There is Nothing so Practical as a Good Theory

Information Exchange (IE) is an important area of research in Information System (IS), yet there is a lack of theory that explains it. Existing studies usually borrow different theories from other fields to explain IE, but these theories describe the aspects that are associated with IE, not the actual behavior of IE. Additionally, a framework that guides the design of an IE platform to support IE among multiple stakeholders with the purpose of improving the decision-making process does not exist. To address these literature gaps, this dissertation first proposes a theory of Information Exchange (ToIE) to explain IE behavior and its impact on the decision-making process among multi-stakeholders. A qualitative evaluation of ToIE demonstrates that it meets the virtues of a good theory. Second, this dissertation develops an Information Exchange Decision Support (IEDS) framework that can guide the design of IE platforms for multiple stakeholders. The qualitative evaluation shows that the IEDS framework is useful for identifying the stakeholders, specifying the needed information to be exchanged, and maintaining the needed system factors necessary for IE. The IEDS framework is further instantiated to an IE platform named SES-IE. The SES-IE platform is a web-based application that facilitates the information exchange among scholarship organizations, employers, and students, and supports their decision-making process. The SES-IE platform was evaluated using a mixed-methods approach to measure the usability, usefulness, and satisfaction of the system. The successful instantiation of the SES-IE platform shows that the IEDS framework is useful for building an effective IE platform. This dissertation makes theoretical and practical contributions.

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“There is nothing so practical as a good theory”: How to let it work in practice (the case of Galperin’s theory)

Psychology in Russia State of Art ◽

10.11621/pir.2014.0301 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 4-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A.I. Podolskiy

Keyword(s):

Good Theory

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Public Good Theory and the ‘Added Value’ of the EU’s Counterterrorism Policy

European Peace and Security Policy: Transnational Risks of Violence ◽

10.5771/9783845258461-67 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 67-91

Author(s):

Raphael Bossong

Keyword(s):

Public Good ◽

Added Value ◽

Good Theory ◽

Counterterrorism Policy

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Thermodynamics, a good theory for the study of electrochemistry in non-isothermal systems. A specific application: thermal diffusion

Electrochimica Acta ◽

10.1016/0013-4686(77)85014-7 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 22 (9) ◽

pp. 1025-1030 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. Chanu

Keyword(s):

Thermal Diffusion ◽

Good Theory

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Teaching of English as an International Language in Various Contexts: Nothing is as Practical as Good Theory

RELC Journal ◽

10.1177/0033688217750642 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 74-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Seran Dogancay-Aktuna ◽

Joel Hardman

Keyword(s):

English Language ◽

English Language Teaching ◽

Good Theory ◽

Teaching English ◽

Lingua Franca ◽

International Language ◽

Pedagogical Decisions ◽

The World ◽

Language Classrooms ◽

English Language Classrooms

Despite the proliferation of publications on teaching English as an international language (EIL) or a Lingua Franca (ELF), the diffusion of these concepts into the world of English Language Teaching has been slow and incomplete. There is some wariness among educators about the teaching of ELF and EIL, with no consensus regarding appropriate pedagogy. In this article we look at some of the research on the integration of global Englishes into English language classrooms and discuss issues concerning a model of language to guide pedagogy when there are multiple Englishes. We maintain that it is by relying on theoretical understandings of concepts underlying the development and use of global Englishes and basing pedagogical decisions on contextual needs, rather than on prescriptions for practice, that teachers can make realistic decisions about integrating Englishes into their own classroom pedagogy. We refer to a model of teaching English that is based on a vision of situated teacher praxis and show how one component of this model, meta-culture, can be used to teach language-culture connection in the era of global Englishes.

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