Browsing by Author "Jayasundara, C.C."

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Adoption of electronic books in a higher education setting: an exploratory case study based on Diffusion of Innovation and Garner’s Hype Cycle paradigms
(Annals of Library and Information Studies, 2021) Jayasundara, C.C.
The purpose of this research was to examine the status of library users' adoption of e-books in line with Rogers's Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and Gartner’s Hype Cycle (GHC) Model in the context of Fiji National University (FNU). The FNU Library introduced e-books to its user community in 2014. Purposively chosen 40 undergraduate students from the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies were selected as the sample to conduct in-depth interviews. The study revealed that the participants' e-book adoption habits were primarily divided among early adopters, early majority, and late majority. The results disclosed many factors that influence the adoption of e-books, such as familiarity with the technology, personal taste, exposure to trial access, use of preferred access devices and enthusiasm for reading. Findings indicate that e-books adoption of university undergraduates in line with the DOI and GHC paradigms has substantiated how the underpinning theories could help interpret the adoption of e-books in teaching and learning environment. Thus, this research will help librarians and educators develop a robust mechanism for better understanding the inherent status-quo of e-book usage in higher education institutions. These research findings will also help develop strategies that can significantly enhance universities' traditional teaching and learning performance with emerging technologies.
Beware the Tyranny, Resulted by Impact Factor Mania Among the Scientists: A Critical Review
(Journal of the University of Ruhuna, 2020) Jayasundara, C.C.
Publishing articles in high-ranked journals brings a higher payoff that designates a greater likelihood of scholastic success of academics and researchers. In the present climate, it provides many opportunities for researchers to be in a "Golden Club" and catch a great deal of offers from Head-hunters, particularly for jobs, research grants, and consultancies, as many people in the research/academic industry still rely on the fact that greater impact is widely apparent in high ranked journals and the journals with high Impact Factor (IF). In universities, many researchers in academic administration positions, who have already progressed with high visibility by publishing research in journals with high IF, always attempt to put into action the same level of requirements and stipulations in publications for tenure decisions of academic and research staff together with rewarding and endowing perks including financial incentives. Assessing junior colleagues purely by exercising the IF score or journal ranks in senior researchers' mind-set has been widely prevalent in academia in the global context. Enforcing rules and regulations for promotion, recruitment, and financial incentives for tenure decisions only for the publications in high profiled journals with top IF is a kind of mania. It, in turn, creates a dismantle discrimination and precede for academic bullying and professional prejudice in universities. Thus, this paper discusses some of the problems with IF and journal ranking mechanisms, which consist of prevailing distortions in the scientific industry by disclosing the failures to predict the definite impact and creation of perverse incentives. It further proposes some points to be taken for reforming/devising an appropriate mechanism targeting the definite impact of essential scientific values of research and researchers that can be readily used for measuring the impact
Business Domains for Boosting Customer Satisfaction in Academic Libraries
(The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 2015) Jayasundara, C.C.
University library administrators in Sri Lanka, realising the necessity of complying with customer perception of high quality service, have begun to search for alternative ways to satisfy their clientele on the basis of service quality. This study therefore aims to meet this need by identifying business domains in the university library setting to assess the extent to which service quality domains may be used to predict customer satisfaction, from a service quality perspective. Domain identification of service quality was carried out with a sample of 262 subjects. Accordingly, seven domains–affect of service personnel, building environment, collection and access, furniture and facilities, technology, service delivery and web services–were statistically tested to be confirmed as potential business domains of service quality. Whilst not detracting from preceding research studies conducted in the field, this study has demonstrated significant implications for researchers and library administrators in understanding the importance of individual business domains within the specific service spectrum of university libraries, in order to provide ultimate satisfaction for customers with a quality library service.
The Challenges of Offshore Agile Software Development in Sri Lanka and Effects on the Project Outcome
(International Scientific Journal of Management Information Systems, 2014) Marambe, Arjuna; Jayasundara, C.C.
