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BackgroundPrior researchers developed an instrument to measure perceived design thinking ability of first‐year students interested in engineering, and they validated the instrument through exploratory factor analysis.Purpose/HypothesisOur study uses the previously developed instrument to evaluate perceived design thinking ability of senior engineering students. We make a cross‐sectional comparison of this measure on a national scale.Design/MethodWe surveyed a national sample of senior engineering students in 2018 and conducted a cross‐sectional comparison with results from a 2012 national sample of first‐year students who were interested in declaring an engineering major. Two‐way analysis of variance tests compared average design thinking scores across sample groups. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to improve the design thinking instrument.ResultsFirst‐year students who intended to declare an engineering major score significantly higher (2.80) on the design thinking scale than senior engineering students (2.59) with a medium effect size of 0.4. The senior engineering sample performs significantly worse on the feedback seeking and experimentalism instrument items, but significantly better on the integrative thinking and collaboration items. We found no significant differences in perceived design thinking ability among engineering disciplines among senior students.ConclusionsFeedback seeking and experimentalism are traits that engineering educators should develop in their students to improve perceived design thinking ability. Incorporation of user‐centered design and divergent thinking in the engineering classroom are recommended as avenues to foster feedback seeking and experimentalism. We also offer recommendations to improve the design thinking instrument for future research.

The purpose of this research was to identify the factors that affect the use and non-use of a Learning Management System (LMS) by lecturers in a South African university. This research involved a qualitative case-study of lecturers, and utilised questionnaires for data collection. Findings showed that both internal and external factors are important in shaping use of LMS. Contrary to the literature, high levels of use were found amongst the respondents with a high perception of ease of use and usefulness. However, due to issues such as lack of ongoing training, more advanced features of the technology were not being utilised. It also emerged that patterns of use were affected by pre-existing practices and that the perception of the system was affected by differences to the previous system. This study contributed to literature by providing in-depth analysis of why certain factors affect lectures’ decision regarding LMS usage. Future research should consider the use of extended features of LMSs and the prior practices and systems used within the context of study to understand how they affect use or non-use of an LMS. This study contributes to practice through promoting understanding of why there is underuse of extended features of an LMS among lecturers.

People want a sense of community, a benefit that a professional association such as the Association for Information Systems (AIS) can provide to members. When attempts to create a shared experience fall short and we feel excluded, we disengage and stop further attempts to participate. In this paper, we lay a foundation for individual and association inclusion practices in the AIS. First, we describe the current state of inclusion practices in the academy and in the AIS. Then, we describe findings from a survey of AIS members that measured their perceptions about inclusion and exclusion and factors that cultivated these perceptions. In doing so, we establish a baseline against which we can measure future change. Our data yields key insights about diversity and inclusion in the AIS, and we offer recommendations for all individuals in various roles and positions in the AIS.

The integration of learning management systems into an educational context can prepare students to cope with the current information society, as well as enhance pedagogical practices and knowledge transmission. In order to realize these potential benefits, it is important to understand lecturers' reasons for use and non-use of LMS. This chapter argues that when introducing digital technologies into education in developing economies, contextual issues need to be taken into account, as users have to grapple with issues that may prevent use such as low technical literacy, poor technical support, and limited internet access. For education to be truly inclusive in developing economies, these contextual issues need to be addressed so that students from such contexts are able to reap the same benefits of technology as their contemporaries worldwide, such as improved education in terms of content, and improving the future potential of students in the workplace, with its ever-increasing reliance on technical skills and global connection to the digital economy.