Narrow Results

It would be useful for IS researchers to know the major methodological methods used in IS filed and the trends MIS is experiencing in this regard. For this reason, we have conducted a meta-research on three leading IS journals over a period of 15 years in an attempt to provide the MIS field with an overview of research methodologies used and help researchers in choosing appropriate research method. 651 survey-based studies reported in three leading MIS journals between 1992 and 2006 are reviewed. The findings indicate that a considerable proportion of MIS research has been conducted using the survey method. In terms of research purpose, there has been an imbalance between the use of exploratory and explanatory surveys. Consequently, it is to be expected that in the immediate future, the trend will be much more towards the development of models and the explanation of relationships that is towards explanatory studies.

This paper presents the results of a research work carried out in order to develop a novel gaming model for formative knowledge assessment (FKA). The benefits of FKA are well acknowledged by educators as it aids for better learning. As FKA is more frequent, the students’ willingness to take frequent assessments is poor. Often the students expressed that they felt uncomfortable and this resulted in lack of active participation. These are considered as major challenges to be addressed. Hence, this research aimed to find a way to make the assessments interesting. Based on the positive responses for game-based learning, a theoretical model that integrates the principles of extensive games (EGs) and concept map (CM), namely concept tree game (CTG), has been defined and developed. Further, a qualitative research has been performed to evaluate the impact of the FKA model. Major data gathering techniques used in this work were a class test, proposed FKA method, participant observation, survey and focussed team interview. The data were analysed statistically and the results revealed that it has been effective and useful for educators in assessing the knowledge of students and for students, it aided them to know where they stand and helped them to learn effectively.