets, Past and Present

• 2B: The Infrastructure of the Internet

• 3A: The Digitization of Divides

• 3B: A Person-Centered Network Information System Adventure

• 4A: Recovering Community: Designing for Social Justice

• 4B: Community-Centered Design: An Emergent Strategy for Community Organizing and Action

• Rainbow Unit Review

• Introducing the Unix Command Line

• Raspberry Pi Networking 1010

• Network Troubleshooting

• Security and Privacy

Glossary

Bibliography

=============================================================================================

That digital technologies can be tools for better governance is widely accepted - the degree to which they can meet their potential in Africa in the near future is an open question. Are the countries in Africa caught in a trap with digital progress limited by the very governance problems that such technologies could address? Or have they already progressed with large leaps forward? What are the factors that limit progress from being even faster? 

This study examines the progress and challenges in establishing the analog foundations for the use of digital technologies for better governance in Africa, and the degree of implementation of those GovTech tools. It covers the use of digital tools for providing information to the public, for streamlining the provision of government services including those related to taxation and business and land registration, courts and one-stop shops, digital identification systems, and interoperability between systems. The report similarly covers the use of digital tools for strengthening participation in policy making, accountability systems including grievance redress, and anticorruption. Finally, the report examines the adoption of electronic government procurement (eGP), as well as the procurement of IT systems by governments. The report concludes with recommendations for reaching the potential for the use of digital tools for better governance in Africa. 

[SEE ALSO: Regulating the Digital Economy in Africa:  Managing Old and New Risks to Economic Governance for Inclusive Opportunities.]

Contents page:

1. Introduction

•    Africa’s governance challenge   

•    Can digitization help?   

•    Data and stories 

•    Roadmap for the report   

2. Progress in the adoption of digital tools and complements for better governance

•    Digital adoption by government and its impact on good governance  

•    Laying the foundation of digital infrastructure, institutions, and other analog complements

•    Chapter summary: Progress in digital adoption shows results, but they are hampered by weaknesses in analog complements and institutions

3. Governance risks in public procurement of ICT solutions 

•    Understanding the governance risks in ICT procurement 

•    Minimizing governance risks in ICT procurement 

•    Chapter summary: Governance risks are large but manageable

4. Digital tools for providing information to the public  

•    Online provision of information by government 

•    Online publication of budget documents  

•    Online publication of laws and regulations 

•    Chapter summary: Digital tools are often used to provide information, but details and institutional foundations are lacking

5. Digital tools for streamlining the provision of government services and supporting efficiency

•    E-government procurement 

•    Digital tools for filing and paying taxes

•    Digital land registration systems  

•    E-services for business registration  

•    E-court systems 

•    One-stop-shops for digital services and payments 

•    Digital identification systems 

•    Interoperable government systems and data infrastructure  

•    Chapter summary: Basic functions can be found, but transactional features are rare

6. Digital tools for strengthening participation, accountability, and anticorruption

•    Digital tools for public participation in policy making  

•    Digital tools for citizen feedback on services and projects 

•    Digital tools for reporting and detecting corruption 

•    Chapter summary: Countries are just scratching the surface on digital tools for participation, accountability, and anticorruption

7. Summary of main findings  

Index 

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This book explores the big data evolution by interrogating the notion that big data is a disruptive innovation that appears to be challenging existing epistemologies in the humanities and social sciences. Exploring various (controversial) facets of big data such as ethics, data power, and data justice, the book attempts to clarify the trajectory of the epistemology of (big) data-driven science in the humanities and social sciences.

SEE ALSO: Surfers van die Tsunami: Navorsing en Inligtingstegnologie binne die Geesteswetenskappe  (a related Afrikaans open access book, published in 2014).

