Introduction & Methodologies

Java EE is a standard, robust, adaptable, and secure platform that structures the basis for huge numbers of today's enterprise applications. Java EE gives an arrangement of determinations to building multi-level applications utilizing the JavaTM language. Previously, there was an immediate relationship between the strong natures of an application to the complexity needed to accomplish it. However, with the advent of the Oracle ADF framework, one has the capacity to give the usage of amazingly rich Java EE applications, adhering to standard patterns and practices with incredibly lessened effort (Brien & Shmeltzer. (2011).

Additionally, the expanded requirement for associations to build composite applications that utilize Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) principles has constrained developers to make applications that are extremely agile. Implementing these best practices in agile applications typically includes writing a significant amount of framework code, including another obstacle for developers building their first Java EE application (Brien & Shmeltzer. (2011).

In addition to providing robust, performant, and viable applications; Oracle application development framework additionally gives the best of breed infrastructure code to execute agile SOA based applications accordingly uprooting the effort included in an association “rolling their own” and permitting a team to hop right into adding value versus building an infrastructure (Brien & Shmeltzer. (2011).

Oracle Application Development Framework (Oracle ADF) is innovative, yet develop Java EE development framework accessible from Oracle and directly supported and empowered by the award-winning development environment, Oracle JDeveloper 11g. Oracle ADF simplifies Java EE development by minimizing the need to compose code that implements the application’s infrastructure permitting the developers to concentrate on the features of the actual application. Oracle ADF provides these infrastructure executions as a major aspect of the framework. To recognize a set of runtime services is insufficient, Oracle ADF is likewise focused on the development experience to provide a visual and declarative approach to Java EE development through the Oracle JDeveloper 11g development tool (Brien & Shmeltzer. (2011).

Oracle ADF implements the Model-View-Controller design pattern and offers an integrated solution that covers all the layers of this architecture with answer to such areas as: Object/Relational mapping, data persistence, reusable controller layer, rich Web user interface framework, data binding to UI, security and customization. Expanding beyond the core Web-based MVC approach, ADF likewise integrates with the Oracle SOA and WebCenter Portal frameworks simplifying the creation of complete composite applications. For instance, Oracle ADF makes it simple to create agile applications that expose data as services by coupling a service interface to the built-in business services in ADF. This partition of business service implementation details is performed in Oracle ADF via metadata. Utilization of this metadata-driven architecture enables application developers to concentrate on the business logic and user experience, rather than the details of how services are accessed (Brien & Shmeltzer. (2011).

Creating the user experience is as basic as dragging-and-dropping the desired business services onto a visual page designer and demonstrating what sort of component should represent that data. In the example illustrated, we have the capacity to take a database table exposed as a business service, and request JDeveloper to render the information as a table simply by dragging-and-dropping the control on the page and reacting to the automatic popup by showing a table as the desired rendering component. Oracle ADF takes care of the rest (Brien & Shmeltzer. (2011).

Figure 1: ADF Framework, Source: Oracle White Paper. (2011). Oracle Application Development Framework Overview. Oracle Corporation.

Oracle ADF stores the implementation details of these services in metadata in the ADF Model layer. This empowers developers to exchange services without altering the user interface, making the application extremely agile. Moreover, the developer creating the user interface does not have to trouble with business service access details. Instead, they can concentrate on developing the application interface and interaction logic (Brien & Shmeltzer. (2011).

According to Shani, Coghlan, and Cirella, action research is the idea of integrating the human knowledge and the organizational knowledge together so as to tackle the organizational problems. The primary goal of the action research is usually to create an individual self-dependent and educated with the goal that they will have the capacity to work towards the advancement of the association. In addition, action research concentrates on changing the organizational problems (2012). As per Shani et al. (2012), action research is “an emergent inquiry process it engages in an unfolding story, where data shift as a consequence of intervention and where it is not possible to predict or to control what takes place” (p. 51).

In 1940, Kurt Lewin, a Prussian psychologist, developed the action research idea (MacDonald, 2012). As per Glassman, Erdem and Bartholomew (2013), the idea of the action research was derived from Commission on Community Interrelations (CCI). In addition, Glassman et al., specified that the action research is a sort of inquiry process where the organizational groups come together, discuss about their interrelationships, the organizational issues and discuss the approaches to mitigate those issues or to bring the organizational change (2013).