Agile development methods such as Scrum and Extreme Programming are being used by a number of software companies around the world. The offshore software industry in Sri Lanka has also started to adapt these development methods in order to meet the growing demand. However applying agile development methods in an offshore model has its own challenges and each of these challenges has an effect on the outcome of the project. Currently there has been no research done in Sri Lanka as to how each of these challenges effects the project outcome and this formed the main research question. The focus of this reassure was to study how each of these challenges effect the project outcome in terms of time, cost, scope, quality, and the overall project. The first objective was to study and contrast agile development methods with traditional waterfall based development. The second objective was to carry out a literature survey and identify the main challenges that offshore software development companies face when applying agile development methods. The five main challenges identified were, communication, achieving team coherence, following the agile development method, limitations on tools and infrastructure, and testing. The third research objective was to study how these challenges affect the project outcome. The challenges identified in the literature review were used to prepare questionnaires for three companies in Sri Lanka that practice agile development methods in an offshore model. The objective of the questionnaire was to find out how the presence of these challenges effect the project outcome and how overcoming these challenges affect the project outcome. The data gathered from the questionnaires were analyzed using Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient. The results identified that communication, tools and infrastructure, following the Agile development method, and testing had a strong relationship with the project outcome in terms of time, cost, scope, quality, and the overall project outcome. Team coherence had a moderate relationship with the time, cost, scope, quality, and the overall project outcome. Based on the results, a research framework was derived which answered the research question of; how each of the challenges affect the project outcome. Finally, the concluded that all the challenges identified for this research apart from team coherence had a strong effect on the project outcome. Team coherence had a moderate effect on the project outcome.
Communication and Employee Relations in the University Libraries of Sri Lanka: Perception of Staff Members
(The Journal of Library and Information Management, 2011) Jayasundara, C.C.
Communication is a medium used by people to interact and relate with each other. The purpose of this paper is to identify the management styles in relation to communication and employee relations, barriers to open communication and the factors that impede effective employee relations in Sri Lankan university libraries. The research study was based on two universities in the Colombo area. The sample data was collected by interviewing eight para-professionals and four minor staff members from each university library. The study found that the autocratic management styles of the majority of the management in both libraries adversely affected the morale of the employees when performing their duty in the library. The study further revealed that conflict situations between management and employees are common in both universities. Finally, the respondents stated that both libraries predominantly use interpersonal or informal communication methods to transmit messages to the employees in comparison to formal and technological methods.
Critical examination of sidathsangarawa through secondary sources
(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2023) Divakara, Anurin Indika; Jayasundara, C.C.
It is possible to observe the emergence of various language forms in response to contemporary social communication needs. The process of standardizing one form of language practice can be discerned through an examination of the social history of the language. Although it cannot be explicitly stated, it is evident that there was a diffusion of 'Siyabasa' intertwined with local mother tongues. This can be substantiated by analyzing the language usage in modern prose works, which indicates a trend toward the standardization of Tamil language usage. During a period when the Tad language form was considered a 'popular' expression and a societal norm, Sidatsangara stands out as a noteworthy instance in which the applied grammatical rules of the Sinhala language were influenced by the standardization of 'Jheka Pryoga' and 'Vyavaharashra.' This influence can be traced back to the poetic works originating from 'Siyabasa.' According to the content of relevant texts, such as the Sidathasagarava compiled by Pathiraja Piruwanpati Thero it offers insights into the scope of the grammar rules and special usages, drawing from secondary sources.
Digital Libraries as A Tool to Confront The Digital Divide
(Library Progress (International), 2016) Jayasundara, C.C.
Purpose: This paper discusses how digital divide has affected the access of quality information of the citizens and how digital libraries contribute to bridge the digital divide. The article also aims to focus on several issues related to digital divide and digital libraries that pertain to the function of service provision of a traditional library. Methodology: Literature review and observations Findings: It provides some thoughts to readers to rethink of the revolutionisation of Open Access initiatives (OA), Open Educational Resources (OER) and Scholarly Communication Productions (SCP) for the benefit of their wider user community focusing specifically on underprivileged groups, who cannot easily access to quality information due to any financial, infrastructural, socio-economic dynamics. It also highlights the recent developments in OER in Fiji and the country’s effort to draft a national policy on OER to provide directions in the use of open educational resources to increase access to and support quality learning and teaching in Fiji’s education and training system.
Drivers of customer satisfaction in libraries: a case study of the FNU Libraries
(2013) Jayasundara, C.C.