Summarised Contents page:

1. The (fuzzy) origins of big data and the dangers of ignoring history

2. Locating big data in the (digital) humanities and (computational) social sciences

3. Big Data, big despair: Myths debunked and lessons learned

4. Big Data needs big ethics

5. Does big data visualisation make our endeavours less humanistic?

6. Data power in the era of big data: Friend or foe?

7. The place of qualitative data analysis software (QDAS) programmes in a big data world

8. The nitty-gritty: Big data infrastructure

9. Leveraging social scientific and humanistic expertise in the world of (big) data science

10. An example: Big data analysis in the humanities in South Africa

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[From the Introduction, by Torrey Trust:]

With the easy-to-use, yet powerful web design platforms available today (e.g., Wix, Google Sites, Weebly, Wordpress), anyone can create a website. However, that doesn't mean that every website will be valuable to readers. Nor does it mean that simply creating a website will enrich your students' learning. Websites need to be accessible, well-designed, easy-to-navigate, and easy-to-scan, otherwise, viewers will leave quickly and unhappy. 

If you want to create an educational website that enriches student learning or presents information to students' family members or amplifies your digital reputation, then make sure to explore each of the five chapters in this book. This book offers a selection of tips, examples, and resources to ease your web design experience and improve your results. 

The book was designed as part of a class project for EDUC 612: Educational Web Design at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The following graduate students contributed to the book: Emily Ding, Michael Ferguson, Joel Flores, Sai Gattupalli, Jennifer Haugsjaahabink, Yaxin He, Margeret Hersey, Kay Lloyd, Adam Lopes, Jarvis Miller, James Swerzenski, and Chris Von Achen. Additionally, Trevor Takayama provided valuable insights and support with editing the chapters. 

We hope that you find this book to be a valuable resource. Feel free to share it or use it in your class! 

This book was written for a one-semester course in web design for students in Ryerson’s Faculty of Communication and Design (FCAD) and may also be useful for high school, community college, or training center courses on beginning web design — or for anyone who wants to read the book and complete the tutorials on their own.

The goal of the book is to provide students with a reference on some of the latest web design practices that is short and to-the-point, low-cost, and readily accessible.

What You Will Need:

To use this book and its companion site for a course similar to Ryerson’s, you will need:

• A computer, preferably with a large-screen display, for each student

• An HTML-editing program, such as Adobe Dreamweaver

• An image-editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop.

• An animation program, like Adobe Flash or Edge, Tumult Hype, or similar. If using Flash, Google’s free “Swiffy” plugin enables exporting HTML5 that will work on iOS devices.

• Optionally, a server where students’ work can be uploaded to and viewed on the web. In this case, a file-transfer utility like “FileZilla” may also be useful.

Table of Contents:

    Chapter 1 - Introduction

Chapter 2 - Files and Links

Chapter 3 - HTML

Chapter 4 - The Semantic Web

Chapter 5 - Styles and CSS

Chapter 6 - Image Optimization

Chapter 7 - Video

Chapter 8 - Animation

Chapter 9 – JavaScript

Chapter 10 – JavaScript Libraries

Chapter 11 - Uploading Content to a Web Server

Chapter 12 - eBook Formats

Chapter 13 - eBook Production

Chapter 14 - Digital Photography for Web and Cross-Media

Chapter 15 - Photoshop for Web and Cross-Media

Chapter 16 - Apps for iOS

Chapter 17 - Web References

Appendix - Image Credits

===============================================================================

This guide will help you become "web literate" by showing you how to become a discerning consumer of information. Learn how to search for information, evaluate content, and learn tips for separating facts from internet myths. 

[NOTE: This is a NSCC adapted version of an open textbook created by Mike Caulfield.]