Susman and Evered (1978) described the cyclical process of action research as in figure 1. The figure 1 shows that the action research is the cyclic process, which comprises of five phases.

Figure 2. The cyclical process of action research. Adapted from Susman & Evered 1978, p. 588.

• Phase 1-Diagnosing: This is the most vital and initial phase of the action research process. The fundamental concerns or problems tend to be identified which need to be mitigated.

• Phase 2 - Action Planning: In this phase, the different options are considered with a specific end goal to comprehend the issues.

• Phase 3 - Action Taking: Once the options are determined, the best one is chosen. After that, the action is carried out toward the mitigation of the issue.

• Phase 4 - Evaluating: The result is computed in this phase. The actual result of the actions taken in the earlier phases is resolved.

• Phase 5 - Specifying Learning: This is the last phase of the action research, where the outcomes are considered and checked whether the problems are solved or not. If not, then the process is repeated until it is solved.

As mentioned by Brighton and Moon (2007), at times, seven phases model is utilized, but they may contrast as indicated by the circumstance. For example, in the education department, seven phases model is utilized as shown in figure 2. These seven phases are repeated until the association discovers the appropriate solution for their issues. In the seven-step model, at first, the area of focus is chosen relying upon that the proper action plan is arranged to carry out the inquiry process. A third step comprises of collecting the required data, for example, data collection from students, through survey or observations, and so on followed by organizing it according to the action plan. After that, the data are analyzed and interpreted utilizing statistical methods if necessary. Once the data is analyzed and interpreted, the findings and the conclusions are shared with the stakeholders and the action plan is developed. On the off chance that, if there is no fulfillment or if there is a need to enhance the action process, then the process is repeated from the beginning point or the additional required data is gathered again and the process proceeds as shown in the figure 2 (Brighton & Moon, 2007).

Figure 3. Seven-step process for conducting action research. Adapted from “Step-by-Step: A Tool for Educators to Change Their Worlds” by Brighton & Moon, 2007, Gifted Child Today, p. 25.

Participatory action research is a part of the action research, where the data are gathered and the action is performed so as to tackle the issues and roll out improvements in the association (MacDonald, 2012). In action research, a collaborative resource approach methodology is utilized as a part of which, every participant’s perspectives and thoughts are as important for the action research as the other resources needed for it (O'Brien, 2001).

As mentioned in the article of Hine and Lavery (2014), action research is utilized to enhance the educational process. Action research plays a critical part in the education field. It helps to enhance the practices, environment, culture, and so forth in the association. Moreover, they mentioned that the action research enables the individual, as the individuals have the capacity to gather the required data and utilize them to make right choices for the association. This procedure results in increased knowledge and the critical thinking of the people as they get a chance to be part of the process (Hine & Lavery, 2014).

Caskey (2006) highlights a few advantages of the action research. Those are:

• It enhances problem-solving abilities with continuous improvement.

• It serves to create critical thinking and decision-making skills.

• The individual becomes self-dependent and confident as they can take a decision, according to the data collected for the solution of the issues.

• It helps to actualize the change in the association and social environment.

Caskey (2006) has mentioned some of the significance of action research. Those are:

• The action research encourages the improvement in the school

• It helps to think and convey inventive thoughts and test them to enhance the circumstance.

• It acts as a link between the hypothetical knowledge and the practical implementation to accomplish the change.

• It brings the professionalism in the school by building up the professionalism in the teachers (pp. 52-53).

There are few difficulties specified by Hine and Lavery (2014) in their work. Those are:

• Action research is a time-consuming procedure. The information required for the process requires a time to collect it.

• The circumstance created may be biased one as the participants of the process are the one who has an enthusiasm in the process. In this manner, they take it according to their viewpoint and no one is there to object it (p. 164).

Action research comprises of the cyclic process. Throughout the procedure, the issues are recognized, studied, actions are made according to the choices and those actions are reviewed and checked for the arrangement of the issues. This process is most useful for an intern amid the starting days of the internship. During the internship, the individual needs to perform a particular task. At first, he needs to discover the answer for the issue, how it can be performed to accomplish the goal and complete the task effectively. It engages the individual while working with the group collectively. It likewise serves to think diversely and test those ideas. Therefore, action research is the only best technique to check toward the end whether the individual has the capacity pick up learning and think in a critical ways (J. Kaswan, personal communication, January 21, 2015).