Although the provision of facilities and staffing at Fiji National University (FNU) Libraries appear to be adequate, there seems to be less emphasis on quality service delivery in the customers’ eyes. This study therefore aimed to establish service quality determinants, which may have good relationship with customer satisfaction in FNU libraries. Invention of quality determinants were derived upon a comprehensive methodology consisting of three methods. First, 68 determinants were generated through the existing literature, and then these determinants were reviewed by focus groups and 39 determinants were identified as applicable determinants in FNU libraries. In addition to that 7 determinants were found by focus group discussions which are very specific to the FNU and which cannot be found from the prevailing literature. The focus groups were used as the key method for selecting the appropriate determinants. Finally, the content and face validity of these determinants were evaluated by a panel of experts to identify the most appropriate determinants and produced 37 determinants in the FNU library system. This study provides a useful device as a reference tool for library professionals and policy makers to gauge the levels of overall user satisfaction and setting up a quality assurance scheme in Fijian university libraries.
Enhancing Students’ Skills Through Technology (ESST) : a one-to-one computer solution at Fiji National University
(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2014) Jayasundara, C.C.
Fiji National University has come a long way from its time of inception in terms of information and communication technological resources and capabilities. Achievement of its primary responsibility of human capital development depends largely upon its teaching and learning resources. Research has confirmed that ICT has significant potential to assist students who are currently disadvantaged by gender, disability, ethnic and socio economic background. Total student population of the FNU comprises of 75% students who are basically from lower income families of which the annual income is lower than FJD 15,000/=. Therefore, majority of the students do not have their own computers and as a result, libraries and computer labs in the university are very competitive and fully occupied even at nights. Thus, FNU is compelled to use a model which explain how that potential can be developed and used to benefit students currently seen to be excluded from, underachieving in, or disaffected by university. As it is evident to develop the skills needed for 21st century, provision of ICT and enhanced information literacy skills through SDL are exclusively needed. FNU has already introduced information literacy as a mandatory course to all students of the university through its COM 501: Information and Communication Literacy. Thus the only gray area of the mission is the provision of ICT facilities to develop HOT skills of students through SDL. This paper discusses the potential models which can be used for implementing 1:1 computer provision in a university library setting.
ETHICAL ISSUES SURROUNDING THE USE OF INFORMATION IN HEALTH CARE
(Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science, 2004) Jayasundara, C.C.
As a result of rapid technological and economic expansion throughout the world, society is confronted with new requirements. For the success of the medical practice, even with the rapid changes in technology and the medical field, practitioners involved in the use of patients’ information are obliged to continue to behave ethically. This paper reviews the ethical challenges raised in the use of patients’ information for medical and other purposes. It also discusses the values underlining the ethical issues and their importance in the use of patients’ information in the doctor and patient context. The issues surrounding the use of patients’ information such as secrecy and confidentiality are raised and potential problems in the area, policy issues which must be addressed by those concerned with the confidentiality and secrecy of health information and the germane legal issues are also discussed. Moreover, this is a review of the current status of the health care information ethics with particular reference to the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and developing countries. Finally, it concludes that the emerging field of health care information ethics will require careful thought and insights from an international collection of ethicists.
Factors contribute to the usage of library electronic information resources (EIR) by university students in Sri Lanka
(A.Noorhidawati, et al. {Eds.): ICOL/S 2014, Kuala Lumpur: DLIS, FCSIT, 2014) Alahakoon, C. N. K.; Jayasundara, C.C.
The efficacy of student use of university library e-sources relies on computer experience, JCT selfefficacy, library support, Information Communication Technology (JCT) training, obstacles in EIR use, /CT stress, training needs, infrastructure and usage of e-journals. The present study investigates the possibility of employing the Classification and Regression Tree analysis (CART) to explore the present status of the EIR usage and to find out the factors that affect use of EIR in Sri Lankan university libraries. The objectives were to identify universities according to the levels of usage of library EIR, identify the factors of EIR use in the university libraries and possibility of predicting the status of EIR usage of libraries based on CART. The piloted, validated and structured questionnaire was administered to 840 undergraduates. The CART was developed to model the EIR usage patterns and to identify the factors of the EIR usage. Based on the variable importance of CART, JCT obstacles and training requirement were recognized as most important factors. The CART indicated that 42.5% essentially need training to improve the searching level of EIR and 56. 7% had no proper training in EIR and become ineffective users. These findings suggest the university libraries must prioritized the improvement of JCT facilities and identify the new JCT trends in libraries.
How a “fine regime” of an unacceptable user behaviour policy affects library use: nudging or shoving?