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments

I. Four Fact-Checking Strategies

1. Why This Book?

2. Four Fact-Checking Strategies

3. When Emotional Content Goes Viral

II. Previous Verification

4. Has it Already Been Fact-Checked?

5. Fact-checking Sites

6. Wikipedia

III. Locate the Source

7. Find the Source

8. Identifying Sponsored Content

9. Activity: Spot Sponsored Content

10. Understanding Syndication

11. Tracking the Source of Viral Content

12. Tracking the Source of Viral Photos

13. Using Google Reverse Image Search

14. Filtering by Time and Place to Find the Original

15. Activity: Trace Viral Photos

IV. Credibility of the Source

16. What “Reading Laterally” Means

17. Evaluating a Website or Publication’s Authority

18. Basic Techniques: Domain Searches, WHOIS

19. Activity: Evaluate a Site

20. Time-Saving Tips for Fact-Checkers

21. Finding a Journal’s Impact Factor

22. Using Google Scholar to Check Author Expertise

23. How to Think about Research

24. Finding High Quality Secondary Sources

25. Choosing Your Experts First

26. Evaluating News Sources

27. What Makes a Trustworthy News Source?

28. National Newspapers of Record

29. Activity: Expert or Crank?

30. Activity: Find Top Authorities for a Subject

V. Field Guide

31. Verifying Twitter Identity

32. Activity: Verify a Twitter Account

33. Using the Wayback Machine to Check for Page Changes

34. Finding Out When a Page Was Published Using Google

35. Citation Rates

36. Using Google Books to Track Down Quotes

37. Understanding Astroturfing

38. Searching TV Transcripts with the Internet Archive

39. Treating Google’s “Snippets” with Suspicion

40. Using Buzzsumo to Find Highly Viral Stories

41. Finding Out Who Owns a Domain

42. Avoiding Confirmation Bias in Searches

43. Promoted Tweets

44. Finding Old Newspaper Articles

Image Descriptions

References

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Workplace Software and Skills is designed to flexibly support a range of courses covering computer literacy, Microsoft Office, and Google Suite applications. The textbook covers both hard and soft skills that are applicable to a broad range of academic majors and careers. Chapters combine studio learning and guided practice with scaffolded activities designed to reinforce a student’s ability to perform higher-order tasks independently. Workplace Software and Skills leverages complementary product features in spreadsheet, word processing, presentation, and similar applications. Modules are designed for maximum flexibility by including both Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite applications, in order to best reflect the skills needed for today’s workforce. Authentic activities and real-world contexts develop a cumulative and thorough understanding, which reinforces the importance of cross-platform proficiency. Highly visible features also note Apple/Mac functions as needed. 

Contents Page:

Preface

Chapter 1  Technology in Everyday Life and Business

• Chapter Scenario

• 1.1 Computing from Inception to Today

• 1.2 Computer Hardware and Networks

• 1.3 The Internet, Cloud Computing, and the Internet of Things

• 1.4 Safety, Security, Privacy, and the Ethical Use of Technology

• [...]

Chapter 2  Essentials of Software Applications for Business

• Chapter Scenario

• 2.1 Software Basics

• 2.2 Files and Folders

• 2.3 Communication and Calendar Applications

• 2.4 Essentials of Microsoft 365

• 2.5 Essentials of Google Workspace

• 2.6 Collaboration

• [...]

Chapter 3  Creating and Working in Documents

• Chapter Scenario

• 3.1 Navigating Microsoft Word

• 3.2 Formatting Document Layout in Microsoft Word

• 3.3 Formatting Document Content in Microsoft Word

• 3.4 Collaborative Editing and Reviewing in Microsoft Word

• 3.5 Document Design

• 3.6 Navigating Google Docs

• 3.7 Formatting Layout and Content in Google Docs

• 3.8 Collaborative Editing and Reviewing in Google Docs

• 3.9 Versions and Version History

• [...]

Chapter 4  Document Preparation

• Chapter Scenario

• 4.1 Microsoft Word: Advanced Formatting Features

• 4.2 Working with Graphics and Text Tools in Microsoft Word

• 4.3 Managing Long Documents in Microsoft Word

• 4.4 Google Docs: Enhanced Formatting Features

• 4.5 Working with Graphics and Text Tools in Google Docs

• 4.6 Managing Long Documents in Google Docs

• [...]

Chapter 5  Advanced Document Preparation

• Chapter Scenario

• 5.1 Creating Different Document Types in Microsoft Word

• 5.2 Mail Merge in Microsoft Word

• 5.3 Creating Forms in Microsoft Word

• 5.4 Creating Different Document Types in Google Docs

• 5.5 Creating Forms in Google Docs

• 5.6 Advanced Collaboration in Google Docs

• [...]

