Electronic Frontier Foundation
Association of American Publishers
Professor (Information Systems), New Jersey Institute of Technology
Faculty (Information Systems/Management), Rutgers University (Newark) – Graduate School of Management
System designer/analyst (EMISARI), U.S. Office of Emergency Preparedness (Executive Office of the President)
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Information Systems at New Jersey Institute of Technology and a pioneering architect of computer‑mediated communication. Designer of EMISARI (early crisis‑management group communication system) and EIES (Electronic Information Exchange System) and co‑author of The Network Nation. His scholarship spans online/virtual classrooms, Delphi and Policy Delphi methods, group decision support, and emergency/crisis informatics.
A Delphi variant for structuring divergent viewpoints on policy problems, emphasizing argumentation, desirability/feasibility ratings, and iterative or continuous feedback to map positions rather than enforce consensus.
Framework of premises, concepts, and principles guiding the design of adaptable, role‑tailorable emergency response information systems that support first responders, command/control, and distributed expert communities.
A structured computer‑mediated learning environment emphasizing asynchronous conferencing, collaborative activities, instructor presence, and software features (gradebook, quizzes, search, roles) to support effective online courses.
Communications of the ACM • Journal
Reviews the shift from correspondence and broadcast models to networked, collaborative, student‑centered online learning. Argues that ALNs and related technologies will drive a structural transformation of higher education, enabling global ‘mega‑universities’ and widespread adoption of collaborative pedagogies and assessment at scale.
Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application (JITTA) • Journal
Develops design premises and concepts from EMISARI experience and literature to derive eight general principles and supporting considerations for DERMIS—an adaptable, robust ER information system. The framework addresses first‑responder communication needs, command‑and‑control decision support, and integration of dispersed expert communities.
Communications of the ACM • Journal
Synthesizes evidence on effective online courses (ALNs), emphasizing the centrality of interactivity: instructor–student engagement (swift trust), structured peer collaboration, and software features that promote active participation. Provides practical recommendations for designing and facilitating successful learning networks.
Communications of the ACM • Journal
Draws lessons from EMISARI and related systems to articulate requirements for modern emergency response information systems: continuous use before crises, flexible role and template tailoring, notification mechanisms, and cultivation of online expert communities. Advocates highly adaptable, structured group communication to coordinate large‑scale crisis response.
Online Learning (Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks) • Journal
Across a longitudinal field study, a field experiment, and faculty interviews, the study finds that online courses are as effective as or more effective than traditional classes when they incorporate active, collaborative learning. Pure content delivery with isolated individual work underperforms face‑to‑face instruction; collaborative structures and instructor presence are key.
Communications of the ACM • Journal
Argues that unstructured CMC produces overload; proposes that structure be tailored by users and groups to filter, organize, and navigate content. Presents principles for flexible topic/thread organization, roles, and user‑controlled filters to sustain high‑volume collaboration without suppressing valuable information.
Communications of the ACM • Journal
Reports 18‑month field data from EIES showing that as users gain experience, they value richer functionality beyond simple messaging. Long‑term users benefit from group conferences, composition tools, and customizable commands, indicating that sustained CMC requires feature sets that support complex collaborative work.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change • Journal
Introduces the Policy Delphi as a Delphi variant intended to surface and structure divergent views on complex policy issues rather than force consensus. Details instruments, multi‑criteria scales (e.g., desirability and feasibility), anonymous feedback, and continuous or round‑based interaction to map positions, arguments, and scenarios for decision analysis.
International Conference on Computer Assisted Instruction (ICCAI’95) • Conference
Surveys two decades of NJIT research on CMC features supporting the Virtual Classroom. Summarizes functional requirements (e.g., conferencing, roles, assessment, search, gradebook) and proposes enhancements to improve distance education effectiveness, grounded in extensive evaluations of virtual classes.
MIT Press • Book
A foundational treatment of computer‑mediated communication (CMC) that synthesizes technical, social, organizational, and educational applications. The revised edition reviews developments since the 1970s, discusses ethical and legal issues, and explores how CMC supports collaboration, learning networks, and public participation, concluding with future‑oriented scenarios.
MIT Press • Book
First published in 1978 and revised in 1993, The Network Nation analyzes and forecasts the social, organizational, and educational possibilities of computer‑mediated communication. The revised edition adds a new chapter reviewing developments over the prior fifteen years, updates legal/ethical issues, and surveys emerging applications, offering a foundational theoretical and empirical synthesis for understanding CMC’s impacts and futures.
Addison‑Wesley • Book
An edited volume that codifies the Delphi family of methods, covering philosophical foundations, design choices, facilitation, analysis and reporting, Policy Delphi variants, and case studies across domains. It provides guidance on constructing instruments, managing iteration and feedback, and avoiding common pitfalls when using expert panels for forecasting and policy analysis.