(Journal of Access Services, 2021) Jayasundara, C.C.
A discussion of long-term thefts in the library suggested creating a highly punitive policy that captures the dynamics of the context through a holistic approach. The study inquired about how the penalty regime affects the attitudes of students and library staff toward fines. Data was collected through in-depth interviews to reveal three groups' attitudes: offenders, principled users, and staff. Twenty staff were interviewed, and forty of the students interviewed were registered users, 20 of whom had previously been fined for attempting to steal books, while the rest had no record of policy violations. The findings show that 30% of students were aware of the existence of the written policy only after being punished, which indicates that they were not given proper library orientation at the outset. The paper discusses how heavy fines and banishment from the library impacted attitudes toward the services offered in the building. Feedback from participants can be part of an early warning system used to maintain a high-level of service quality minimizing security issues.
An identification of Critical Success Factors (CSFs) on user perspectives in diffusing e-Information Service in the University of Colombo Library
(Sri Lankan Journal of Librarianship and Information Management, 2009) Jayasundara, C.C.
Access to fresh international research is a prerequisite for meaningful research endeavor. With the objective of providing online scholarly information, the e-Information service was established in 2003 and it was quickly became the hart of the library services and a catalyst for change and collaboration. The e-Information service of the University of Colombo’s leading edge resource based teaching and learning facility, provides a collaborative interdisciplinary environment where campus wide access is granted. Identification of CSFs and degree of user satisfaction towards the e-Information service were the objectives of this study. The method of collecting data was informal discussions with 10 postgraduate students, 05 undergraduate students and 8 lecturers who were familiar with using e-resources and where comfortable using IT in FGS, Education, Arts and Science faculties. Physical observations in e-Resource centers were also made. The data collection was preliminary focused on four key areas namely Infrastructure, Support, Resources and Patrons. Conducting e-Information Literacy Development Programmes, enhancing resource sharing activities, strengthening einformation acquisition and delivery procedures were important suggestions.
INTELLIGENT AGENTS PARADIGM AND ITS ETHICAL, SOCIAL, TECHNICAL AND LEGAL PROBLEMS
(Iranian Journal of Information Science & Technology, 2004) Jayasundara, C.C.
The aim of this study is to discuss and critically re,~cw the Intelligent Agents (IA) and their recent developments. The report will particularly focus on the area of Intelligent Agents and information retrieval and how this technology is aiding users of databases. This report commences with a discussion of what Intelligent Agents are and it reviews the qualities they are generally expected to have and settles on the definition of an intelligent agent as a software entity. IA possess basic qualities such as autonomy, co-operation and learning. Then the report critiques the current state of IA technology by examining the technological, social, ethical and some of the legal issues. It further examines the implications of this technology for the reason that computer and infonnation professionals have already recognised that there are a number of problems and issues surrounding the IA terminology and technology which must be resolved as soon as possible in order to acquire the utmost benefit from this technology. Although the Agents offer substantial advantage to users, the very nature of the IA paradigm leads to a number of ethical, social, technical and legal problems, common to all agent-based applications.
IT students’ perceptions on e-learning: a preliminary survey at University of Colombo
(Journal of the University Librarians’ Association of Sri Lanka, 2013) Priyangika, D; Jayasundara, C.C.
There is a trend in universities to utilize e-learning to improve the quality of learning activities of campus based students. The objective of the study was to find out the IT students’ perceptions towards e-learning. The population of the study consisted of five hundred and twenty five students. Stratified random sampling was used to select the sample elements from the study population. A questionnaire was administered to two hundred and twenty six students. A total of hundred and fourty five complete questionnaires were selected for the analysis. More fourth year students are uncertain on the helpfulness of the course management systems in improving exam results. More students who use computer facilities only at the University and students who do not have a computer have negative perception on their ability to learn in an elearning environment, usefulness of online resources for learning and the availability of opportunities to share and discuss subject matters with other students.
Knowledge Management in Banking Industries: uses and opportunities
(Journal of the University Librarians Association of Sri Lanka, 2008) Jayasundara, C.C.
This paper reviews the prevailing literature on Knowledge Management in banking industries. The purpose of KM is to value to information resides in organizations resulting value addition to their tasks and ultimately to approach competitive advantage. Most common KM applications identified in the banking industries are risk management. Customer Relationship Management/Marketing (CRM), performance evaluation etc, Decision Support Systems (DSS), data where houses and data mining are rapidly growing techniques in this particular sector. However, most banks around the world do not use comprehensive knowledge management systems while other financial organizations in the same disciplines do.