Chapter 6  Preparing Presentations

• Chapter Scenario

• 6.1 Presentation and Design Essentials

• 6.2 Designing a Presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint

• 6.3 Formatting Microsoft PowerPoint Slides: Layout and Design Principles

• 6.4 Adding Visuals and Features to Microsoft PowerPoint Slides

• 6.5 Designing a Presentation in Google Slides

• 6.6 Creating Google Slides: Layout and Text

• 6.7 Adding Visuals and Features to Google Slides

• [...]

Chapter 7  Advanced Presentation Skills

• Chapter Scenario

• 7.1 Effective Presentation Skills

• 7.2 Finalizing a Slide Collection

• 7.3 Preparing a Microsoft PowerPoint Collection for Presentation

• 7.4 Preparing a Google Slides Collection for Presentation

• [...]

Chapter 8  Content Management Systems and Social Media in Business

• Chapter Scenario

• 8.1 What Are Content Management Systems?

• 8.2 Common Content Management Systems

• 8.3 Creating Content with a Content Management System

• 8.4 Search Engine Optimization

• 8.5 Social Media in Business

• [...]

Chapter 9  Working with Spreadsheets

• Chapter Scenario

• 9.1 Microsoft Excel Basics

• 9.2 Text and Numbers in Microsoft Excel

• 9.3 Calculations and Basic Formulas in Microsoft Excel

• 9.4 Formatting and Templates in Microsoft Excel

• 9.5 Google Sheets Basics

• 9.6 Text and Numbers in Google Sheets

• 9.7 Calculations and Basic Formulas in Google Sheets

• 9.8 Formatting and Templates in Google Sheets

• [...]

Chapter 10  Advanced Excel Formulas, Functions, and Techniques

• Chapter Scenario

• 10.1 Data Tables and Ranges

• 10.2 More About Formulas

• 10.3 Using Arithmetic, Statistical, and Logical Functions

• 10.4 PivotTables

• 10.5 Auditing Formulas and Fixing Errors

• 10.6 Advanced Formatting Techniques

• [...]

Chapter 11  Advanced Excel Spreadsheets: Statistical and Data Analysis

• Chapter Scenario

• 11.1 Understanding Data, Data Validation, and Data Tables

• 11.2 Statistical Functions

• 11.3 What-If Analysis

• 11.4 PivotTables/Charts

• 11.5 Data Analysis Charts

• [...]

Chapter 12  Using Excel in Accounting and Financial Reporting

• Chapter Scenario

• 12.1 Basic Accounting

• 12.2 Financial Functions in Microsoft Excel

• 12.3 Integrating Microsoft Excel and Accounting Programs

• [...]

Chapter 13  Understanding and Using Databases

• Chapter Scenario

• 13.1 What Is a Database?

• 13.2 Microsoft Access: Main Features and Navigation

• 13.3 Querying a Database

• 13.4 Maintaining Records in a Database

• 13.5 Creating Reports in Microsoft Access

• 13.6 Creating Forms in Microsoft Access

• [...]

Chapter 14  Advanced Database Use

• Chapter Scenario

• 14.1 Advanced Queries in Microsoft Access

• 14.2 Multiple Table Forms

• 14.3 Customizing Forms

• 14.4 Customizing Reports

• 14.5 Using Macros

• 14.6 Data Analysis and Integration

• [...]

Chapter 15  Integrating Applications

• Chapter Scenario

• 15.1 Microsoft 365: Collaboration and Integration

• 15.2 Microsoft Word: Integration with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access

• 15.3 Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint Integration

• 15.4 Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint Integration

• 15.5 Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access Integration

• 15.6 Integrating Data from Other Programs into Google Workspace

• 15.7 New Developments: The Role of Artificial Intelligence

• 15.8 Mastering Workplace Software Skills: A Project

• [...]

Index

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