A Modular approach to Customer Satisfaction in Relation to Service Quality
(Journal of the University Librarians’ Association of Sri Lanka, 2011) Jayasundara, C.C.
Continuous improvement of customer (user) service is essential to successful development of business in today’s highly competitive, dynamic and complex business environment. There is no exception from it for philanthropic areas including libraries. Thus, this paper reviews the existing literature related to customer satisfaction in relation to service quality to identify the research issues and implications to establish further research avenues in the field. The study revealed that there is a consensus among service marketing researchers on the causal sequence/order of the concepts of customer satisfaction and service quality. Through conceptual improvement and empirical findings of past studies, most researchers have concurred on the fact that quality judgments cause satisfaction, leading to the finding on service quality being the antecedent of customer satisfaction. The formation of satisfaction in relation to service quality is generally based upon some significant theories identified in the literature and it recognised two dominant theoretical paradigms, disconfirmation and performance-only, which can be duly used for modelling customer satisfaction through the service quality perspective in organisations, enabling them to perform possible customer-led service quality evaluations. Secondly, the review more closely examined the potentiality of the prevalent service quality and customer satisfaction models which have been applied in the field of library and information services, such as SERVQUAL, SERVPREF and LibQUAL, understand the customer satisfaction process in the context of service quality. These models were, however, not adequately qualified to confirm their strong applicability for the modelling of the satisfaction process in libraries. Finally, the review concluded with fourteen research issues and their implications relating to library services in demonstrating the void of the prevailing body of knowledge, for new research avenues.
Promotional avenues for university librarians in Sri Lanka
(Annals of Library and Information Studies, 2011) Jayasundara, C.C.
The paper identifies the existing promotional avenues for university librarians in Sri Lanka, the basic requirements needed for these avenues, the obstacles and obstacle mitigating strategies. The research design of the study comprised of three steps, viz., literature analysis, survey based on telephonic interviews, and finally, the opinion modeling. It was found that the major problems that hinder career advancement prospects among librarians are a combination of professional duties with research and publication requirements, inadequate opportunities to reach the rank of librarian and lack of higher educational qualification requirements.
Sexual health information seeking behaviour of adolescents and their satisfaction with the information outcome: An application of the theory of motivated information management
(Elsevier The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 2021) Jayasundara, C.C.
This study investigates how the Theory of Motivated Information Management influences adolescents' sexual information-seeking behaviour and their satisfaction with the information they find. A cross-sectional investigation that purposively selected and surveyed 128 adolescents in the Matara District of Sri Lanka using a semi-structured questionnaire was designed. The variables such as high-risk sexual behaviour, having a partner or not, sexual curiosity, computer self-rated proficiency, sex of the adolescents, self-rated English proficiency, Uncertainty Discrepancy anxiety and self-efficacy were used to inquire about the contributing effects on adolescents' sexual health information seeking behaviour. The findings reveal that the most important sexual health information for adolescents is the information related to “high-risk sexual behaviour” and “sexual curiosity”. Boys are more likely to engage with sexual health information in a positive way than girls. The results further validate the TMIM framework. The orientation of associations between model variables has been consistent with past studies, particularly the negative relationship between anxiety and efficacy. Adolescents expressed difficulties in obtaining health information, including difficulty determining the quality of information and the lack of appropriate health information, highlighting the need for effective measures in this area. To overcome these barriers, the Ministries of Health and Education, the National Library, the Academic Library System and particularly medical/health libraries in universities, and the National Youth Services Council should plan easily accessible, outcome measurable, and appropriate opportunities and training through their official centres and institutions.
Study on Webometric Ranks of Sri Lankan State Universities
(IEEE Potentials, 2014) Edirimanna, C; Jayasundara, C.C.
Globalization has made a remarkable impact on the university education system, and the Internet has become the core resource for universities to make their facilities and opportunities available globally. University Web sites are increasingly used for a wide variety of purposes. The evaluation of universities based on their Web performance was introduced by Cybermetrics Lab as the "Webometric Ranking of World Universities" (WRWU), and this ranking system has become a popular way of measuring university excellence.